Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

Ernesto Guevara de la Serna, known to the world as revolutionary leader Che Guevara is considered an icon for his radical theories and tactics on guerilla warfare. Beloved by many, he also had many enemies, including the U.S. government who found his ideals to be a threat. Especially since he convinced Fidel Castro to its path of Communism after overthrowing corrupt Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959. With Castro as Cuba’s new leader, Guevara helped him align with the Soviet government while being the Minister of Industries until 1965. After disappearing for a while, he led a group of rebels in Bolivia before being killed by a Bolivian army in 1967 with support from the CIA. Today, Guevara remains controversial for his beliefs but not many knew how he became the revolutionary that is beloved by many. In the early 1950s, Guevara was just a young medical student from Argentina where he and friend Alberto Granado went on a road trip across South America that was based in Guevara’s stories entitled The Motorcycle Diaries.

Based on Guevara’s novel and Granado’s Traveling with Che Guevara, The Motorcycle Diaries is a film about the young Che Guevara when he was just a young medical student going on a life-changing trip with his best friend, Alberto Granado. Directed by Brazilian filmmaker Walter Salles with a screenplay by Jose Rivera, the movie is more an attempt to humanize the iconic Guevara by presenting him as a young man wanting to help the world and seeing the injustice that plight the people of South America that would lead him to become the revolutionary. Starring Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal in the role of Guevara with newcomer Rodrigo de la Serna as Granado along with Mia Maestro. The Motorcycle Diaries is an inspiring, riveting masterpiece from Salles.

It’s the winter of 1951 in Buenos Aires, Argentina as a young, 23-year old medical student named Ernesto Guevara and his 29-year-old chemist friend Alberto Granado decide to plan a road trip to explore South America before Alberto’s 30th birthday in April. The vehicle they use is an old, beat-up 1939 motorcycle that Alberto called “The Mighty One” where on January of 1952, the two young men leave on their journey as Ernesto says farewell to his beloved, middle-class family. Making their way to the Argentinean countryside on their way to Chile, they stop at the home of Ernesto’s girlfriend Chichina (Mia Maestro). Chichina lives in an upper class home where her family somewhat disapproves the arrival of Ernesto and the more brash, humorous Alberto, who dances with a maid during a party. After staying for six days where their bike gets some repairs, Ernesto and Chichina say goodbye to each other as she hopes he goes to America to buy her a swimsuit while Ernesto leaves her a German Shepard puppy.

Ernesto and Alberto continue to their trip despite troubles with the bike. During their trip, the boys are short on cash (sans the $15 American Chichina gave Ernesto) where the two stop at a home of a man who has a tumor in his neck. Ernesto wants to help but doesn’t have the experience to help him where the man lets the two young men camp outside his home. Ernesto briefly gets ill from trying to catch a duck in cold water where he gets better once Alberto takes them to Chile, even through its snowy Andes mountains. Alberto, a great liar, uses his lies to get himself ahead while Ernesto does the same when he convinces a mechanic to fix his bike for free because of a newspaper article about him and Alberto. Unfortunately, the mechanic would later chase them after Ernesto flirts with the mechanic’s wife. The two men continue their trip where they encounter a horde of cows and since the bike lost some breaks, it’s damaged to the end.

After getting a ride from a couple of cow herders, they stop at a town; flirt with Chilean women where they got shelter from a fireman. Ernesto then encounters a sick woman who he tries to save but knows is dying by giving her pills. Ernesto and Alberto stay at the town in Chile for a few days where Ernesto gets an upsetting letter from Chichina and with “The Mighty One” now out of action for good, the two walk to their next destination. After hitchhiking on the way to the north of Chile, they meet a mining couple in a desert that lost their jobs because they’re Communists. After a stop at a minefield, Ernesto sees the oppression of the government in South America. After arriving in Peru, Ernesto and Alberto sees more problems as they make a stop at Machu Pichu, the old Incas fortress where Ernesto wonders what happens if the Spaniards hadn’t gone their to invade with their guns when the Incas had astronomy, mathematics, and such for their knowledge.

