3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A tale of a born loser, April 29, 2011
Here we have a largely forgotten film, summarizing the sordid career of a little man with a large ego.
Starring Omar Sharif as che guevara, and Jack Palance as fidel castro, this movie does a fairly good job of telling the tale of how two men raped a nation, how they came to be associated, and how they fell-out once their monstrous personalities began to clash.
For some inconcievable reason, this character che guevara, is gushingly revered by great hoardes of empty-headed, socialist-minded youth, who actually know VERY LITTLE about him. In truth, a man of rather dubious credentials and questionable character, guevara was a bloody executioner and trouble-maker. He was rapidly discarded by the Cuban revolutionaries with whom he had campaigned, once he was no longer useful, ...if he ever was "useful". He was ostracized and marginalized, as an embarrassment to his own movement. Had he not fallen-out with castro and left Cuba, ...he surely would have "had a fatal accident" of some sort, that would have gotten him out of Cuban communist-party politics.
The most telling portrayal of the REAL guevara, is found in his guerilla activities in Bolivia, ...an absolutely miserable failure. Arriving in Bolivia as a self-proclaimed "liberator" for the "oppressed", guevara fought a "revolution" that existed almost completely in his own deluded mind. He found "proletariats" that didn't feel especially "oppressed", and fellow guerillas who took exception to his coercive "leadership" and blatant disregard for the Bolivians he had come to "liberate". In true narcisistic fashion, he blamed his failures on everyone but himself.
Che guevara was NOT a hero, in any way. Yet, this poser who put even women and children up against the wall for the firing-squads, ...has been a cultural idol for all manner of leftists for over fifty years!
If you stink of canabis, still ride a skateboard at age 25, and wear tie-dyed T-shirts featuring the image of this pretentious fool, you probably won't like this film.
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1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
His Life and Death, March 4, 2011
Che!, 1969 film
This is the Hollywood history of an important person in the mid-20th century. Ernesto Guevara joined the small band led by Fidel Castro that landed in Cuba in 1956. They survived the attacks by the Cuban Air Force and Army, grew in strength and support, and finally won the revolution against Batista in 1959. There is slight mention of the other people in Cuba who were against Batista, who grabbed power in 1952. Some say Batista had the backing of the NY bankers who owned or controlled vast tracts of sugar plantations and benefitted from low wages paid to the workers. Popular opinion in America was then with the rebels, just like it was in the 1890s. That changed by the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis. [In the 1920s National City Bank sold South American bonds to many Americans, who were swindled when they became worth less.]
The movie shows the small band coming ashore in 1956. Their uniforms look like American military surplus, so too their Garand rifles. Fidel's band survived and prospered in the rural areas because the people were in sympathy with them. They attacked Batista's army and advanced on Havana until Batista fled to Miami. The new government held trials for many supporters of Batista, then shot the guilty. [This also happened in France and the other countries liberated in 1945.] One important strategy was the formation of an armed popular militia to replace a mercenary (or "professional") army. This eliminated the source of many revolts that plagued South American republics since the early 19th century. [The "Alliance for Progress" led to revolts and military dictatorships in most South American republics. These new governments borrowed and spent, taxes for foreign bankers oppressed the people. The mismanagement by military rulers led to their overthrow in turn.]
Could Cuba survive against a powerful enemy? The Bay of Pigs invasion failed because of poor planning by the CIA and a lack of popular support in Cuba. The US economic blockade of Cuba was followed by expanded trade with the former colonial ruler in Europe. Ironic? Next Fidel sought an alliance with the Soviet Union for arms and missiles for self-defense. This ended at the brink of Atomic War. An understanding saw the withdrawal of missiles from Cuba and Turkey. Che disapproved of these policies! Fidel no longer depended on Che's advice. [Around this time Cuba sent military help to countries in Africa for their fight against colonialism.] Fidel's priority was Cuba, not for any adventures against the military dictatorships in South America. Che decided to try his ideas in another country. He and a small band went to Bolivia.
Did he over-estimate his prowess because of a fatal pride? Che did not cooperate with his potential allies in Bolivia. He seemed to think he could win by military means alone (the opposite of his past actions). This was counter-productive. [Note how he blamed the failures on his under-fed troops! No support and help from the local people. The Bolivian army closed in on his band, ambushed and captured him. But their orders were not to take any live prisoners. [Did the US send specialists to locate Che? Why doesn't this work in Afghanistan?] This is like some classic drama where the prowess of a hero leads to pride, and then failure. "Whom the gods would destroy they first make mad." [This is from the older NTSC video.]
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