The Motorcycle Diaries (Che Guevara's Diary)

Has anyone actually sat down and watched this movie yet? I'm curious to hear your thoughts—what’s the consensus? Give me your honest reviews and critiques.

The film is decent enough.🙂
It’s actually a bit funny how they portrayed that revolutionary... you know the one... HE LOOKS SO GOOD😁 hehehhe..😁

A solid choice for a movie night!

That movie is truly excellent....
Of course, provided you’re actually into that kind of thing... you know, more along the lines of documentaries and such... because it definitely leans heavily into that vibe.

William Martinez84 said:The movie is honestly incredible.
Sure, if that’s your thing... you know, those documentary-style vibes and all that. There's plenty of stuff out there with that kind of energy.

Yeah, it wasn't bad. I actually drifted off toward the end—right when they were crossing the river to reach those typhus victims or whatever they were called. It’s a decent documentary, though it really shows what a wimp Che Guevara actually was. They just aren't the icons we used to think they were. 😁

Is it actually worth pushing this thing all the way to the limit?🤔

Director: Walter Salles
Cast: Gael Garcia Bernal, Rodrigo de la Serna, Mia Maestro, Mercedes Morato, Susana Lanter
Genre: drama duration : 128 min

Before his face became the most ubiquitous image plastered on T-shirts and posters across the globe, the close associate of Fidel Castro and the ultimate symbol of rebellion was nothing more than an obscure medical student from a well-to-do family in New York City—Ernesto Guevara. In 1952, alongside his biochemist companion Alberto Granado, he embarked on a twelve-thousand-mile trek across South America, an odyssey he later chronicled in his "diary : motorcycle through Latin America."
Written amidst the landscapes of South America, the narrative is steeped in a profound, brotherly devotion to freedom, justice, and humanity. This is the authentic account of a 23-year-old Argentine medical student, Che Guevara (Bernal), who traveled the reaches of South America on his motorcycle with his friend Alberto Granado (de la Serna) during 1951-1952, a personal journey that partially fueled his transformation into the revolutionary who left an indelible mark on the history of many nations. The two endured a relentless sequence of adventures, ranging from high-stakes tension (hiding away on a cargo ship, exploring Inca ruins) to the comedic (wiping out on the bike, seducing women, drunken hallucinations) to the deeply somber (volunteering at a leper colony).

The film is top-tier, and you really ought to go see it. My only gripe is how they depicted him swimming across the Amazon in one particular scene. 🙄

I find that physically impossible, but if he actually managed it, then I suppose he deserves all the credit. 😁😁

Man, I absolutely love this movie!

It’s just a simple trip through South America, but it’s elevated because it shows the young version of Che Guevara. The birth of a little revolutionary. Big ideas. Honestly, it hits me hard every single time I think about it. It all started from pure empathy for the people of South America. The film is so subtle. Like it says at the start: this isn't a story of massive feats. Exactly. It's a story about how those massive feats are born. And that was just awesome—that atmosphere of an idea taking root in a young kid full of Che Guevara. Uff, beautiful. All of this set against that massive, epic nature. An idea is being born. In the vastness of nature. It's being born. In nature. Boom. This movie is wonderful.

It feels like the movie is actually happening inside Guevara himself. His mind is totally tied to that land, those people, those events. The film is like a coloring book where you paint your own thoughts about Che Guevara. Man, did I put that well. Bravo to me. Clap clap!

blueranger12 said:Oh man, I honestly thought that movie was absolutely fantastic!

It’s just a simple travelogue through South America, but it's uniquely enriched by being the story of a young man following in the footsteps of Che Guevara. You get to witness the birth of a little revolutionary and the emergence of those massive, world-changing ideas. Honestly, I get a bit choked up every single time I think about it. It all starts with this deep sense of empathy for the people living across South America. The film is incredibly subtle, and it says it right at the start: this isn't a story about grand feats. But that's exactly why it works—it's actually a story about how those grand feats are born. There was something just wonderful about capturing that specific atmosphere, watching an idea take root within a young idealist who was so full of Che Guevara. It was just... beautiful. And seeing it all unfold against the backdrop of such grand, sweeping nature? An idea is being born. In the middle of vast, epic nature. It’s being born. Right there in the wild. Boom. For me, this is just a magnificent film.

It feels as though the movie itself is unfolding right inside Guevara’s mind. He’s completely consumed by that land, its people, and everything happening there... it's like the film serves as a coloring book, giving you the outlines so you can fill in your own personal thoughts about Che Guevara. Oh, man, that was actually a pretty poetic way to put it. Bravo to me, I guess! *claps softly*

👍 I'm with you on that!

I’ve always had a soft spot for films like this; they possess a certain depth and resonance that you just don't see every day. This one was truly exceptional—it felt raw and unpolished in the best way possible, without all that unnecessary Hollywood gloss. Honestly, I’m quite glad it wasn't an American production.

