The Motorcycle Diaries

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The Motorcycle Diaries

R

2004

2h 6m

Biography

Drama

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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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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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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

Tom Long

Detroit News

Well-acted, beautifully shot and broad and personal, The Motorcycle Diaries is nonetheless undermined in the end by a clunky search for meaning and depth that seems forced.

Rated: B-

Oct 8, 2004

Full Review

Terry Lawson

Detroit Free Press

Quietly exhilarating, soulful and sincerely romantic.

Rated: 4/4

Oct 8, 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

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Anson M

A thought-provoking film, grounded in breathtaking scenery and engaging performances.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/29/25

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Liam D

An well acted and written tribute to the era of Ernesto "Che" Guerva

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/12/25

Full Review

MARGARET C

Walter Salles at his best. An evocative film, beautifully shot. With a tour de force performance from Gael Garcia Bernal.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/16/24

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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

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Walter Salles

Director

Gael García Bernal

Ernesto 'Che' Guevara de la Serna

Rodrigo de la Serna

Alberto Granado

Mercedes Morán

Celia de la Serna

Mía Maestro

Chichina Ferreyra

Jorge Chiarella

Dr. Bresciani

The Motorcycle Diaries: Official Clip - Traveling Just to Travel

2:15

The Motorcycle Diaries: Official Clip - To a United South America

3:01

The Motorcycle Diaries: Official Clip - Don't Take Forever

2:04

The Motorcycle Diaries: Official Clip - Hustling for Food and Shelter

2:59

The Motorcycle Diaries: Official Clip - Swimming Across the Amazon

3:22

The Motorcycle Diaries: Official Clip - Alberto Meets Luz

2:49

The Motorcycle Diaries: Official Clip - Brutally Honest

1:51

The Motorcycle Diaries: Official Clip - Diagnosing a Tumor

2:15

The Motorcycle Diaries: Official Clip - Repairing "The Mighty One"

2:01

The Motorcycle Diaries: Official Clip - Looking For Shelter

1:13

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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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