By Tony Sheppard
Capitol Weekly

Che: Parts One and Two
Directed by Steven Soderbergh

History, it is said, is written by the winners. But that's an over-simplification, or perhaps an over-complication: It's written by whoever write histories, from their own perspective. Japanese textbooks probably don't look like ours when it comes to WW II. Was George Washington a hero in a noble and justified War of Independence, or was Benedict Arnold a tragic hero in a traitorous Revolutionary War in the Colonies - that probably depends if you grew up in the US or the UK. I've also lived in the US South, where you still occasionally hear about the War of Northern Aggression.

I'm not a historian and certainly not an expert in the life of Dr. Ernesto Che Guevara. So I can't comment directly on where the accuracy lies or who might or might not approve of this account. But it feels like a fairly non-partisan depiction, as though the audience got to tag along with the man and the action that surrounded him. And, whether or not you admire or agree with his politics and policies, you do get the impression that he was a true believer of his own message, not a partisan hack or an opportunist. The film is epic in proportion, with two parts and a total running time of 4h 17m (plus an intermission). The toughest aspect of this isn't so much the sheer length but the relaxed pacing that makes it seem, if anything, even longer.

The first film tells the story of the Cuban revolution, from dinner table plotting to addresses at the UN years after the fact. It is interestingly non-linear, as it jumps from later speeches and appearances, to and from the jungles and mountains of Cuba. To some extent, if there's a hero or a tactical genius depicted here, it's Fidel Castro, who is seen calling most of the shots with Che (Benicio del Toro) following those instructions (something that is missing in the later Bolivian campaign). But it also demonstrates the concept of an insurgency that has the hearts and minds of an oppressed people behind it.

Watching the two halves back to back is interesting for multiple reasons. It doesn't just compare and contrast the events, but it also demonstrates what we are often told about Iraq and Afghanistan - that the same tactics won't necessarily work in different places and with different people. In the second film we see Che as he attempts to repeat the success of the Cuban experience in Bolivia. This is a very different account, entirely linear in presentation, and as different in outcome as is possible. Here we see the insurgency failing among a people who have no reason to trust either side. With peasants who are unimpressed with money, for example, because they have nowhere to spend it, and with a counter-insurgency that's playing from the insurgent's handbook.

While slow, the overall effect is also compelling, and one gets an impression of the hardships, victories, and losses that would be lost in a lesser telling. And the two halves play somewhat successfully independently of each other, especially the first as a stand-alone telling of the Cuban chapter. If you have an interest in this subject and you get a chance to catch this before it disappears, I would recommend seeing at least Part I - otherwise make a note to see it on DVD when it arrives. It's a another powerful and significant collaboration between Soderbergh and Del Toro, who both won Oscars for "Traffic" in 2000.

"Che" plays at the Crest Theatre through Thursday April 16th - see www.thecrest.com for showtimes and ticket information.