Che Guevara, the man with the beret with the star, embodies one of the strongest myths of the 20th century. He was a combination of a saint and an adventurer; somewhere between Don Quixote and a latter-day Jesus Christ.
In his relations with Fidel Castro, he is the hero of a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions. Che Guevara became a symbol of an entire generation. Today he is a myth. Some still draw inspiration from him - others condemn him; sometimes bitterly.
For all, he is a subject of controversy and passion. This film examines the myth, and contains: His voyages of discovery through Latin America, the meeting with Fidel Castro, when an instantaneous friendship was born, his travels around the world, and footage of his tragic end in Bolivia at age 39.
br>The documentary blends interviews, photo stills, music and narrative to create a fascinating picture of Che. These interviews include personal details and memories from family members, fellow guerilla fighters, political figures, and some footage includes speeches made by Che.
A fair portion of the documentary examines Che's childhood, and his struggle with asthma. This early exposure to disease, the film argues, led to Che's interest in medicine, and his determination to become a Dr. But Che left his entire medical career behind, and he was soon devoted to politics. From his youth, Che maintained the view that the "designated enemy is Imperialism." The film explores Che's political career, his friendship with Fidel Castro, his role in the guerilla war against the Batista government of Cuba, and Che's subsequent role in Castro's Cuban government. Che is shown to be an intelligent man, with an incredible amount of personal discipline. He was devoted to social reform, and possibly at his very best when he was a guerrilla fighter in the jungle--here he established literacy programmes, a radio station, and guerrilla training camps.
The latter part of the documentary--and arguably the most fascinating section--describes Che's role in the new Cuban government, and the portrait shown is a man still devoted to social revolution. But Che--although a Marxist--didn't appear to 'fit in' to the new Soviet-influenced Cuba, and this resulted in an odyssey for Che that ended with his death in Bolivia a few years later. There is one great scene of an empty chair next to Castro, and this was footage taken when many were speculating about Che's whereabouts. These final years and Che's death are clouded with different versions of events, but the true version of Che's death seems quite clear from the interviews in the documentary
Starring: Che Guevara
Format: Color, NTSC
Rated: NR
Studio: Kultur Video
Video Release Date: May 27, 1998
NTSC format (US and Canada only. This VHS will probably NOT be viewable in other countries
Run Time: 90 Mins
VHS & DVD