Che: Criterion Collection – Blu-ray Review
The Film:
Pop culture has a way with events and figures, notably making them seem more ideal than historically appropriate. Che Guevara is one such victim of pop culture, maybe for no real wrongdoing, but his face has appeared on more coffee mugs and T-shirts than any other non-religious figure. His face seems to be an iconic symbol for inspiring change or upheaval, a counter-culture symbol for an idea against the norm. But I doubt if many kids who wear a shirt with him on it, know the real reasons of Che’s ideals and beliefs.
Steven Soderbergh’s epic film does many things for Che as a person. He strips the figure down to his essence, ridding it of that unnecessary popular culture meaning, showing us who Che was and what he was fighting for. This film is smothered in historical accuracy and politics. We won’t get any Hollywood-ized shots of our hero, and for that we can be thankful. Soderbergh follows Che as if the camera was a character within the Revolution; it’s never flashy, never signals itself out, and that’s a vital component in Soderbergh’s attempt to demystify Che.
The film is also one of dueling aspects. In Part One (The Argentine), we see the beginnings of a man speared into a belief of revolution, because of the injustices he witnesses when among the poor, who are the one’s mostly affect by the Batista Regime in Cuba. From these origins, we see the success of his beliefs come to strict completion, with the war won, “now the revolution starts”. Che, in this regard is firing on all cylinders. Soderbergh mixes the war scenes and walks in the jungle, with some post-war victory marches as Che visits the United States, attends parties, and talks about his ideology in interviews, with a beautiful recreation in black and white. It also makes the case for a film more interesting tangent as a work of art. Soderbergh’s sound design for Che is remarkable for its subtle nature being interrupted by the unpredictability of war. These scenes don’t linger, but randomly come and go, much like the life within war. The sound is exceptional; loud, rude, and quite all within seconds.
Continuing with the film’s dueling nature is Part Two (The Guerrilla). This is a completely different film, but one that follows the film’s arc, one that might be lost on you until the film is seen in its entirety. When Che decided to start another revolution in Bolivia, a country he felt needed one much like Cuba did a decade ago, everything that went right then, goes oh so wrong here. Where as his Cuban mission was organized, strategic, and a success, conquering Bolivia proved to be half-baked, unfocused, and a disaster. One could also argue the inclusion of Fidel Castro and his vital part in Cuba for that campaign’s success, where as the complete lack of him in Bolivia (Che and Castro were close), I think offers up some interesting discussions historically, and maybe a reason for the failed Bolivian Revolution.
Also here in this film, we see the guerrilla life in all of its glory, from the mundane to the crucial. One false move feels like it could destroy the mission and/or end your life. This is another important characteristic of the film’s success. We not only witness the guerrilla lifestyle, but we feel it and experience it. Since these scenes come at the end half of its mammoth running time (257 minutes), I would dare to be proven wrong if this film treats you like an exercise in method movie watching. Che and his fellow guerrillas are not only hungry, but irritable and uncomfortable during the Bolivia campaign, which might be a common feeling a viewer could have, I think.
For that, the film really succeeds. I would recommend this venture into the world of Che. I can’t imagine taking in each film individually. I think the film makes a great case for its length. Soderbergh also takes away these common notions of what a biographical film should be, we see Che through his life and beliefs, always engaged in conversations of political nature. A bore to the easily entertained, but a treat to viewers that appreciate a journey more than escapist entertainment, Che is a complex film based on a complex man, with plenty of time to tackle the subject head-on in history, tee shirts be damned. Che constantly is a test, much like Guevara faced in real life. The film is epic; I can see some viewers wanting more insight into his character, but like Soderbergh’s camera, it’s all about the experience of being with him, through his successes and defeats.
The Blu-ray:
Audio/Video: Criterion offers up in the booklet some things one should be aware of for the film’s transfers. I’ll let you read those, but this is a Criterion release, a studio known for honoring the director’s intentions, as well as being a superb studio for presentation. With Che, it is a tough one to fully and accurately judge, due to Soderbergh’s variety of film stocks used, but clarity is extremely high, details as sharp as ever, and colors and blacks richly reproduced. Any complaints, should be rectified by the accompanying liner notes, and not the fault of Criterion, as Soderbergh had some different techniques for various time frames in Che’s life.
The DTS tracks for both films, is nothing short of fantastic. Bass is strong and rear speaker activity is always engaging, making for yet another fantastic sounding Criterion disc. Soderbergh’s unique sound design is one of the more overlooked ones recently, so hopefully, people will reexamine this.
This is a 2-disc set. Each film has it’s own set of extras based on that film. Unfortunately, one cannot view the film in its full glory, like some theaters and festivals were given a chance at showing. So, lucky are the ones that attended that.
Disc 1 (Part One- The Argentine):
Commentary: This is one of the most engaging tracks I’ve heard in a while, as it’s with Jon Lee Anderson, who was a Chief consultant on the film, but also wrote a book on Che called Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life. It’s a detailed filled track for history buffs, as he talks about Che as a man and a political activist, as well as the political climate in South America during the film’s setting. Even more intriguing is the notes on some of the film’s historical inaccuracies.
Making Che: In HD, this near hour long piece has Soderbergh and Benicio Del Toro, amongst others talking about the entire production of the film. Being Criterion, this isn’t a standard EPK, but a well-rounded look at making this film.
Deleted Scenes with optional Soderbergh commentary, and the Trailer-all in HD-round out this set of extras. A 24-page essay book is included here, with some solid pieces on the film and the technical info on the Blu-ray release.
Disc 2 (Part Two: The Guerrilla):
End of a Revolution: Restored to HD, this 1968 documentary has filmmaker Brian Moser, who attempted to contact Che, but arrived after his death. This documentary looks at the reasons for the political upheaval, with key interviews. Fascinating and historically important. Runs 25 minutes.
Interviews from Cuba: Benicio Del Toro and the film’s producer went to Cuba to interview some historians and participants in the Revolution exclusively for this release. Again, historically interesting, as well as a neat tangent piece to the film.
Che and the Digital Cinema Revolution: We all know Soderbergh loves using the new RED camera, and Che was the first film to be shot with it. Running 34 minutes, in HD, this feature explores why Soderbergh chose the RED camera, the evolution of its construction, and how it helped in filming Che.
Deleted Scenes with optional Soderbergh commentary finishes out the extras. A Replica Poster is also included.
Conclusion: Che is a mammoth piece of filmmaking, as well as a controversial piece of art. Benicio was born to play Che, as he is superb. Criterion’s Blu-ray is top-notch, and worth the investment.
The Film: Rating: 
The Blu-ray: Rating:
