Barnes & Noble

A road movie that’s strikingly different than its brethren, The Motorcycle Diaries chronicles the 8,000-mile trip undertaken in 1952 by two young Argentinian men -- one of whom, Ernesto Guevara de la Serna, became better known as the revolutionary “Che” Guevara. As the movie opens, Ernesto (played by Gael Garcia Bernal) is a somewhat shy, asthmatic medical student who accompanies his jocular friend Alberto (Rodrigo de la Serna) on what they believe will be a grand adventure: a motorcycle journey traversing a good part of South America. Coming from a comfortable if not extravagant background, the two friends are stunned by the poverty and injustice they encounter, and while working to alleviate suffering in a leper colony during a brief stay, their lives are changed forever. Director Walter Salles (Central Station) lets the South American settings and natives do a lot of his work for him: one type of emotional response is elicited by his presentation of spectacular vistas, another by documentary-like glimpses of people who are desperately poor. But Salles never allows his audience to lose faith in human kindness; throughout the film, Ernesto and Alberto are helped by strangers who have no vested interest in their comfort or safety. The humanistic strain running through Motorcycle Diaries is so pronounced, in fact, that it’s easy to forget that the idealistic young medical student was later compromised by his support for repressive, authoritarian regimes. Fortunately, Salles doesn’t have an overtly political agenda, and in the end, his simply but elegantly told tale must be seen as a celebration of the human spirit. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Brazilian director Walter Salles Jr. follows up the Golden Globe-nominated Behind the Sun with this filmed adaptation of Argentinian-born Cuban revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara's journals of the same name. The Motorcycle Diaries stars Gael García Bernal (Y Tu Mamá También, Amores Perros) as a young, pre-revolution Guevara, a 23-year-old medical student in 1952 traveling across South America on a motorcycle with his friend Alberto Granado (Rodrigo de la Serna), who co-wrote the source material. As they embark on their journey, both young men come of age and find their individual world views broadened farther than they ever expected. The Motorcycle Diaries premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. Matthew Tobey

Product Details

• UPC: 9339065002324
• Source: ICON
• Language: Español
• Time: 2:08:00
• Sales Rank: 60,373