Che: Part One (2008)
Biography, Drama, History |
Che is a two-part biographical film about Argentine Marxist revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara, directed by Steven Soderbergh. Rather than follow a standard chronological order, the films offer an oblique series of interspersed moments along the overall timeline. Part One is titled The Argentine and focuses on the Cuban Revolution from the landing of Fidel Castro, Guevara, and other revolutionaries in Cuba to their successful toppling of Fulgencio Batista’s dictatorship two years later.
Part 1: The Argentine
In Havana in 1964, Che Guevara is interviewed by Lisa Howard who asks him if reform throughout Latin America might not blunt the “message of the Cuban Revolution.”
In 1955, at a gathering in Mexico City, Guevara first meets Fidel Castro. He listens to Castro’s plans and signs on as a member of the July 26th Movement.
There is a return to 1964 for Guevara’s address before the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, where he makes an impassioned speech against American imperialism, and defends the executions his regime has committed, declaring “this is a battle to the death.”
Part 2: Guerrilla
The second part begins on 3 November 1966 with Guevara arriving in Bolivia disguised as a middle-aged representative of the Organization of American States hailing from Uruguay, who subsequently drives into the mountains to meet his men. The film is organized by the number of days that he was in the country. On Day 26, there is solidarity among Guevara’s men despite his status as a foreigner. By Day 67, Guevara, however, has been set up for betrayal. He tries to recruit some peasants only to be mistaken for a cocaine smuggler, and the Bolivian Communist Party, led by Mario Monje, refuse to support the armed struggle. On Day 100, there is a shortage of food and Guevara exercises discipline to resolve conflicts between his Cuban and Bolivian followers.
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Writers: Peter Buchman (screenplay), Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara (memoir “Reminiscences of the Cuban Revolutionary War”)
Stars: Julia Ormond, Benicio Del Toro, Oscar Isaac, Demián Bichir, Rodrigo Santoro, Santiago Cabrera, Franka Potente, Vladimir Cruz
►Cast:
| Julia Ormond | … | Lisa Howard |
| Benicio Del Toro | … | Ernesto Che Guevara |
| Oscar Isaac | … | Interpreter (as Óscar Isaac) |
| Pablo Guevara | … | Dinner Guest #1 |
| Franklin Díaz | … | Dinner Guest #2 |
| Armando Suárez Cobián | … | Dinner Guest #3 |
| Rodrigo Santoro | … | Raúl Castro |
| María Isabel Díaz Lago | … | María Antonia (as María Isabel Díaz) |
| Demián Bichir | … | Fidel Castro (as Demian Bichir) |
| Mateo Gómez | … | Cuban Diplomat #1 |
| Ramon Fernandez | … | Héctor (as Ramón Fernández) |
| Yul Vazquez | … | Alejandro Ramírez (as Yul Vázquez) |
| Jose Caro | … | Esteban (as José Caro) |
| Pedro Adorno | … | Epifanío Díaz |
| Jsu Garcia | … | Jorge Sotús (as Jsu García) |
| Luis Alfredo Rodríguez Sánchez | … | Rebel Messenger #1 (as Luis Rodríguez Sánchez) |
| Santiago Cabrera | … | Camilo Cienfuegos |
| Roberto Santana | … | Juan Almeida (as Roberto Luis Santana) |
| Vladimir Cruz | … | Ramiro Valdés Menéndez |
| Marisé Álvarez | … | Vilma Espín (as Marise Álvarez) |
| Jorge Perugorría | … | Vilo (Juan Vitalo Acuña) |
| Elvira Mínguez | … | Celia Sánchez |
| Unax Ugalde | … | Vaquerito (Roberto Rodríguez) |
| Christian Nieves | … | Oñate Cantinflás |
| Andres Munar | … | Joel Iglesias Leyva (as Andrés Manuel Munar) |
