I recently watched the film The Motorcycle Diaries. I came to the film knowing nothing about it and was happy to find it to be quite a pleasant surprise. And it served as a wonderful compliment to the book ¡Gracias! I just recently finished reading since the film takes place in Argentina, Chile, Peru, Columbia and Venezuala. The film is based upon the writings which chronicled a motorcycle roadtrip of Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara and Alberto Granado through Latin America in the early 1950s. I actually didn’t realize Ernesto was, in fact, the Che Guevara until the very end of the film.

The highlights of the film for me were the portions it became almost “travel documentary”-like as they talked to poor farmers and miners in the countryside or Quecha people in Peru or lingered at Machu Picchu to ponder the disastrous plight brought to the ancient Incans by the conquest of “progress” and “civilization”.

I imagine any who dislike Guevara for his later exploits as a “socialist revolutionary” would see the film as unfairly romanticizing him as a perfectly altruistic hero. Of course, I believe this would warrant a deep discussion of economics and politics and what makes one kind of revolution against injustice “good” and other revolutions against injustice “bad”. But I digress. As far as the film is concerned, I don’t think we necessarily have to regard it in this way. My hope is such viewers could set aside whatever political and economic bias and blindspots they may have and enjoy the film. The power and hope of the film for me seemed to be in the travel and the transformative moment in one man’s life; the traveller’s tranformation by marrying himself to the road and landscape, becoming part of it and opening himself up to share in the need and experiences of others less fortunate. This story portrays a revolutionary’s own personal revolution and his passionate response to a cause just waiting for a leader; a movement.

I guess if anything, the film should inspire a general interest in travel for the sake of travel; of seeing, and in the people and culture of Latin America in general. For, I believe it was out of sadness over the poverty and exploitation of the people that ‘Che’ the “revolutionary” was born. I will grant, even if intentions may begin pure, it is possible not all actions of such “revolutionaries” can be considered “good”, but then neither can all actions which have been and are being done in the name of United States’ economic interests and capitalism; actions which, in the end, have probably contributed much of the fuel to the fire which has birthed many who feel the need to stand in opposition.