Diarios de motocicleta (2004)

Director:

Walter Salles

Writers (WGA):

Ernesto 'Che' Guevara (book)
Alberto Granado (book)

Release Date:

24 September 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Biography | Drama

Tagline:

Before he changed the world the world changed him

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Motorcycle | Che Guevara | Friend | Diary | Argentina

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 26 wins & 37 nominations

Cast

Gael García Bernal	...	Ernesto Guevara de la Serna (Argentina)
Rodrigo De la Serna	...	Alberto Granado (Argentina)
Mercedes Morán	...	Celia de la Serna (Argentina)
Jean Pierre Noher	...	Ernesto Guevara Lynch (Argentina) (as Jean-Pierre Noher)
Lucas Oro	...	Roberto Guevara (Argentina)
Marina Glezer	...	Celita Guevara (Argentina)
Sofia Bertolotto	...	Ana María Guevara (Argentina) (as Sofía Bertolotto)
Franco Solazzi	...	Juan Martín Guevara (Argentina)
Ricardo Díaz Mourelle	...	Uncle Jorge (Argentina) (as Ricardo Diaz Mourelle)
Sergio Boris	...	Young Traveler (Argentina)
Daniel Cargieman	...	Young Traveler (Argentina) (as Daniel Kargieman)
Diego Giorzi	...	Rodolfo (Argentina)
Facundo Espinosa	...	Tomás Granado (Argentina)
Matias Gomez	...	Kid (Argentina) (as Matías Gómez)
Diego Treu	...	Kid (Argentina)

Also Known As:

The Motorcycle Diaries (UK) (USA)
Carnets de voyage (France)
Die Reise des jungen Che (Germany)
Voyage à motocyclette (France) (festival title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

126 min

Country:

Argentina | USA | UK | Germany | Mexico | Chile | Peru | France

Language:

Quechua | Spanish

Colour:

Black and White | Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Taiwan:R-12 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Zurich) | Iceland:L | Hungary:14 | South Korea:15 | Sweden:7 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | Brazil:12 | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Ontario) | Canada:G (Québec) | Chile:TE | Finland:K-7 | Hong Kong:IIA | Netherlands:AL | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R | Norway:11 | Germany:6

Filming Locations:

Argentina

Company:

FilmFour

Trivia:

The motorcycle used by the real life pair was a British-made Norton International, which had a 500cc single cylinder engine. The director revealed that they found, restored and used such Nortons except for the crash scenes where modern Suzukis were made up to look like Nortons and christened "Nortsukis". The director revealed that whereas the old Nortons were unfailingly reliable, the modern Suzukis were forever breaking down.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: At the end of the movie, when Che is at the airport, a yellow GMC pickup drives by. The pickup has a 1-piece windshield; GMC did not introduce the 1-piece windshield until a few years after 1952).

Quotes:

Ernesto Guevara de la Serna: 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.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Zomergasten: (#18.1)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Mambo No. 5

Great metamorphosis film

This film portrays the South American travels of Ernesto 'Che' Guevara and Alberto Grandado in the 1950s. Taking from each man's memoirs, Director Walter Salles beautifully weaves the archetypal "discovery" film with the classic "buddy pic". The film is beautifully shot, capturing both the majestic and the delicate. Furthermore, the director and actors convey powerfully genuine emotions. While a humorous travelogue throughout, there are dozens of scenes of profound pathos.

The characters, young medical students in their 20's, grow over the course of their travels. Inspired by the beautiful landscapes and peoples of South America, the friends' worldviews broaden, and they are forced to contemplate their destinies. It is important to note that the characters do not experience fundamental change, for their essential character traits appear early and persist throughout. However, the variety of new experiences allows them to draw novel conclusions about the world and forces them to 'grow up' in the sense of taking command over their directions in life.

The film only hints at the fact that Ernesto would become 'Che' - a man of action - hero to some, villain to others. It would be a shame for the viewer to over-emphasize this context of the film, for Ernesto's life could turn out a number of ways. This story could have been about anyone exposed to new paradigms and overcome with compassion. What is most important is the journey and the resulting development of the characters - who begin abandoning their carefree youth and discover new passions through their experiences.

The lead actors give tremendous performances - Gael Garcia Bernal radiates quiet strength as Ernesto, and Rodrigo de la Serna is charming and ebullient as Alberto Granado. They wisely do not seek to portray a famous revolutionary, but merely to portray these characters in the moment. Their mastery is evident in the universality captured throughout the film.