Che Part 1: The Argentine Blu-ray delivers stunning video and reference-quality audio in this exceptional Blu-ray release
On November 26, 1956, Fidel Castro sails to Cuba with eighty rebels. One of those rebels is
Ernesto "Che" Guevara (Benicio del Toro), an Argentine doctor who shares a common goal
with Fidel Castro - to overthrow the corrupt dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. Che proves indispensable as a fighter, and quickly grasps the art of guerrilla warfare. As he throws himself into the struggle, Che is embraced by his comrades and the Cuban people. After the Cuban Revolution, Che is at the height of his fame and power. Then he disappears, re-emerging incognito in Bolivia, where he organizes a small group of Cuban comrades and Bolivian recruits to start the great Latin American Revolution. The story of the Bolivian campaign is a
tale of tenacity, sacrifice, idealism, and of guerrilla warfare that ultimately fails, bringing Che to his death. Through this story, we come to understand how Che remains a symbol of idealism and heroism that lives in the hearts of people around the world.
In France, Steven Soderbergh's epic "Che: The Argentine" (2008) is distributed by the Wild Bunch/Warner. The transfer for this release is practically identical to that used by Optimum in the United Kingdom. The only bonus feature on the French release is the original theatrical trailer for the film. With optional French subtitles. Region-B "locked".
The Argentine
There were two films in 2008 that made an enormous impression on me. Both were about
powerful men with controversial legacies. Some critics hailed these films as cinematic
masterpieces; others dismissed them as flawed attempts at rewriting history.
The first film was Paolo Sorentino's Il divo: La straordinaria vita di Giulio Andreotti, an
incredibly detailed look at the life of former Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti, whose image
was severely compromised during the early 90s by allegations of ties between his government
and the Italian mafia. The film went on to win the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film
Festival.
The second film was Steven Soderbergh's ambitious Che, a poignant portrait of Argentine
revolutionary Ernesto Guevara. Since its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, the film has
received an enormous amount of publicity in Europe and Asia, but in North America it has been
very much a persona non grata. It subject matter, I am sure, has a lot to do with that.
Che is divided into two parts - Che: The Argentine and Che: Guerrilla.
Director Soderbergh structured both as collections of memory flashbacks linked through an
extremely long interview Guevara gave during his famous trip to New York City in 1964, where
he represented the Cuban government at the UN. Each of the two parts highlights key events
from the life of the Argentine revolutionary.
The first film is primarily about Guevara's emergence as a political leader. Director Soderbergh
focuses on the relationship between Castro and Guevara, their clash with Batista's forces and
consequently Guevara's New York City visit. Many of his extremely controversial speeches at the
UN are recreated with notable precision.
Director Soderbergh also addresses Guevara's interaction with those who questioned and opposed
his political views. Unsurprisingly, throughout the film, there are a number of references to critics
and enemies of Guevara. This is very important to note considering that many have dismissed
Che as one-sided, shameless piece of propaganda.
The chronology of events is complicated. Director Soderbergh repeatedly goes back and forth
between different events highlighting specific details – portions of statements, remarks and
confessions - that allow the viewer to better understand Guevara's position on a number of
issues. During the second half of the film, where the political rhetoric is of key importance, the
approach works very well.
Che is a notably sterile film. For long periods of time, director Soderbergh's camera
observes the action from afar, de facto preventing the viewer from becoming emotionally involved
with the main protagonist. Obviously, this has to do with director Soderbergh's desire to be as
objective in his portrayal of Guevara as possible, drawing a clear line between myth and reality.
Director Soderbergh's intent, however, is precisely what appears to have divided the critics. Some
have stated that his film's honest and unapologetic tone is precisely what makes it work (Ethan
Alter, Film Journal International); others have argued that behind the guerrilla warfare
footage and passionate anti-American speeches there is a disturbing message, one that has very
little to do with Guevara and his legacy (Betty Jo Tucker, ReelTalkReviews).
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Steven Soderbergh's Che: The Argentine arrives on Blu-ray in France courtesy of the Wild Bunch/Warner.
I have been comparing the French Blu-ray release of Che: The Argentine with the UK release by Optimum Releasing for the last two hours. As far as I am concerned, the two are practically identical. Contrast is very impressive, detail excellent and clarity stunning. The color-scheme is also very impressive. As you could see from the captures we have provided with this review, blues, greens, yellows, browns, blacks and whites are lush and well saturated. Even the nighttime scenes look incredible. As I mentioned in my review for the UK release, it really does show that the film has been shot with a Red One Camera. This being said, there are absolutely no scratches, flecks, dirt, or debris that I was able to detect. For the record, I was able to detect a bit of that mild edge-enhancement I noticed on the UK release on this transfer as well. (Note: I tested this Blu-ray disc on three different Region-A players. Unfortunately, it did not play on any of them. For the record, there is no forced PAL or 1080i/50 content on this disc).
There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and French DTS-HD HR 5.1 track. I opted for the Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and later on did a few random comparisons with the French DTS-HD HR 5.1 track for the purpose of this review.
The back cover of this Blu-ray disc incorrectly indicates that the Wild Bunch/Warner have supplied only a Dolby Digital 5.1 track. This being said, the Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track on this disc sounds identical to the one found on the UK disc. I tested a few different scenes and, as expected, I did not detect any audio discrepancies. Alberto Iglesias' music score is mixed very well with the dialog, the bass is rich and potent, and the rear channels intelligently used.
The French DTS-HD HR 5.1 track is also of exceptionally high quality. To be honest with you, I tested a few scenes from the second half of the film and noticed just a tiny a gap in the dynamics. The actual dubbing, however, is rather awkward. I personally would not recommend that you view the film with the French DTS-HD HR 5.1 track on.
For the record, the Wild Bunch/Warner have provided optional French subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, the appear inside the image frame.
I was asked to review the French releases of Che: The Argentine and Che: Guerrilla because some of our French-speaking members were hoping that they might be Region-Free. Most unfortunately, the two discs, courtesy of the Wild Bunch/Warner-France, do not work on Region-A players. This being said, their transfers are basically identical to those used by Optimum Releasing for the British releases. Other than the original theatrical trailers, there is absolutely nothing else to be found on the discs. Regardless, these are exceptional films and we HIGHLY RECOMMEND them.
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