Che Part 2 - Guerrilla 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.
Yet to be released in North America, Steven Soderbergh's epic "Che" (2008) arrives on Blu-ray
courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment. Amongst the supplemental features
on the disc is a fantastic interview with the author of "Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life", an
interview with Benicio del Toro, and another interview with composer Alberto Iglesias. Region-B
"locked".
In Bolivia
Che: Guerrilla opens up with a summation of the events leading to the mysterious
disappearance of the Argentine revolutionary (Benicio del Toro) from Cuba. Then, we see Castro
(Demián Bichir) reading a personal letter from Guevara in front of members of the Cuban
Communist Party. It is October 3, 1965.
A year later. Guevara arrives in Bolivia disguised as a member of the OAS, the Organization of
American States. He immediately heads to the mountains, where with the help of other rebels he
sets up a large training camp. People from different parts of the country join him.
A representative of the Bolivian Communist Party, Mario Monje (Lou Diamond Phillips), meets
Guevara and explains to him that his comrades would not support him. The BCP leaders are not
convinced that Guevara, a foreigner, and his men can unite ordinary
Bolivians and lead them against President Barrientos (Joaquim de Almeida).
Meanwhile, the news about Guevara's arrival in Bolivia reaches Cuba. Castro is also informed that
the Soviets have instructed Monje not to negotiate a deal between Guevara and the BCP.
Concerned, the Cuban leader vows to support his Guevara as much as he could.
Back in Bolivia, President Barrientos and his government gather to discuss how to deal with
Guevara's rebels. In front of the media, they insist that Guevara is not in the country. Across
Latin America, news stations begin to cover the Bolivian crisis. Shortly after, President Barrientos
asks the US government for assistance.
The CIA sends military specialists to Bolivia. They are expected to train the Bolivians into three
categories – intelligence, weapons communication and demolition. They are also expected to
educate them politically.
Guevara and his men are forced to hide high in the Bolivian mountains. On October 7th, 1967,
they are surrounded nearby the Yuro ravine. After a fierce battle, most of the rebels are killed
while Guevara is captured alive. He is immediately transported to the village of La Higuera. Two
days later, Guevara is executed.
Similar to Che: The Argentine, in Che: Guerrilla the narrative has an episodic
structure. Key events - from Guevara's mysterious disappearance in Cuba, to his arrival in Bolivia,
to his capture – are recreated with utmost precision. This being said, it is important to note that
neither Guevara's actions nor those of his opponents are in any way glorified.
The many battle scenes in Che: Guerrilla are effectively filmed. You will notice, however,
that they are far from being flashy. Often times, they look like something you would see in a
documentary feature. There are no pompous revolutionary speeches in Che: Guerrilla
either. The few times when Guevara addresses the questions of ordinary Bolivians who ask about
his beliefs, he does so using simple words.
The overall tone of the film is set by Benicio del Toro's phenomenal performance. The enormous
character transformation he undergoes between Che: The Argentine and Che:
Guerrilla is indeed one of the most remarkable performances I have seen by a contemporary
American actor. Simply put, for the duration of the two films, del Toro is Guevara.
Some critics have dismissed director Soderbergh's project as a "bloated biopic" and "a pro-Castro,
anti-CIA film made by a mainstream director" (Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle). I
could not disagree more. To me, Che is a serious and exceptionally well researched film
about an influential political figure and his controversial legacy.
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1 (slightly modified from its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1),
encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Steven Soderbergh's Che:
Guerrilla arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment.
As expected, the second installment in director Soderbergh's epic looks just as impressive as the
first one. Contrast is terrific, clarity excellent and detail, especially during the panoramic vistas
showing the Bolivian jungles, incredible. The color-scheme is also very impressive. Greens, blues,
yellows, browns, blacks and whites are lush and well saturated (this is where it really shows that
a Red One Camera has been used). Furthermore, neither edge-enhancement nor macroblocking
are a serious issue of concern. For the record, when blown through a digital projector Che:
Guerrilla also looks incredibly stable. To sum it all up, Optimum Home Entertainment's
treatment of this film is indeed very strong, and I would be shocked if the rumored Criterion
release offers any substantial improvements. This being said, the only reason I am not giving
Che: Guerrilla our highest score is because I am somewhat displeased with the
distributor's decision to include forced PAL-encoded subtitles before the main feature.
(Note: This is a Region-B "locked" disc. Therefore, unless you have a native Region-B or
Region-Free player, you won't be able to access its content. Additionally, those of you with native
Region-B players in North America will not be able to access the main feature due to the inclusion
of the earlier mentioned forced PAL trailers, which will prevent you from accessing the main
feature).
There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: Spanish (with portions of English) DTS-HD
Master
Audio 5.1.
Once again, this is a terrific track with truly impressive dynamic levels. The bass is rich and
potent,
the rear channels very active and the high frequencies not overdone. The shootouts will certainly
test your audio system. They are not overly aggressive, but the quality of sound is superb. The
final
clash between Che's rebels and the government forces for example is notably well mixed – it
literally
feels as if the action takes place right in front of us. As expected, the dialog is crisp, clear and very
easy to follow. Furthermore, Alberto Iglesias' outstanding music score sounds excellent. There are
no pops, cracks, or hissings that I detected. For the record, Optimum Home Entertainment have
provided optional English subtitles for the main feature.
Interview with Alberto Iglesias - the composer answers a number of questions
about his contribution to director Soderbergh's film, how he felt about working on a project about
Che Guevara, his take on the events shown in the film, etc. With optional English subtitles. (mpeg-
2, 13 min).
Interview with Benicio del Toro - the actors talks about how he got involved with
Che, why he agreed to play this most controversial historic figure, what the message of the
film is, and what he hopes people would get out of it. (mpeg-2, 7 min).
Interview with Jon Lee Andersonh - a fantastic interview with the author of
"Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life" in which he talks about the cult of Che, the perception
different generations had of him, why he was and still is so inspiration to many, etc. (mpeg-2, 32
min).
It is a shame that Benicio del Toro was recognized for his exceptional performance in Che
at the Cannes Film Festival but not at home, in the United States. If you could play Region-B discs,
I urge you to consider adding Che to your libraries. I also urge you to find the time to see
the marvelous interview with Jon Lee Anderson, it is as fascinating as the actual film. If you reside
in the United States and cannot yet play Region-B discs, wait for the Criterion release later this Fall.
Very Highly Recommended.
Optimum Home Entertainment has announced that they will release both parts of Steven Soderbergh's 'Che' for Blu-ray in the UK on June 29, day-and-date with the DVD release, separately or in a two-disc box set. No technical specs have been announced at this time, ...