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The Motorcycle Diaries

Play trailer Poster for The Motorcycle Diaries R Released Sep 24, 2004 2h 6m Biography Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
83% Tomatometer 159 Reviews 92% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
On a break before his last semester of medical school, Ernesto "Che" Guevara (Gael García Bernal) travels with his friend Alberto Granado (Rodrigo de la Serna) from Brazil to Peru by motorcycle. The two men soon witness the great disparities in South America, encountering poor peasants and observing the exploitation of labor by wealthy industrialists. When they reach a leper colony in Peru, Ernesto's values have changed so much that he sides with the sufferers, forgetting his own comfort.
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The Motorcycle Diaries

The Motorcycle Diaries

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Critics Consensus

The Motorcycle Diaries is heartfelt and profound in its rendering of the formative experiences that turn Ernesto "Che" Guerva into a famous revolutionary.

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Critics Reviews

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David Ansen Newsweek Walter Salles's well-observed movie downplays politics for humanism. It's a picturesque tale that, hobbled by its episodic structure, never achieves full steam. Mar 13, 2018 Full Review Independent (UK) Rated: 3/5 Mar 7, 2005 Full Review Marc Savlov Austin Chronicle Rated: 3/5 Oct 20, 2004 Full Review Yasser Medina Cinefilia It evokes on me a strange liberating sensation that captures me and, above all, leaves a trail of enormous visual beauty with the panoramas shown during the reconstruction of Ernesto Guevara's journey. [Full review in Spanish] Rated: 7/10 Sep 9, 2024 Full Review Jane Freebury The Canberra Times (Australia) The Motorcycle Diaries takes you along on a meandering road trip through South America with a young Che Guevara, the Marxist revolutionary. Aug 18, 2022 Full Review Rosa Parra Latinx Lens A breathtaking road trip movie across South America. A coming of age & consciousness story carried by a strong performance from Bernal. Rated: 4.5/5 Aug 15, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Alexsander F Que grande filme nos é apresentado aqui, principalmente para nós latino americanos, o longa tem um caráter excepcional para qualquer um que queira adentrar na história da América do Sul, e de seus povos originários que foram praticamente expulsos de suas terras, por conta da ganância dos colonizadores europeus. Um filme fundamental, apenas assistam, um adendo a fotografia que me lembra muito o grande fotografo brasileiro Sebastião Salgado, Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/06/24 Full Review Torin F THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES is much better than the book from which it takes its name. The film successfully draws forth the deeper currents of Guevara's road trip notes, portraying the formative journey as one full of mishaps, humor, pathos, and insight. The film's measured pace, location filming and excellent soundtrack all support the creation of a culturally-authentic work of art that stands on its own. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 09/28/24 Full Review The H realistic and authentic for the most part Rated 3 out of 5 stars 10/30/23 Full Review Leaburn O A nice enough film about Guevara's famed journey across South America. The real beauty comes in the photography of the continent as we join this epic trip and see some amazing scenery. Well acted and you come to like the two protagonists. Bought this one for £1 in a charity shop on DVD. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/16/23 Full Review Ari V Finally watched it on gf's rec and glad I did. Top notch stuff. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 05/07/23 Full Review hamid reza g The film deals exactly with the point of departure of "Ernesto Che Guevara". This biography / road movie can be called a quasi-documentary. The journey of two friends and two lives with common dreams in Latin America and the film shows a real picture of these lands. The film becomes very deep and powerful in the second half and tends more towards the documentary structure. In one of the dialogues at the beginning of the movie, Ernesto's friend says that if there is no motorcycle, we should go on foot. Ernesto says better because then we see better and more people. Right from the middle of the movie, when the motorcycle is no longer useful due to its problems and being scrap, and they continue on foot, it becomes a journey to the depth of belief and changes both friends. The film follows life during the journey. And in the hands and curved lines of people's faces, there is a longing for life. The credits at the end of the movie are wonderful. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 05/03/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

The Motorcycle Diaries

The Motorcycle Diaries: Official Clip - Traveling Just to Travel The Motorcycle Diaries: Official Clip - Traveling Just to Travel 2:15 The Motorcycle Diaries: Official Clip - To a United South America The Motorcycle Diaries: Official Clip - To a United South America 3:01 The Motorcycle Diaries: Official Clip - Don't Take Forever The Motorcycle Diaries: Official Clip - Don't Take Forever 2:04 The Motorcycle Diaries: Official Clip - Hustling for Food and Shelter The Motorcycle Diaries: Official Clip - Hustling for Food and Shelter 2:59 The Motorcycle Diaries: Official Clip - Swimming Across the Amazon The Motorcycle Diaries: Official Clip - Swimming Across the Amazon 3:22 The Motorcycle Diaries: Official Clip - Alberto Meets Luz The Motorcycle Diaries: Official Clip - Alberto Meets Luz 2:49 The Motorcycle Diaries: Official Clip - Brutally Honest The Motorcycle Diaries: Official Clip - Brutally Honest 1:51 The Motorcycle Diaries: Official Clip - Diagnosing a Tumor The Motorcycle Diaries: Official Clip - Diagnosing a Tumor 2:15 The Motorcycle Diaries: Official Clip - Repairing "The Mighty One" The Motorcycle Diaries: Official Clip - Repairing "The Mighty One" 2:01 The Motorcycle Diaries: Official Clip - Looking For Shelter The Motorcycle Diaries: Official Clip - Looking For Shelter 1:13 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis On a break before his last semester of medical school, Ernesto "Che" Guevara (Gael García Bernal) travels with his friend Alberto Granado (Rodrigo de la Serna) from Brazil to Peru by motorcycle. The two men soon witness the great disparities in South America, encountering poor peasants and observing the exploitation of labor by wealthy industrialists. When they reach a leper colony in Peru, Ernesto's values have changed so much that he sides with the sufferers, forgetting his own comfort.
Director
Walter Salles
Producer
Daniel Burman, Michael Nozik, Karen Tenkhoff, Edgard Tenenbaum
Screenwriter
Ernesto "Che" Guevara, Jose Rivera
Distributor
Focus Features
Production Co
South Fork Pictures, FilmFour Productions
Rating
R (Language)
Genre
Biography, Drama
Original Language
Spanish
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 24, 2004, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$16.8M
Runtime
2h 6m
Sound Mix
Surround, Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.37:1)
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