Che - Part 1

I'm a bit of a Leftie. Well when I say bit of a leftie I actually mean that I'm a massive Communist - not one of those Social Workers Party, newspaper-selling, slogan-screaming, endlessly dissecting Marx, destroying conversations by insisting that "class is what it's all about!" types - but definitely a red nonetheless. I owned a poster of Che Guevara when I was a student - not exactly original I'll grant you, but it's the kind of thing you've got to do if you're going to be a socialist at University. I think it's in the induction pamphlet somewhere.

Anyway, the scene is now set for you. As a Leftie I doubted that I would have much trouble enjoying a film about Che Guevara - the man (in case you don't know) who was instrumental in the Cuban revolution of the late 1950s and became a worldwide symbol of revolution, struggle against oppression and resistance. He also became a symbol of terror and tyranny for those who didn't agree with his politics. So who is most likely to make a film about his life? Those who adore him or those who hate him? You don't have to watch Che for very long to work out that it's the former who are behind this film - phew!

This film is part 1 and concentrates on Che's involvement in the Cuban revolution. We see him leading troops in battle, conducting military tribunals, treating injured soldiers and organising local people. He argues loudly about not interfering with peasants, about respecting the local people. He frets about the fact that he is not Cuban and dutifully carries out a multitude of tasks assigned to him by Fidel Castro - including those he feels are beneath him - without complaint. Generally, the film presents Che as one of the nicest guys in the world; he's also intelligent, articulate and just.

The film is interesting in that it told me a lot about Che's life during the revolution, and indeed the revolution as a whole (assuming that the film is largely true of course). I'm kind of expecting part 2 to be much less reverential towards him, kind of like part 1 is setting him up for a big fall when things start to go wrong. If certainly hope it is, because as much as I admire what Guevara did and what he stood for I'm certain he couldn't have been that much of a paragon. The film kind of looses credibility by treating him with too much reverence, which is a shame as there is a lot of good stuff in it.

Looking forward to part 2 now, should be in the post as I write.