The Motorcycle DiariesWalter Salles' film is adapted from the journals of Ernesto 'Che' Guevara detailing his trek to Peru to take up a medical residency. Accompanying him are his jovial friend, Alberto Granado and of course, a motorcycle. The comaraderie of the two buddys is well played, as they bumble their way through Argentina, Chile and Brazil. In one scene they try to blag a free meal by chatting-up two ladies. Inevitably the motorcycle breaks down so they offer medical diagnosis for help.
It's all a million miles away from Guevara's future as a leader and icon. However, after they meet indigenous peasants who are forced to work the land for pittance, he can't hide his compassion. The poverty-stricken wanderers regail young Che with stories of injustice and sacrifice. They eventually reach a leper colony and experience first hand the need for medical supplies and resources for ordinary people.
At the end they separate pursuing different paths and we see the present day Granado close to tears as he remembers his friend.
Salles' film is at first a warm-hearted road trip turned poignant reality check,
without being overtly melodramatic and the acting is wicked.
An Introduction to Hitchcock
Recently developed an acute obsession with the man and his films; he himself often dealt with the helplessly compulsed. He made 53 films, give or take a few, and in every one was a piece of himself, his quirks, his humour, his insecurities, his dreams and often himself. He was well known for his cameos in nearly all of his films. You might say that he made the same four or five films over and over again and it is true. But its the details the that matter, the nuances and of course the characters involved. Now the myths ...
He treated actors/actresses badly.
I read stories that confirm this but I feel alot of them have been exaggerated and over-emphathsied. He did have a weakness for practical jokes which sometimes verged on cruelty but as a manipulator of the screen is it really a suprise if he rubbed people the wrong way. Let's not forget he often worked with the same people over and over again developing strong bonds and mutual respect, James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Cary Grant, Joan Fontaine, Farley Granger.
He was a misogynist/sexual pervert. He stayed married to Alma Reville for the rest of his life and only had sex once to concieve their daughter. True his films were often unkind to the fairer sex but most heroines must encounter some hardship in order to be such. He didn't represent male characters much differently, they too were often getting murdered, murdering, plotting, lying, philandering, etc. Besides you have remember that he made nearly all his films way before female empowerment.
He used unfeasible and bizarre plot devices. True, but at least he admitted it. Life is also sometimes bizarre and unfeasible, he would say.
More to come ...
