Che Part One & Two
What?
The story of Ernesto "Che" Guevara is one that demands attention. The man who rose from humble doctor to military leader during the Cuban Revolution will forever be remembered within his own country and far beyond. When director Steven Soderbergh announced his intention to bring the fascinating story to the big screen, with Benicio Del Toro in the lead role, many including myself began counting the days to release. Partly based on Che’s own memoirs, the two part film chronicles his rise and fall in meticulous detail.
Steven Soderbergh is an extremely talented director. Erin Brokovich, Traffic and Out of Sight are just three of his films that have managed to receive both critical acclaim and box office success. Because the man has hardly put a foot wrong to date, his attachment to a project is like a guarantee of quality. Che as a project had enormous potential, the subject matter coupled with Del Toro couldn’t fail. Early reviews confirmed these thoughts. Having watched the Blu-rays I have no choice but to report something a little different however. Not for one minute did I expect to disagree with the majority of reviews that sang the praises of Soderbergh’s two parter, but here I go. There is no doubting how well the film has been put together. The acting, production design and sheer scale of the project cannot be faulted. The amount of research that went into the project is there for all to see and Del Toro, as many suspected, was simply born to play Che. The length, flow, and in places, style of the films do nothing but hold the films back. The first film jumps between scenes of guerrilla warfare set deep in the jungles, and black and white footage of Che addressing the international delegates at the United Nations, interspersed with various television and radio interviews and meetings that occurred during the trip. The black and white footage, although pertinent to the story, does nothing but halt the flow of the film. Back and forward we are taken without warning, and sometimes reason. Part two fast forwards ten years, depicting the fall of the man after the dramatic rise in the first part and, while more successful than the first installment, failed to grab me as I hoped it would. Another gripe is the length of the films, each part is slightly too long, especially if you watch both back to back which essentially makes for a film of over four hours. Large sections drag, and because of the disjointed feel of the films, interest is lost in major parts of the films. I can understand some of the positive comments that are strewn all over the covers of the Blu-rays, but only to a point. Yes scenes grip, I agree that the "action" sequences set in the jungles impress, and for long periods I was absorbed, but extraordinary? I’m afraid not. To say I am disappointed with Che (parts one and two) is something of an understatement. There is enough quality within to warrant a viewing for sure, but the negatives mean I will not be revisiting any time soon.
Optics:
For the most part, like the film itself, the image is a two part affair. Firstly we have the main bulk of the film which is set within lush jungles. Here the image exhibits fantastic detail, accurate colours and realistic three dimensional qualities. The thick jungles are reproduced perfectly on Blu-ray, contrast is close to spot on, individual leaves and plants can be made out even in the distance and potential problems such as noise or shimmering are never an issue. At times you really feel like you are in the jungle! The black and white footage looks like stock footage and is heavily grained giving a retro, archived look. This technique works extremely well especially when bookended with the "normal" footage. Detail is good throughout no matter what the technique or scene. On the whole this is a fine looking transfer.
Sonics:
The lossless DTS-HD track delivers the goods when it comes to the multiple jungle warfare sequences. Rear effects are plentiful as machine gun fire fizzes and cracks all around the room while low bass can be felt when explosions boom over the gun fire. The track is very realistic, the shots have weight but are never overblown like an Indiana Jones film and ambient effects in the jungle really add to the experience. Of course dialogue is perfectly audible adding the finishing touches to a great sounding couple of Blu-rays.
Extras:
For essentially one four hour film the list of extras is pretty poor. The behind the scenes featurette is on the short side and the interviews with Soderbergh, Del Toro, author Jon Lee Anderseon and composer Alberto Inglesias feel like a token gesture rather than anything designed to provide real insight. A couple of trailers finish things off.
Well?
Perhaps I’m in the minority, or maybe I simply expected too much, but Che 1 and 2 left me feeling disappointed. The Blu-rays are strong regardless of the weak extras however, making these releases rental material for most.
Tom Day
The story of Ernesto "Che" Guevara is one that demands attention. The man who rose from humble doctor to military leader during the Cuban Revolution will forever be remembered within his own country and far beyond. When director Steven Soderbergh announced his intention to bring the fascinating story to the big screen, with Benicio Del Toro in the lead role, many including myself began counting the days to release. Partly based on Che’s own memoirs, the two part film chronicles his rise and fall in meticulous detail.
