Steven Soderbergh presented his ambitious, sprawling biopic of Che Guevara in Cannes earlier this year as a four-and-a-half-hour marathon. Subsequently it has been divided into two separate releases, a decision that makes it a less demanding viewing experience but which might cause the commercial prospects of the slower, more introspective second half to suffer. Che: Part One, which spans the life of Ernesto “Che” Guevara from the mid-1950s until the mid-1960s, bombards the audience with scattershot and seemingly random events and dates. This is no flowing, David Lean-style historical epic, more an agitated, non-linear scrapbook of facts and fleeting glimpses of the man who became a revolutionary icon.

Soderbergh's approach requires audience commitment, but concentration is rewarded as the choppy little segments gradually come together to form a coherent whole. The two main episodes explored are Che's contribution to the Cuban revolution (filmed in lush colour) and his later visit to the United States, during which he addressed the United Nations (shot in grainy black and white which lends a documentary-style immediacy to the material). The tone throughout is perhaps a little over-earnest, but the film does capture the dynamism and optimism of newly forged political ideals.

As Che, Benicio Del Toro does sterling work. His resemblance to Guevara is striking and he brings a charismatic and idealistic Che to life on screen; the fact that we never really get a glimpse of the flawed man behind the legend is the fault of the screenplay rather than any problem with Del Toro's performance.

15, 126mins

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