With their film CHE running a total of more than 4 hours, the distributors have made a wise decision to split director Steven Soderbergh’s biopic on Che Ernesto Guevera into 2 parts.  For one, each part tells two quite separate stories of the rebel Argentine known for his aid to Fidel Castro in overthrowing the then dictatorship in Cuba.

CHE PART 1 starts with Che being interviewed by a journalist.  As Che is interviewed, director Steven Soderbergh takes his story into the jungles of Cuba.  He shows how the rebels train, fight and work, but primarily with Che as their leader.  Soderbergh keeps his film in focus with two ways.  Firstly, he treats his protagonist as faultless and an idealist.  Secondly and most importantly, he keeps his audience on track and events in perspective, by injecting points brought up during the interview which understandably goes on through the film.

Soderbergh tells his tale low keyed but still with the occasional glamorizing.  One scene has a rebel shooting off a bazooka twice missing a hut.  Che takes over the weapon and with one shot blows it up with a solid bulls-eye.  Actor Benicio Del Toro (who won the Best Actor honours at Cannes) plays Che with all his vulnerability (always sick and haggard) and charisma.  Though quite a bit of action takes place in Part 1, the audience feels the same excitement as watching a documentary.  The capturing of towns by the rebels takes place often with more drama than fighting.  In the words of a rebel, it is easy to take a town which has the (Batista) government.  Though Soderbergh never resorts to a voiceover, he has his actors say what he wants the audience to hear. 

The production values are high and the film is authentically shot.  All the actors, Del Toro included, speak Spanish.  Figure that the filmmakers saved money on the stars (the only other known name being Julia Osmond) by injecting more money into the technical aspects of the film.  And it pays off.

The first part ends just before Che and his troops are heading to Havana for the final showdown.  Part 2 deals with another part of the rebel’s life. After attaining wide power and fame, he aids Bolivia with her guerrilla warfare.  This is quite the different story and film.