Pays : Espagne, USA
Genre : Biopic
Durée : 4h00
Date de sortie : Octobre 2008
Avec : Benicio Del Toro, Demian Bichir, Santiago Cabrera
Réalisateur : Steven SODERBERGH
Cuba, 1952, le général Batista s’empare du pouvoir. Bravant ce dictateur corrompu, un jeune avocat, Fidel Castro, passe à l’action. Dans l’espoir de provoquer un soulèvement populaire, il attaque avec 150 jeunes la caserne de Monaca le 26 juillet 1953. L’opération échoue et Castro s’exile à Mexico. Pendant ce temps, au Guatemala, un jeune Argentin idéaliste, Ernesto Guevara, se lance en politique.
(L'avis exprimé par les rédacteurs de cette rubrique est indépendant du travail et des choix du Jury oecuménique.)
21 mai 2008
Che is two films in one. The first part portrays the Cuban revolution, especially Che’s choices and leadership. The second part is his guerrilla warfare in Bolivia culminating in his death there in 1967.
While the project is ambitious, Soderbergh offers a rather classical cinema portrait of Che. During the Revolution, we are able to follow the years of skirmishes then battles, the emergence of the Castros (both Fidel and Raul, providing interesting background in the light of subsequent history) and the support of the Cuban people for the uprising. The film provides a detailed look at the events. However, it also offers some material for judging Che by constant flash-forwards (in black and white) to his 1964 visit to the US, the television interviews and his speech and rebuttal of arguments at the United Nations. There is a lot of reflective material here in Che’s own words and in the journalist’s questions and the UN members’ critique.
While Che’s idealism is to the fore, his clear policy of armed attack as the only way to be rid of corrupt governments with the consequent violence and executions is put in his own mouth as well as the condemnations of others. In retrospect, it is interesting to wonder what might have happened had the US withdrawn the sanctions (and even moved out of Guantanomo).
The second part is not so gripping because, paralleling what actually happened, it shows the haphazard activities of Che in Bolivia, the revolution not really sparking and the small crusade waged by him and his followers (with the disapproval of the Communist Party against armed attack). The action meanders from one encounter to another, the Bolivian Andes contrasting with the Cuban terrain.
Benicio del Toro has an important role as Che. However, Soderbergh does not always place him centre screen – which fits in with his tendency not to be a leader like Castro. And he does not come across as highly charismatic as anticipated. Rather, like a missionary, he has his ideals, his zeal, his complete dedication to the people he wants to free and is prepared to die for all of this.
