Che! (1969)

Biography of Argentinian revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara, who helped Fidel Castro in his struggle against the corrupt Batista regime, eventually resulting in the overthrow of that ... See full summary »

Director:

Richard Fleischer

Writers:

Sy Bartlett (story), David Karp (story),

Stars:

Omar Sharif, Jack Palance, Cesare Danova

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Omar Sharif	...	Che Guevara
Jack Palance	...	Fidel Castro
Cesare Danova	...	Ramon Valdez
Robert Loggia	...	Faustino Morales
Woody Strode	...	Guillermo
BarBara Luna	...	Anita Marquez (as Barbara Luna)
Frank Silvera	...	Goatherd
Albert Paulsen	...	Capt. Vasquez
Linda Marsh	...	Tania
Tom Troupe	...	Felipe Muñoz
Rudy Diaz	...	Willy
Perry Lopez	...	Rolando
Abraham Sofaer	...	Pablo Rojas
Richard Angarola	...	Col. Salazar
Sarita Vara	...	Celia Sanchez

Storyline

Biography of Argentinian revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara, who helped Fidel Castro in his struggle against the corrupt Batista regime, eventually resulting in the overthrow of that government and Castro's taking over of Cuba. The film covers Guevara's life from when he first landed in Cuba in 1956 to his death in an ambush by government troops in the mountains of Bolivia in 1967.

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Plot Keywords:

cuba | ambush | revolutionary | bolivia | death | 

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Taglines:

The Most Controversial Rebel Of Our Time!

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History

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Certificate:

M

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

27 June 1969 (USA)

Also Known As:

Causa Perdida

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Ranch, Malibu Creek State Park - 1925 Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,800,000 (estimated)

Gross:

ESP 50,038,566 (Spain)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Richard Fleischer, Sy Bartlett, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Film critic Steven Scheuer said, "Everyone connected with this film deserves censure."

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Goofs

When Anita Márquez filled Che's mate bowl, he passed it to her without the bombilla, the metal straw; he then stirred the mate and took a drink. It's not done that way: the bombilla stays in the leaves at all times (no stirring).

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Quotes

Che Guevara: The peasant is like a wild flower in the forest, and the revolutionary like a bee. Neither can survive or propogate without the other. There is one essential difference between us and bees, however. In this hive, I will *not* tolerate drones!

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Connections

Featured in The American Experience: Guerrilla: The Taking of Patty Hearst (2004)

User Reviews

historically awful

The few scenes that actually attempt a depiction of revolutionary struggle resemble a hirsute Boy Scout troop meandering tentatively between swimming holes. When Sharif or, please God, Palance try their hand at fiery oratory, they sound like Kurtz swallowing a bug. The displays of strategic brilliance incorporate a map of Cuba replete with smiling fishies in the ocean, and a positively Vaudevillian hypothesis on how the Bay of Pigs came to pass. What does that leave us with? One comical dentistry scene; a surfeit of uppity Hollywood peasants who address the camera as though it were a moving train; and, just for kicks, a passel of homoeroticism that is not limited to Castro's manic and unremitting cigar-fellatio. Never trust a Medved, but even a busted clock is right twice a day: this is a HISTORICALLY awful movie.