A Critical Review Of Che Guevara's The Motorcycle Diaries

“The Motorcycle Diaries” is a story of an eight thousand mile trip that begins from Argentina to Peru. The trip involves two people; Ernesto Guevara and his friend, Alberto Granado, whom they travel together using a motorcycle as they pass through different countries with different landscapes. The young men are on a duty to explore the different parts of the world they had never visited before. The quest of the adventurers in the movie is to see the things they had only read from books about the continent on which they live, more so the physical landscapes of different regions.

The Change in Physical Landscapes

The physical landscapes change as Ernesto and Alberto travel from Argentina to Chile, and to Peru. The two travel through five different countries starting with Argentina. They pass through the mountains, for example, the Andes where they had to endure very low temperatures. Initially, they travelled through a landscape where the sun shined, and the land was quite warm before they reached Chile, a land full of snow.

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Ernesto and Alberto also travelled through the Pampas; very large and fertile pieces of land. While in Peru, the two went through the Lowlands and the Tropical rainforest. While in Columbia, they came across part of the Andes Mountain. The terrain in Columbia was also mountainous as in Chile. There was no difference for Alberto and Ernesto in Venezuela, which was the last country they travelled through. The country also had a lot of mountains, with the climate being the tropical type.

The change in physical landscapes during the journey involving Alberto and Ernesto is evident when their motorcycle turns over a number of times during the trip. In different occasions, the motorcycle skids out from under the two and even land into a ditch. The mountainous terrain and the lowlands could have been the cause of the turning of the motorcycle.

Cultural Differences Encountered by Ernesto and Alberto

While travelling, Alberto and Ernesto encounter cultural differences as they travel through the region. Firstly, the two come to the realization that the official language spoken by the people in the area they are going through is Spanish. Even the Indians in Chile speak Spanish. Besides, Alberto and Ernesto encounter a culture where strangers are warmly welcomed without fear. For instance, In Chile, the Mesties and the Indians are both very social, and they are willing to make available foodstuff, clothes, and a sleeping place to the strangers. It is in the culture of the people of Chile to wear Chamants; a type of clothing that look like ponchos with lots of colors.

In Peru, they encounter a group of people who still practice the ancient cultures. The people in an old city called Machu Pichu, for instance believe in the preservation of cultures. Alberto and Ernesto realize that the city is still very old fashioned, and far behind a lot of things. In Columbia, the two notice that it is in the culture of the nation to practice Roman-Catholic faith. In Venezuela, there are different types of religions including the Indian religion and Christianity.

The Change of Mind for Alberto and Ernesto

In the movie, Ernesto and Alberto seem to come from an economically stable community that does not value the lives of others who are poor. As they travel, they are surprised by the poverty levels in most of the countries. They also get amazed by the social nature of the inhabitants of the countries they travel through. They notice the alarming difference between the rich and the poor, a situation that does not seem to be in existence in their home country.

Alberto and Ernesto encounters a type of life that makes them change their minds about the world. It is during their journey that they realize that there are people who are very poor and engage in different religions. The different landscapes they go through also make them change their views on the physical nature of the world. The two adventurers notice that the people who have almost nothing possess the virtue of sharing whatever little they possess. Alberto and Ernesto learn to care about others and through that, they change their social and economic aspects. The change in mind is evident when Ernesto, under the name Che Guevara, would later go on to become a world-renowned communist revolutionary. He played a vital role in Cuba in 1959 during the communist revolution.

Geographical Imagination of Latin America

The film reinstated my geographical imagination of Latin America given that some of the regions visited by Alberto and Ernesto have the natural resources I ever imagined. The two adventurers visited Chuquicamata Copper mine that I did not have a clear idea of its Location. It is apparently Chile’s source of wealth. My imagination of the varied terrain in Latin America was proved to be true by Alberto and Ernesto, who travelled through mountainous terrains and lowlands in the region.

In conclusion, the film is an incredible drama that hopefully is a lesson to viewers. The experience Alberto and Ernesto go through changes their lives, and more lives may be changed by the film, as it happened to Ernesto; an iconic communist revolutionary.