The Motorcycle Diaries

Woodson

Woodson

Well-known member
Release Date: September 24, 2004 (NY, LA; wider release: October 1)
Studio: Focus Features
Director: Walter Salles
Screenwriter: Jose Rivera
Starring: Gael García Bernal, Jaime Azócar, Rodrigo De la Serna, Ulises Dumont, Facundo Espinosa, Susana Lanteri, Mía Maestro, Mercedes Morán, Jean Pierre Noher, Gustavo Pastorini
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: R (for language)
Official Website: MotorcycleDiariesmovie.com


Plot Summary: In 1952, two young Argentines, Ernesto Guevara and Alberto Granado, set out on a road trip to discover the real Latin America. Ernesto is a 23-year-old medical student specializing in leprology, and Alberto, 29, is a biochemist. The film follows the young men as they unveil the rich and complex human and social topography of the Latin American continent. With a highly romantic sense of adventure, the two friends leave their familiar surroundings in Buenos Aires on a rickety 1939 Norton 500. Although the bike breaks down in the course of their eight-month journey, they press onward, hitching rides along the way. As they begin to see a different Latin America in the people they meet on the road, the diverse geography they encounter begins to reflect their own shifting perspectives. They continue to the heights of Machu Picchu, where the majestic ruins and the extraordinary significance of the Inca heritage have a profound impact on the young men. As they arrive at a leper colony deep in the Peruvian Amazon, the two are beginning to question the value of progress as defined by economic systems that leave so many people beyond their reach. Their experiences at the colony awaken within them the men they will later become by defining the ethical and political journey they will take in their lives.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/focus_features/the_motorcycle_diaries.html


This film is almost out, I really want to see it.
 
Re: The Motorcycle Diaries

Its been on release here in the UK for several weeks and has been a huge hit. I saw it last week and it reallly is an outstanding film beautifully shot and written. The 'Ernesto Guevara' character is Che Guevera the revolutionary guerilla leader who lead, with Castro, the revolution in Cuba.

My only query with the script is did they really say 'Motherf****r' in 1952!!??
 
Re: The Motorcycle Diaries

It is out in NYC and
I am thinking about checking out tonight.

I love motorcycles and it will be nice to see a well done
road movie/buddy movie/motorcycle movie in a looooong time.
 
Re: The Motorcycle Diaries

Just got back from seeing it,
beautiful cinematography.
Loved the first half of it,
beautiful South American landscape, very charming.

then it got too sentimental for my taste during the second half of the film.
 
Re: The Motorcycle Diaries

[quote author=Jonathan link=board=movies;num=1095193639;start=0#3 date=09/28/04 at 16:24:14]Its been on release here in the UK for several weeks and has been a huge hit. I saw it last week and it reallly is an outstanding film beautifully shot and written. The 'Ernesto Guevara' character is Che Guevera the revolutionary guerilla leader who lead, with Castro, the revolution in Cuba.

My only query with the script is did they really say 'Motherf****r' in 1952!!??[/quote]



Great film although it tends to preach a bit about the ills of the world. Re: the Moherf*cker line. He actually said "la concha que te pario" which actually means "the c*nt that bore you" - It's very popular with argentineans but I think it loses something in translation...
 
Re: The Motorcycle Diaries

Saw it tonight. I was touched. Very lovely film.
We need more films like that.
Hollywood would definetly not make this kind of movie.
 
Re: The Motorcycle Diaries

I watched this film two days ago and I liked it.
It was funny as well. Some jokes are only funny if you understand the language, because the subtitles sometimes have a different meaning.

All the best

Fidel.
 
Re: The Motorcycle Diaries

Just came back seeing this again tonight.
Definetly one of my faves of 2004.
 
I saw this movie a few days ago on DVD. Some nice cinematography, but overall seemed like an average film. Che got it wrong though, "Latin Americas" are not mestizo (mixed-blood) people. They are predominately indigenous people who have been made foreigners on their own land. Gael did a nice job playing the role. I kept thinking of Y Tu Mama Tambien the whole time I was watching Diaries. I mean, this is another road trip movie minus the shocker gay scene at the end.
 
