One of Steven Soderbergh’s most ambitious films, “CHE,” receives its world premiere in Competition at the 2008 Cannes Film Fest.
With a running time of four hours and 28 minutes, the historical epic is based on a screenplay by Peter Buchman and stars Oscar-winner Benicio Del Toro as Che Guevara.
CHE was shown in two parts.
PART ONE begins o November 26, 1956, when Fidel Castro sails to Cuba with eighty rebels. One of those rebels is Ernesto “Che” Guevara, an Argentine doctor who shares a common goal with Fidel Castro – to overthrow the corrupt dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. Che proves indispensable as a fighter, and quickly grasps the art of guerrilla warfare. As he throws himself into the struggle, Che is embraced by his comrades and the Cuban people. This film tracks Che’s rise in the Cuban Revolution, from doctor to commander to revolutionary hero.
PART TWO is set after the Cuban Revolution, when Che is at the height of his fame and power. But he suddenly he disappears, re-emerging incognito in Bolivia, where he organizes a small group of Cuban comrades and Bolivian recruits to start the great Latin American Revolution. The story of the Bolivian campaign is a tale of tenacity, sacrifice, idealism, and of guerrilla warfare that ultimately fails, bringing Che to his death. Through this story, we come to understand how Che remains a symbol of idealism and heroism that lives in the hearts of people around the world.