Che: Part One (www.the-usher.com)

1956, Ernesto Guevara (Del Toro) leaves Mexico on a boat to Cuba with a band of exiles led by Fidel Castro (Bichir) to mobilise an army to overthrow dictator Fulgencio Batista. Training in the mountains, Castro managed to raise an army and take town by town but it was Guevara who trained the troops, educated them and taught them to become true revolutionaries. As Castro's war progressed it became clear that the man the revolutionary soldiers called 'Che', held just as much respect with the people as man championing Cuba's freedom and it would be Guevara who would take Cuba's political stand to the United Nations in 1964.

When it comes to defining the most influential people of the 20th Century, especially for Latin America, there is one man that stands out, revolutionary Ernesto 'Che' Guevara.

When it comes to producing a biography of the life of Argentinean doctor turned revolutionary Ernesto Guevara it must of been hard for American director Steven Soderbergh and his creative team reduce this to one movie. With Walter Salles' 'Diarios de motocicleta (The Motorcycle Diaries)' beautifully charting Guevara's early life as he toured South and Latin America, seeing the plight of the people for himself, the obvious way for Soderbergh to go was to show his contribution to the Cuban Revolution, his United Nations address and his failed attempt to recreate his impact in Bolivia. This, of course, would be a monumental undertaking and one that could not be told in one film alone, so we now have a film of two parts.

The first part intermixes the timeframes of the Cuban Revolution 1956 - 1959 and his address at the United Nations in New York in 1964. The New York diplomatic visit is shot in black and white, in an almost documentary style as we follow Che around the Big Apple and witness his speeches to the United Nations. Here we see Che at his most charismatic and influential, making you understand why he was followed so passionately by the people who served under him and why he was so loved by the Cuban people. The charting of the Cuban Revolution is the main plot point of the film however as we see Ernesto Guevara evolve from a field doctor, to commander and then to revolutionary. Drawing from Guevara's own memoir "Reminiscences of the Cuban Revolutionary War", screenwriter Peter Buchman and director Steven Soderbergh recreate this time in his life with great care and attention, with the battle for Santa Clara showing the revolution at its most brutal.

When you are creating a biopic on any historical figure you have to get the casting right and with Benicio Del Toro they have definitely made the correct choice. This is a career-defining role for Del Toro and a chance for him to work with Soderbergh again after their successful, Oscar winning collaboration in 'Traffic'. Del Toro becomes totally consumed by the character, while he might not have the famous good looks of the Revolutionary, he certainly has the power and intensity of a man that can command the hearts of men and drive a nation to stand up against oppression. The rest of the cast is also good, with Demián Bichir looking uncannily like Fidel Castro and Catalina Sandino Moreno continuing to make waves as Aleida March.

'Che: Part One' is a tour-de-force for both director Steven Soderbergh and actor Benicio Del Toro. Covering two pivotal time periods in Ernesto 'Che' Guevara's life, this is another fascinating insight into one of the 20th Century's most iconic figures and as with 'Diarios de motocicleta (The Motorcycle Diaries)', this is a story of unsurpassed passion and a man who continues to be an inspiration.

PICTURE & SOUND

The Blu-Ray disc presents the movie in High Definition wide screen 2:40 up to 1080p, with Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround sound.

BONUS FEATURES

Che Featurette (10.49/Standard Definition)
Director Steven Soderbergh and stars Benicio Del Toro and Demián Bichir talk about the development of the movie, bringing these pivotal people from world history to the silver screen and the importance of Che's story. This is a decent featurette about the making of the movie and the history behind its development.

Interview with Steven Soderbergh (13.19 mins/Standard Definition)
The director talks about how he got involved with the movie, discovering the history of Che, the pressures of filming in Spanish and working with Benicio Del Toro again.

Trailers
Watch the teaser and theatrical trailers for 'Che: Part One'

Previews
Watch the trailers for 'Vicky Christina Barcelona', 'The Wrestler' and 'Gomorrah'

OVERALL

The Blu-Ray treatment for 'Che: Part One' is fine but nothing extraordinary. The lack of a commentary is disappointing and the featurettes and interviews are short and not as comprehensive as they could have been. Even though the film speaks for itself, fans will be slightly disappointed with the extra features on this disc.

BLU-RAY

Che: Part Two

The Motorcycle Diaries

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2009