The Motorcycle Diaries (Diarios de Motocicleta) Reviews

As a road trip film, it's stellar. As a historical insight into the events and psychological gear grinding that influenced the revolutionary leader known as Che Guevarra, it falters.

Whatever the intentions of its filmmakers what ultimately succeeds here is the opening of South America as more than simply a world party/nightclub stop as two young professionals put their promising lives on hold for a bit in order to sightsee their own unknown and surprisingly impoverished continent.

The Motorcycle Diaries is a wonderful, heartfelt film about two Argentinians who decide to bike across South America from Buenos Aires, to Valpariso, and on to Machu Picchu and Caracas in Venezuela. Gael Garcia Bernal and Rodrigo de la Serna star in this beautifully photographed, profound film, but the film doesn't go into any details about Ernesto "Che" Guevara's life as the Cuban Revolutionary, and the story gets pretty scattered and it's sometimes hard to know where they are in the trip or how they got to where they are.

I just watched this movie for the second time. I really like this movie. It doesn't hurt that Gael Bernal is a very good actor, also....but that was just icing on the cake. There was alot of thought put into this movie. It was serious at times, touching at times, and also very funny at times.

Didn't hold my interest very much. Kinda seemed just like a movie to show how wonderful of a person Che Guevara was. Could somebody be that selfless? Sure I guess. Who knows. I have a hard time believing in perfectly unflawed characters.

"Before he changed the world the world changed him"

The dramatization of a motorcycle road trip Che Guevara went on in his youth that showed him his life's calling.

REVIEW
The Motorcycle Diaries is a beautiful film shot against the stunning visual backdrop of the South American continent. It is not only a story about the young Che Guevara on a motorcycle adventure with his friend, Alberto Granado; it is also about the social awakening of the famous revolutionary as he travels from Argentina, into Chile and up into Peru and Colombia. To say that it is shot and directed beautifully is only half the deal. The story is so compelling that even if you know little of Che Guavara's later exploits it still strikes a powerful note. The director, Walter Salles, also makes effective use of still shots of the people who helped stir these passionate feelings within Ernesto de la Serna, as he was named then. It is difficult not feel empathy giving you some understanding as to what drove him on to lead the life he did.

And for people who know all there is to know about Che Guevara or nothing whatsoever, it is just a movie about a man with passion and integrity, discovering a bit more of the world around him whilst trying to make a contribution in the only way he can as a trainee doctor.

Walter Salles is such a great Director and Gael García Bernal & Rodrigo De la Serna are just brilliant! Watch this film before you buy a Che Guevara T-Shirt kids!

After a drawn out beginning, there unwinds a much more meaningful tale. It would be easy to give up on this one near the start, but feel it?s worth sticking with.

My biggest disappointment was watching it on Film 4, where they failed to put up all the sub-titles and left periods of speech un-interpreted.

Wonderfully written and beautifully shot tale of two friends who embarked on a road trip that would forever change them, especially Ernesto Guevara. I love road movies and travelogues, and have an interest in Che Guevara, so it was only a matter of time before I would finally get around to seeing this. Overall, I really liked it, but was not blown away by it. It is very interesting and inspiring, but not a masterpiece. The film does put Che up on a Christ-like pedastel a bit, and hints at what he was to become, but also only alludes to the bad things he did later on as well. It's a good story, and isn't preachy with the politics, so it's the sort of movie that just about everyone could watch and find something to like about it.

"Wandering around our America has changed me more than I thought. I am not me any more. At least I'm not the same me I was. "

Che Guevara is a historical person that most of us know. This movie is a road movie that tells the story of a young Guevara, on a journey across South America.

The story focuses more on how America, and the people he encountered, affected him. Walter Salles skips most of the political issues but gives us some serious things to think about that are relevant even today, for example the native Americans and their situation.

The lead actors performances are first class. Bernal does a great performance as the young passionate man, on his break to become an influential person. De La Serna's performance, as the outgoing Alberto Granado, is even better.

"The Motorcycle Diaries" is an interesting film about Ernesto Guevara, the man who dreamt of a unified America. The film is a first class effort by director Walter Salles and is filled with beautiful photography and music. Recommended.

Ernesto Guevara de la Serna: This isn't a tale of heroic feats. It's about two lives running parallel for a while, with common aspirations and similar dreams.

The film recounts the 1952 journey, initially by motorcycle, across South America by young Ernesto "Che" Guevara and his friend Alberto Granado. As the adventure centered around youthful hedonism unfolds, Guevara discovers himself transformed by his observations on the life of the impoverished indigenous peasantry. Venturing across mountains, deserts, and down rivers, the pair encounter and are forever changed by witnessing the social injustices of exploited mine workers, persecuted communists, ostracized lepers, and the tattered descendants of a once-great Incan civilization.

Directed by Brazillian director Walter Salles, this is a very good looking film, using the actual locations traveled to as a beautiful back drop to what is essentially a road trip movie, backed by an undercurrent that would lead to Guevara's eventual revolutionary ideas.

Gael Garcia Bernal and Rodrigo De la Serna make a very good team together, working as an entertaining pair to see cross through South America. The characters they meet along the way are good as well.

The soundtrack, as with the scenery, is very fitting in an elegant sort of way to back up what is going on in this film.

It works as a comedy-drama, depicting the lives of these younger men, backed by a road adventure setting to make it very watchable.

Ernesto Guevara de la Serna: Mother.
Mother Sister Alberto: Yes?
Alberto Granado: We want to eat.
Ernesto Guevara de la Serna: We deserve to eat like everyone else.
Mother Sister Alberto: Yes, but you didn't go to mass.
Ernesto Guevara de la Serna: No.
Mother Sister Alberto: Then, how do you expect to feed the body if you didn't feed the soul first?
Alberto Granado: Er, denying food is not very Christian-like.
Ernesto Guevara de la Serna: Yes, I doubt Jesus would act like this.
Mother Sister Alberto: In this house, we have a set of rules that have to be followed.
Ernesto Guevara de la Serna: [to Alberto now, as she turns away] I haven't read any rule book.
Alberto Granado: Neither did I. I think that if I find it I would eat it.

Perfect

Motorcycle Diaries is a brilliantly acted, filmed and powerful movie, yet with a serious flaw, a paradox. It portrays Che Guevara as a handsome charismatic hero of the people. Conveniently showing why he became who he was rather than showing who he became, neglecting the real Tyrant Che became, personally singing the death warrants of thousands of people in Cuba, who weren't on the Communist love list. Creating more, injustice than solving it. Stll a very well made film.

Gael Garcia Bernal and the other guy are great.

"This isn't a tale of heroic feats. It's about two lives running parallel for a while, with common aspirations and similar dreams." This line from the movie sums it up rather nicely, actually. The story of their road trip is rather episodic, especially the first half has a documentary feel to it at times. Although nothing terribly exciting happens the movie flows really nicely, carried by very convincing performances and a pretty cinematography. How historically accurate it is I can not tell, but it still gives a interesting impression of the young Che Guevara.

It was long but not ponderous, heavy but not stifling. The pauses are many and perfectly placed, allowing the audience to absorb the beautiful landscape just as Ernesto does. The parts where Ernesto gazes at the moving pictures of the aboriginal Indians are some of the most poignant scenes in the film. And Gael Garcia Bernal stays gorrrrgeous all the way through.

Gael is amazing in this film. And the story of Che is so inspiring. You'll want to go out and make a difference as soon as it's over.

Great adventure... but I don't like the ending... and I thought, the story could do so much better than this...

Through most of this film I felt as though I knew the characters really well. By the end of the film I felt like I had known them all my life. Weird?! But that it what makes this film so great. The chemistry between Alberto and Ernesto was the strong point for me. The cinematography was stunning, unlike any American film that I have seen, for sure.

Gael Garcia Bernal is slowly becoming one of my favourite actors. Not only does he act well he is also so good looking and the great thing is he's not an American actor- which is something I usually like.

Anyway "The Motocycle Diaries" is definatly something everyone should watch and gain the realisation of how a journey CAN change your life. Highly recomended

(Diarios de motocicleta) Mahalo, Joanna, that was a very good recommendation. The heart of this genuine road movie is Guevara's and Granado's work with the Hansen's patients. It seems appropriate that Guevara's growing politicization is only lightly touched upon, since there may be many in the audience who might not know about his life in the military after this time--except what they are told at the end. However, I'm glad they did at least show that he was becoming more and more politically aware. Bernal and De la Cerna are both excellent as the best of friends.