Ok, moral
dilemma. If you’re talking about a single project that is technically made up
of two films, are you cheating by writing a single post about it? Yes, you
heard it, blogging is indeed fraught with pitfalls such as this. But I reckon
if the post is both long enough and written well enough neither Soderberg would
mind. My first chance to see this wonderful film came along a few years back
during the Istanbul film festival. I missed it – both of them. And this fact
has bugged me ever since. Luckily, discerning institutions like my university
library possess DVD copies of things like that so recently that little
obsession was laid to rest. The experience was so fulfilling, the story so
vivid and the film itself so entirely brilliant; I simply had to share it with you
guys. So here goes.
So, Che is
made up of two different films. Che Part 1 is basically the story of the Cuban
uprising against the Batista regime. With great clarity and honesty we follow
Che, from his first meeting with Fidel Castro and his getting involved in the
movement to the jungles and Cuba. Hardships, war and loss of comrades are all
par to the course. But well the rest, as they say, is history.
Che Part 2
is the story of another revolution, the attempted armed uprising in Bolivia
where Che ultimately lost his life. Che resigns entirely from his life and
family in Cuba and sets off to Bolivia to lead and support the communist
movement there. However, the Cold War is taking hold, the stakes have grown
considerably since Che last dabbled in those waters… And neither the Bolivian jungle, nor the
people who live in it are really as familiar as Che thinks they are…
Now, I have
heard there was quite a bit of negative feeling as far as first impressions of thet film go.
Ok, first there’s the political aspect and you can’t really have a serious film
about Che without involving the politics – the man was all about politics after
all. Secondly, there’s the violence. I have actually heard people almost
refused to watch the film because it might be supporting violence and war etc.
I don’t think these are the correct ways to look at these films. Let me
explain.
First of
all the politics. I mean you can think what you like of Che and the politics he
supported. I won’t get into all that here, this is a cinema blog. But think
what you will, Che was a very important historical figure. The political goings
on of the era, both in Cuba and in Bolivia are definitely historical events that
merit being remembered and depicted. And to be fair, Soderbergh does a damn
fine job of depicting them without getting into the politics too much. I feel
this must be the effect of the many documentary projects he has worked on over
the years but I feel, just as it should be, that both films strike an excellent
balance between the poetic and fictional and the documentary. They have the
benefit of being open, no-nonsense depictions of what happened. No corners are
cut; nothing is either prettified or demonised. And this is, in itself a wonderful cinematic
achievement. I think this alone is a good reason for watching both films, if
only because such honest and clear depictions of such politically fraught
events are very rare to find.
But don’t
go thinking that this film is a dry old documentary or something. The first
film is shot in a “dialectic” style, with Che being interviewed about his early
years during a visit to the United States and uses flashbacks etc... The second
is closer to a classical fiction film. But the performance from Benicio Del
Toro is just so good… And the emotion of the time so well given… It almost
knocks one speechless, it’s like time travel. Again,
just like the film in general, Che is portrayed as a man. Neither the
completely perfect “saviour” some make him out to be nor the “demon” others
claim he is. He is a man. With great talents, but faults that go with them. Who
made great and successful military decisions but made mistakes as well. These
films are, I feel, a wonderful chance to get a good perspective on these great
historical events no matter what your personal or political feelings. We
mustn’t forget that nothing is either completely good or completely evil in
this world and Soderbergh’s two films, I feel, provide food for thought no
matter what your convictions.
Kayıtlar
Hiç yorum yok:
Yorum Gönder