El Che: Investigating A Legend

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Summary: Everything you ever wanted to know...
Review: Trust me, this documentary is worth the price and then some. For those who don't know much about Che Guevara, it's perfect, an engaging and thorough synopsis of his entire career, with a pretty good explanation of the background of his political theories. For those who think they already know the man's complete life story (like me, at least before I watched "El Che"), it's packed full of interesting facts that aren't usually included in condensed tellings of his biography. Examples: Certain difficulties he faced during his various official terms in Cuba; some additional reasons that the Bolivian mission was doomed from the start; insight into his relationship with Fidel, which is still under debate by historians. This film contains extensive (and I mean EXTENSIVE) firsthand film footage of absolutely everything it covers, plus the added bonus of interviews with Fidel. It only strenghtened my admiration for Che and my belief that the world lost a genius and a true revolutionary idealist when he died. My only wish is that the narrator have been a bit less melodramatic and drippy at certain points, as Che's life is enough of a saga in and of itself. But it's really a small price to pay. Definitely watch this one!

Rating:
Summary: Che Speaks! Rare black & white footage, some with audio.
Review: Very informative, if sometimes simplistic, documentary charting Che's political life. Lots of home movies courtesy of Che's father,excellent news footage from the revolution and rare video/audio footage of some of Che's speaches. Lacks an indepth look at the Congo campaign but makes up for it in the film's overall quality. The personal look at Che is a little one dimensional but as a video introduction to this icon of the sixties the film works well.