Motorcycle Diaries
I really enjoyed this movie a lot, and I don’t understand why I’ve never heard of Ernesto “Che” Guevara. There are many scenes that display experiences that possibly shaped his personality as a future leader. You could tell immediately that Ernesto came from a very loving family. This may be why he was so emotional with the people he meets throughout the movie. Ernesto was one semester away from becoming a Dr. He and his friend, Alberto “Mial”Granado decide to go on a four month adventure to tour Latin America. Their main purpose of the adventure is tourism, but end up with intentions to work in a leper colony in Peru. The first stop along the way, they stay at Ernesto’s girlfriend’s house, Chechina, for eight days. Ernesto is very torn between his desires for her, and his calling to help the sick and poor. Chichina begs him to stay, and if so she will give her body to him. He gives her a puppy named Comeback, to remind her that he will be back. She gives him $15.00 to buy her some fancy panties. The men take off on “The Mighty One” that has many mechanical problems. The men, without any money sleep in barns along side of the help and in railway stations. Ernesto suffers his first asthma attack at the railway station. It is very severe and made me realize how terrible this disease is. I believe in the back of Ernesto’s head that this is one more reason to help the sick and impoverished. The men barely avoid many serious accidents as the travel along the coast of Chili. They see the poverty of the indigenous peasants. The movie starts to take a more serious note and the men now see very clearly the division in South America. The scene that stands out the most was the communist couple running from police for that reason. The couple has left their child with family to seek out work. Ernesto becomes very angry when the copper mine manager will not give the people water to drink. Another scene where Ernesto looks down onto a small boat, hitched to the back of a river ship with the poor. He observes and makes eye contact with the people. He is feeling saddened and angry for these impoverished people. Ernesto realizes there is a need for action. For three weeks Ernesto and Alberto work at the San Pablo leper colony. Ernesto sees the division of society. The staff lives on one side of the river and the 600 lepers live on the other. Ernesto, against the advice of a Doctor, refuses to wear gloves. He wants to be more personal with the lepers, and get a better understanding of their personality and illness. The men help the lepers build homes, garden, and tend to livestock. The lepers have formed their own community and Ernesto is taken by this coming together. He feels much compassion for them. Ernesto celebrates his 24th birthday and makes his 1st political speech! Despite another asthma attack, Ernesto decides to swim across the Amazon, which no one else has ever made to spend his last night with the lepers. He makes it and they celebrate. I believe this journey was a very important part of Ernesto’s life. He really got a true understanding of the diversion and injustice in Latin America, and the importance for a revolution. This conviction has given him something to fight for.