| Liddy Paoli Lopez | … | Quike Escalona (as Liddy Paoli López) |
| Francisco Cabrera | … | Rebel Guide |
| Pedro Telémaco | … | Eligio Mendoza (as Pedro Telemaco) |
| Milo Adorno | … | Mario Leal (as Yamil Adorno) |
| Miguel Ángel Suárez | … | Army Doctor |
| Alfredo De Quesada | … | Israel Pardo |
| Roberto Urbina | … | Guile Pardo |
| Juan Pedro Torriente | … | Pedro Chape |
| Io Bottoms | … | Make-Up Artist |
| Manuel Cabral | … | Cuban Man at Bar #1 |
| Oscar A. Colon | … | Cuban Man at Bar #2 (as Óscar A. Colón) |
| Sam Robards | … | Tad Szulc |
| Jay Potter | … | Richard Hottelet |
| Stephen Mailer | … | Paul Niven |
| René Lavan | … | Cuban Diplomat #2 (as René Laván) |
| Octavio Gómez Berríos | … | Otto (as Octavio Gómez Berrios) |
| Blanca Lissette Cruz | … | María |
| Laura Andújar | … | Laura |
| Georgina Borri | … | Old Woman #1 |
| Alejandro Renteria | … | Umberto (as Alejandro Rentería) |
| Israel Lugo | … | Omar (as Israel Lugo Graniela) |
| Bryant Huffman | … | Cuervo |
| Xavier Antonio Morales | … | Esteban’s Accomplice |
| José Luis Gutiérrez | … | Polo |
| Jon DeVries | … | Sen. Eugene McCarthy (as Jon De Vries) |
| Leslie Lyles | … | Partygoer #1 |
| Meg Gibson | … | Partygoer #2 |
| Alex Manette | … | Partygoer #3 |
| Elvis Nolasco | … | Partygoer #4 |
| Sheridan Lowell | … | Partygoer #5 |
| Eugenio Monclova | … | Emilio Cabrera |
| Luis Gonzaga Hernandez | … | Lalo Sardiñas (as Luis Gonzaga Hernández) |
| Jose A. Nieves | … | Dr. Julio Martínez Páez (as José A. Nieves) |
| Joksan Ramos | … | Raúl Chibás |
| Javier Ortiz | … | Felipe Pazos |
| Edgar Ramírez | … | Ciro Redondo García |
| Luis Rosario | … | Rebel Luis |
| Osmin Hernandez | … | Gustavo (as Santa Fé Osmín Hernández) |
| Julio Cesar Morales | … | Jesús (as Julio César Morales) |
| Leonardo Castro | … | Army Medic |
| Oscar De La Fe Colon | … | Bazooka Guy #1 (as Óscar De La Fé Colón) |
| Luis Arriaga | … | Bazooka Guy #2 (as Xaiex Arriaga) |
| Monique Gabriela Curnen | … | Secretary |
| P.J. Benjamin | … | Captain Stanton |
| Al Espinosa | … | Angry Demonstrator #1 |
| Ana Maria Andricain | … | Angry Demonstrator #2 |
| Michael Countryman | … | U.S. Ambassador Stevenson |
| Victor Rasuk | … | Rogelio Acevedo |
| Jorge Armando | … | Enrique Acevedo |
| Kahlil Mendez | … | Leonardo Tamayo Núñez (as Kahlil Méndez) |
| Aris Mejias | … | Carmen (as Aris Mejías) |
| Carlitos Ruiz Ruiz | … | Ventriloquist (Albertico) |
| Armando Riesco | … | Benigno (Dariel Alarcón Ramírez) |
| Othello Rensoli | … | Pombo (Harry Villegas) |
| Victoria Espinosa | … | Old Woman #2 |
| Joe Urla | … | Nicaragua Ambassador |
| Diego Arria | … | Venezuela Ambassador |
| Omar Chagall | … | Panama Ambassador (as Oscar Chagall) |
| Eduardo Cortés | … | Sánchez Mosquera |
| Joaquín Méndez | … | Faustino Pérez |
| Pablo Venegas Colón | … | René Ramos Latour |
| Jerry Nelson Soto | … | Nico Torres |
| Jose Brocco | … | Ovidio Díaz Rodríguez (as José Brocco) |
| Norman Santiago | … | Tuma (Carlos Coello) |
| Juan Carlos Arvelo | … | Rolando Cubela |
| Roy Sánchez-Vahamondes | … | Faure Chomón (as Roy Sánchez Vahamondes) |
| Yamil Collazo | … | Enrique Oltuski |
| Alejandro Carpio | … | Eloy Gutiérrez Menoyo |
| Andres Santiago Bravo | … | Hermes Peña Torres (as Andrés Santiago Bravo) |
| Aurelio Lima | … | Victor Bordón Machado |
| Catalina Sandino Moreno | … | Aleida March |
| Alba Caraballo | … | Aleida’s Friend |
| Doel Alicea | … | Oltuski’s Messenger |
| Rafael Alvarez | … | Lieutenant Pérez Valencia (as Rafa Álvarez) |
| José Cotté | … | Dr. Fernández Mell (as José Cotte) |
Sources: imdb & wikipedia