I really liked this movie. I'm not much for subtitles but this movie flew by and I was so into it I almost didn't need them. Sad thing is a lot of people won't watch this movie because it's about a young "Che" the revolutionary and some would say murderer. Leave your politics at home and just enjoy a well made film. One big thumbs up here.
 
Bigmagic said:
I really liked this movie. I'm not much for subtitles but this movie flew by and I was so into it I almost didn't need them. Sad thing is a lot of people won't watch this movie because it's about a young "Che" the revolutionary and some would say murderer. Leave your politics at home and just enjoy a well made film. One big thumbs up here.
Click to expand...
Well I wasn't going to comment on this movie for two reasons. 1 I haven't seen it. 2. I won't see it because I know too much about Che - I wouldn't be able to enjoy the movie.

So if you want to disqualify me from my opinion here, feel free. But the phrase "some might say" got me. Che was the head warden of an infamous prison. He personally executed Christians and Gays. This is confirmed by many sources, including Che's own accounts, in his own handrwiting. That isn't "some might say". If you think torturing and executing people because they are Gay or Christian, or one of many supposed communist threats - is ambiguous - then ok, some might say.

Hey , I can watch a movie about Sadddam Hussein, Castro, Adolf Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, Augusto Pinochet etc... But IMO it's kind of silly to ask someone who's watching a movie about, say, Stalin's early years, -- to keep politics out of it. It may not be what you are thinking about foremost , but certainly a man's later life, if you know about it, will inform your appraisal of the film.

So - Che was a murderer - with his own hands. Whether you think that is justified is another matter entirely. There is no some might say.

I apologize if this is coming off too strong. I don't like moral relativism. If a moderator wants to delete this post, I will understand.

PS - By all means - see the movie if you are interested, just do some reading so you will get the full portrait - not just the popular one.

Cheers:)
 
So he killed gays and Christians. What's your point? Custer killed Lakotas, Cortez killed Aztecs, Columbus killed Tainos and Arawaks, Polk killed Mexicans. And movies have been made of all these assholes portraying them as heros. Come on.
 
I would think it was obvious. When a man takes a handgun, puts another unarmed, defenceless man on the ground and pulls the trigger he is a murderer.

I would hope that anyone who watched a movie that lionized a murderer would get more than one side of the story. No matter who you think they are.

As to whether Che was a hero or not, I'll leave that up to you.
 
I hate to turn this into a political debate but why is the terrorism of other countrys worse than our own brand? Seems I recall a movie version of the Mi Lai(hope its spelled correctly) massacre. What about when troops shoot unarmed civilians in a wedding pary or political leaders allow genocide in Rawanda or Bosnia?

Moral relativism is present everyday in the news broadcasts seen on Fox, CNN etc. We can somehow justify the behavior of the gaurds at a prison camp that mistreat prisoners as "mistakes" but absolve our leadership of any wrong doing. We can accept being lied to by our own politicians and not hold them accountable. There was a paper recently declassified(from the joint chiefs) that depicted plans to attack one of our own ships and blame it on the Castro government.

When you hear a leader from an Arab nation describe our President as a murderer do you believe it or discount it as propaganda?

Our Founding fathers were believed to have commited murder and treason(the British thought so) and had they lost the war would have been tried and possibly executed for war crimes. We make heros out of flawed men everyday in this country. This movie doesn't depict Che as anything but a young man taking a trip with his friend.


Please don't misunderstand me, I respect your point of view I just don't share it. I consider the people who protest the war just as patriotic as those who support it. I don't wear blinders when it comes to our nations leadership Democrat or Republican. I definately don't suport the loss of human life by anyone be he revolutionary or Head of State.


There should be a thread for off topic rants like these. Peace to all.
 
Well, I won't respond to your points because this would go into deep politics and philosophy. Like i said - if this is too off topic let me know and I'll delete my posts.

I can't help but feel passionate about certain things. I don't think my politics fit into any one box. Facts are facts. How we interpret them is another matter.

I'll refrain from posting on this movie.

PS - With this kind of subject matter I feel "Zapata" with Brando is near the top.

Back to the movie. Sorry for the tangent folks.

Cheers:)
 
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