Ernesto Che Guevara: The Bolivian Diary

In the mid-1960s, after leaving his family, friends, and high-powered post under Fidel Castro in Cuba, Ernesto Che Guevara and his comrade guerillas spent 11 months giving birth to South America's Communist revolution in the Bolivian jungle. There, Guevara suffered from bouts of asthma and a preoccupation with his proletariat ideals, only to be scorned and betrayed by the very people he was fighting for--the impoverished peasants and malcontents. Aided by the CIA, the Bolivian army captured and executed revolutionary Che Guevara in October 1967. While this documentary is, for the most part, a rich depiction of a charismatic and idealistic Socialist hero, it's unfortunately, written, directed, and edited by the same man, Richard Dindo, whose filmic abilities do not match his passion for his subject. Even with a pace slowed by far too many lingering still shots, and editing which could charitably be described as sloppy, a compelling portrait of the failed revolutionary still shines through. A strong optional purchase. (A. Glover)