They arrive at Lima where they meet their contact, Dr. Bresciani (Jorge Chiarella) who gives them work in his hospital before they leave for the Amazon for volunteer work. After days of working, Bresciani asks for them to read a book where on the day they left, Ernesto gives him his honest opinion of the book and Bresciani applauds him for his honesty. Ernesto and Alberto make their way where Ernesto briefly gets ill due to asthma attacks where Alberto takes care of him while flirting with a young woman after winning a blackjack game. Ernesto still sees oppression where on the boat he’s on, he sees a smaller yet horrible-looking boat carrying poorer passengers. After arriving on a medical area at the Amazon, Ernesto still sees injustice since the healthy live in the north while the sick live in the south yet he and Alberto befriend their patients. After treating some people including a young woman named Silvia (Antonella Costa), Ernesto becomes a change man while Alberto looks on at the change of his young friend.

What makes The Motorcycle Diaries such an inspiring, remarkable film is Salles’ approach to how he presents the future revolutionary that would be known as Che Guevara. Without glossing anything or making things overly dramatic, Salles brings in a realistic yet poignant directing style with the uses of handheld and steadicam shots of South America while giving us a view of the injustice of the world through young Guevara’s eyes. Jose Rivera’s adapted screenplay definitely gives us a development of its main characters while giving the film a bit of comedy and not making it too slow or too political. Overall, the film has a great story and knowing what would happen to Guevara at the end that includes ominous remarks to his early passing, the film’s final image shows a sadness of how beloved Guevara is from his most loyal friend.

Salles’ wondrous direction is helped by the evocative look of French cinematographer Eric Gautier, who uses lush colorings of the locations with daytime scenes showing the beauty of South America along with the oppression of its government and country. Helping Gautier’s vision is production designer Carlos Conti and art director Laurent Ott who both help show the contrast of the upper class world of Chichina’s family and the poor in Chile, Peru, and the Amazon. With a nice, jump cut style editing from Daniel Rezende, the film has a wonderful pacing where it isn’t too slow or too fast but just right. Giving the film a nice, Latin American feel is composer Gustavo Santaolalla, who uses a traditional, Latin guitar flavor of guitars and percussions to show the melancholia and richness of South America while bringing an electric guitar for a modern feel.

While the film has a diverse cast of actors playing several roles, the smaller standouts from Mia Maestro, Jorge Chiarella, Antonia Costa, Jakelyne Vasquez as Luz (the woman Alberto flirts with at the boat), and Mercedes Moran as Ernesto’s mother. The film really belongs to its two principle actors. Rodrigo de la Serna delivers a riveting, funny performance as Alberto Granado with his dirty, comical one-liners while doing bad things to people for his own selfish reasons. While he does bad things, he brings a much-needed humor to the film since he tries to teach Ernesto how to lie and stuff. When the story develops, he still has that brash, funny side but also a compassionate, older brother feel since he cares for his young friend and we see how loyal he is to him, especially after his death. De la Serna delivers a remarkable, breakthrough performance.

Gael Garcia Bernal delivers what could be the performance of his career. After making his mark in landmark movies like Amores Perros, Y Tu Mama Tambien, and The Crime of Padre Amaro, Bernal brings a complex and agonizing performance as the young Che Guevara. Bernal makes the audience feel for him as we see the innocence of Guevara early on as he’s just like every 23-year old, reckless, naïve, and afraid. When it develops, Bernal delivers his most intense and dramatic performance as a young man seeing the world falling apart and how troubling it is. Bernal is probably the best actor of his age group, especially being superior to his American counterparts as he continues to deliver a great performance with each film he does but right now, The Motorcycle Diaries is his crowning work.

The Motorcycle Diaries is a wonderful, inspiring masterpiece from Walter Salles with great performances from Gael Garcia Bernal and Rodrigo de la Serna. Those who love Guevara and idolize must see this film to see how he was inspired to become the revolutionary. This is truly a film that is both enlightening politically and spiritually to the point where you want to help. Today, Guevara’s ideals still resonates with those sick of injustice, especially in this election year as the future of this country might fall into the wrong hands. For anyone wanting to be inspired and wanting to change the world must see The Motorcycle Diaries.

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Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age