Steven Soderbergh is an extremely talented director. Erin Brokovich, Traffic and Out of Sight are just three of his films that have managed to receive both critical acclaim and box office success. Because the man has hardly put a foot wrong to date, his attachment to a project is like a guarantee of quality. Che as a project had enormous potential, the subject matter coupled with Del Toro couldn’t fail. Early reviews confirmed these thoughts. Having watched the Blu-rays I have no choice but to report something a little different however. Not for one minute did I expect to disagree with the majority of reviews that sang the praises of Soderbergh’s two parter, but here I go. There is no doubting how well the film has been put together. The acting, production design and sheer scale of the project cannot be faulted. The amount of research that went into the project is there for all to see and Del Toro, as many suspected, was simply born to play Che. The length, flow, and in places, style of the films do nothing but hold the films back. The first film jumps between scenes of guerrilla warfare set deep in the jungles, and black and white footage of Che addressing the international delegates at the United Nations, interspersed with various television and radio interviews and meetings that occurred during the trip. The black and white footage, although pertinent to the story, does nothing but halt the flow of the film. Back and forward we are taken without warning, and sometimes reason. Part two fast forwards ten years, depicting the fall of the man after the dramatic rise in the first part and, while more successful than the first installment, failed to grab me as I hoped it would. Another gripe is the length of the films, each part is slightly too long, especially if you watch both back to back which essentially makes for a film of over four hours. Large sections drag, and because of the disjointed feel of the films, interest is lost in major parts of the films. I can understand some of the positive comments that are strewn all over the covers of the Blu-rays, but only to a point. Yes scenes grip, I agree that the "action" sequences set in the jungles impress, and for long periods I was absorbed, but extraordinary? I’m afraid not. To say I am disappointed with Che (parts one and two) is something of an understatement. There is enough quality within to warrant a viewing for sure, but the negatives mean I will not be revisiting any time soon.
Optics:
For the most part, like the film itself, the image is a two part affair. Firstly we have the main bulk of the film which is set within lush jungles. Here the image exhibits fantastic detail, accurate colours and realistic three dimensional qualities. The thick jungles are reproduced perfectly on Blu-ray, contrast is close to spot on, individual leaves and plants can be made out even in the distance and potential problems such as noise or shimmering are never an issue. At times you really feel like you are in the jungle! The black and white footage looks like stock footage and is heavily grained giving a retro, archived look. This technique works extremely well especially when bookended with the "normal" footage. Detail is good throughout no matter what the technique or scene. On the whole this is a fine looking transfer.
Sonics:
The lossless DTS-HD track delivers the goods when it comes to the multiple jungle warfare sequences. Rear effects are plentiful as machine gun fire fizzes and cracks all around the room while low bass can be felt when explosions boom over the gun fire. The track is very realistic, the shots have weight but are never overblown like an Indiana Jones film and ambient effects in the jungle really add to the experience. Of course dialogue is perfectly audible adding the finishing touches to a great sounding couple of Blu-rays.
Extras:
For essentially one four hour film the list of extras is pretty poor. The behind the scenes featurette is on the short side and the interviews with Soderbergh, Del Toro, author Jon Lee Anderseon and composer Alberto Inglesias feel like a token gesture rather than anything designed to provide real insight. A couple of trailers finish things off.
Well?
Perhaps I’m in the minority, or maybe I simply expected too much, but Che 1 and 2 left me feeling disappointed. The Blu-rays are strong regardless of the weak extras however, making these releases rental material for most.
Tom Day
Director:
Steven Soderbergh
Starring:
Benicio Del Toro
Vladimir Cruz
Demián Bichir
Rodrigo Santoro
Catalina Sandino Moreno
Best line:
"I have to walk with arse naked? Fuck!"
Tagline:
Description:
Optimum Releasing
UK
Region B
Rated 15
2Hrs 14 Mins (Part One)
2Hrs 15 Mins (Part Two)
2.35:1 (Part One)
1.78:1 (Part Two)
DTS-HD 5.1 MA
Interviews
Making of featurette
Trailers
Ratings: (Out of 10)
Film 6.0
Optics 9.0
Sonics 9.0
Extras 4.0
Overall 7.0
