Actor Benicio del Toro and director Steven Soderbergh
Disclaimer: I am not a fan of Fidel Castro; I am also not a virulent anti-Castro Cuban either. Since leaving Cuba in 1957, I've been back attending the Latin American Film Festival in 1987. (Where I didn't watch any films, I hung out with my abundant family there for 24 days.)
I saw "Che", on Tuesday evening, at the Ziegfeld. And, while I'm not objective, in the least, because of "Che's" inherent reflection of the most significant event of my homeland's history . . . and my brother Roberto’s participation, as well as my longstanding admiration of Steven Soderbergh’s work . . . I must say that “Che” is one of the most meaningful and astounding motion pictures that I have ever seen.
It is the feeling of not watching a Documentary, but also not watching a work of Fiction either. I don't recall having this experience before in a movie theater, not watching Gillo Pontecorvo's "The Battle of Algiers"; not even watching Elem Kilmov's great Russian war film, "Come and See."
The courage to make a movie of this running time, with none of the qualities of popular entertainment's status quo, is "Revolutionary", and a courage that succeeds so resoundingly. I was riveted by "Che" from beginning to end. It is a movie that requires further viewing to just figure out, how this was accomplished. Just like striving to understand how 12 survivors of the Granma could defeat Batista's U.S. backed Cuban Government, in 1959. And, to make this movie with an emphases as much on what one does not see, as on what you see!
I thank Mr. Soderbergh’s for making a rare and honest motion picture that reflects a simple important truth: that an authentic life dedicated to the service of others is a choice worth making, whatever the consequences.
"The play's the thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king."
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