The Motorcycle Diaries
Directed by Walter Salles
- drama
The story
Based on the journals of Che Guevara, leader of the Cuban Revolution. In his memoirs, Guevara recounts adventures he and best friend Alberto Granado had while crossing South America by motorcycle in the early 1950s.
What it’s like
Wide landscapes do most of the talking here: the Andes rising out of dusty plains, Patagonian steppe under flat grey skies, the Atacama's bleached sand, and the green-brown spread of the Amazon seen from a riverboat deck. Cinematographer Eric Gautier shoots in natural daylight with warm, sun-browned tones, and the handheld camera stays close to two young men on a battered motorcycle, so the road feels bumpy and immediate. Scenes often unfold in loose, unhurried stretches, with campfires, market squares and rough hospitality, and the score by Gustavo Santaolalla leans on gentle guitar and wind-blown folk textures that rise and fall with the scenery. The vibe is wistful, sunny and reflective, a slow-blooming travelogue that tilts from adventure comedy toward quiet social awakening. Intensity is low: there is no violence, the sexual content is minimal and non-graphic, and the mood is mostly warm humour, illness and hardship handled with tenderness. It suits a lazy weekend afternoon, a long-haul flight, or anyone who wants a road film with heart and a sense of place, for viewers who enjoy coming-of-age journeys with a gentle political undercurrent.
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