CHE

US, 1969, 92 minutes, Colour.
Omar Sharif, Jack Palance, Cesare Danova, Frank Silvera, Woody Strode, Barbara Luna, Abraham Sofaer. Directed by Richard Fleischer.

Che did not receive good reviews at all when released in 1969. It pleased neither Left {not an adequate picture of a hero) nor the Right (who thought any film of a man like Guevara bad propaganda). Omar Sheriff's portrayal of Che was considered poor and, obviously, attitudes to Castro and Cuba have changed when we think of 1962 and look at Jack Palance's performance.

And yet the film is interesting to watch suggesting a re-creation of events and disputes of recent history. The screenplay leaves judgments to the audiences and uses a pseudo-documentary style of interview with leading characters. The film presents Che as a dreamer gone out of touch with the world and gone wrong.

Richard Fleischer seems to be able to direct any kind of film. This is well enough made and quickly provides talking points about Che Guevara, Fidel Castro, Latin America and communism.

1. Did this film presuppose some knowledge of who Che Guevara was? Did it presuppose in the audience some kind of intellectual and emotional attitude towards Che?

2. What impression did the credit sequences give with Che as a seeming martyr-hero, the insets of riots and revolution and Che’s words on the nature of total revolution?

3. The film used a flashback technique as well as a documentary interview style. How did this affect the impact of the film, e.g. knowing that Che was dead and was being transported, the opinions of people who knew Che (and seeing their involvement with him) and the bias of their opinions?

4. Has the film pro or anti-Che? How did the film try to achieve objectivity?

5. What was your initial reaction to Che, in the invasion of Cuba - his role as a doctor, his asthma yet his driving of himself, his heroism and daring, his opinions and intensity?

6. What was your initial reaction to Fidel Castro? Was he played well and sympathetically? (Did the portrayal correspond to your image of Castro?) Was he an effective leader?

7. Was the background of the Cuban revolution well enough defined - the poverty and repression, the role of the army, the motivation of Castro and his men, the backing of Miami-based exiles? Why was Che, an Argentinian doctor, there?

8. What happened when Che became a guerrilla leader? It was said that a "latent martinet" emerged. Was this necessary for the revolution? Did you agree with his style of discipline? How did Che himself change as a person? (E.g. the executions?). How did Fidel become dependent on him? Why?

9. Was Che sincere in his role in the early years of the revolution - his austerity and humility contrasted with his portfolios and influence?

10. What was Che's position in the Cuba crisis? Was he prepared to risk nuclear war for the sake of the success of the revolution in Cuba? How had he changed by this time? Was he obsessed? Why did he hate both the American and Russian capitalists? What position did Castro take? Was his moderation more realistic? (How has it been vindicated since 1962?).

11. Was Che's plan to go to Bolivia a good one? What motivated him? Did Latin America look to hint for leadership? What had he sacrificed in his life to achieve this?

12. What was wrong with Che's approach to the Bolivians? Why did he despise them? How did his lofty ideas on revolution contrast with his attitude towards the people he was liberating?

13. How successful was he in Bolivia?

14. Despite his lack of success, how did Che's endurance show?

15. Was it true, that, at the end, in desperation, he had become ineffective and as cruel as a bandit? Did Castro interpret his letter correctly, that he had lost touch with reality?

16. How influential were the C.I.A. in hunting Che? Why did the U.S. want to destroy him? Why did his opposition use his own text on guerrilla warfare?

17. How disillusioned was Che when he was finally captured - his being rebuked by the Bolivians? How true were the accusations, his cliched speech about freedom and revolution to his captor, the goatherd's speech (reality?) against Che and against the army, that no one had consulted him and he didn't know what he was being liberated from?

18. How did the Bolivian government handle the news of his death? Why?

19. This film was produced within four years of Che's death. Why? Was it meant to be instructive? Propaganda? Exploitation of a popular figure? Entertainment? A good story? What?