Lawrence Cook2 said:I love movies like this. They have actual depth and impact. This one is genuinely great. It isn't polished or fake, and I’m honestly glad it isn't an American production.

I didn't bring up Americans on purpose. But since you did—I'm glad it isn't American either. 😁 They could never make a movie like this. They just don't get it. Something is missing.

I really loved this movie. I’d put it in that special category of films that just feel dear to me...
I truly enjoyed watching it, and honestly, I felt great even after the credits rolled. And man, that’s a phenomenal feeling.
Basically, it's just a beautiful little vignette about South America... funny, touching, lovely...

northernfalcon30 said:Is it actually worth sitting through the whole thing?🤔

Honestly, I have no clue. I walked out of the AMC Theatres after maybe twenty minutes. I wasn't really in the mood for any overpriced sodas, and besides, I already knew how it was going to end.
I mean, I've seen Eva Perón!

ironcrane7 said:I don't know. I walked out of the theater after maybe twenty minutes. Wasn't really in the mood for a lemonade, and honestly, I already knew how it was going to end anyway.
So, I just watched Eva Perón!

If you were at AMC Theatres yesterday at 9:45 PM, consider yourself totally spoiled. 😁
I didn't know how it ended, so I just kept watching.

I just can't get into this movie.😁
Such a waste of a cult classic...

I mean, I'm assuming it's based on a true story, since Che Guevara got sick as a dog after taking a dip in the water because of some shot-up duck.
In most other movies, he probably would've just dried out and eaten the damn duck.🙄
And let's be real, a regular handgun wouldn't have taken down that duck.
Only real life is this weird...😁

northernfalcon30 said:I just can't get into this movie.😁
It’s a shame because it's such a cult classic.

Personally, I assume they based it on actual events, given how Che Guevara fell deathly ill after that incident involving the duck being shot into the water.
In most other films, he probably would have just dried out and eaten the duck.🙄
Besides, you wouldn't shoot a duck with just any ordinary handgun.
Only life itself can be quite this absurd.😁

The film is adapted from true events found in the journals of that guy from Grenada, or whatever his name was. My only doubt is whether he actually swam across the Amazon River. 😁

Thomas Diaz6 said:The movie is based on a true story from those diaries by the guy from Grenada, or whatever his name was. Only thing I don't buy is him swimming across the Amazon 😁

Wrong. 😛

IMDb says it’s based on both The Motorcycle Diaries (Che Guevara) and Traveling with Che Guevara (Alberto Granado). By the way, the book (The Motorcycle Diaries) only got an English translation a few years ago.

I checked out a map after watching it since my geography skills are non-existent. That colony was in Peru, right? The Amazon isn't even that wide there, so maybe he actually did swim it. Still, I feel like they hyped up that part of the movie a bit.

I’m not entirely convinced that what he actually crossed was the true Amazon. Technically, the real Amazon doesn't even truly form until the Rio Negro and the Rio Solimões merge, along with several other tributaries. And even if we are talking about the actual Amazon, I can tell you one thing for certain: it isn't much wider than the Mississippi River back home!!! Be absolutely sure about that.

Walter Lee7 said:Even if it's the Amazon, it's probably not much wider than the Mississippi River back home! You can bet on that.

"San Pablo, Peru is located about 250 miles downstream (east) of Iquitos on the Amazon River"... looking at the map, technically it's not even the Amazon, but since there are tons of boat tours in that area, I doubt it's any wider than the Mississippi. The Mississippi is basically a stream; you could probably wade right through it.

The film features an absolutely killer soundtrack, so if you’re looking for a way to vibe out while getting a feel for South America, there you go... http://www.motorcyclediariesmovie.com/

Lisa Smith50 said:The soundtrack on this flick is killer. If you want to vibe out and get a taste of South America, there you go. Check out the site for The Motorcycle Diaries: http://www.motorcyclediariesmovie.com/

It’s great. It follows you so subtly that you don't even notice it's happening until it hits you near the end. I actually just checked the credits to see who did the score. It gives me vibes of Paris, Texas, or Dead Man. I know it's not exactly the same, but you guys get what I mean. 😬 The vibe, the setting... they nailed it. 👍

🙂 Honestly, that movie was just stunning... easily one of the best things I've sat through in a long, long time...
I’m a sucker for films that actually make me *feel* something, you know? Like, if I finish a movie and feel absolutely nothing, I basically view it as a total waste of cash...
After watching "The Motorcycle Diaries," I was just totally out of it for about half an hour... I tried to hold it back, but the tears just started creeping in during the second half, and once that scene hit—where he's crossing the river to celebrate a birthday with those lepers—I just completely lost it. It was beautiful, man... truly...
😕 And then, of course, my friends spent the whole time laughing at me for crying my eyes out...🙄