The Motorcycle Diaries Movie Essay

The Motorcycle Diaries by Ernesto Che Guevara was an exceptional book that was turned into a biographical film in 2004 by director, Walter Salles. The film won an award in 2005, the “BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Language Film,” sadly the book itself never received an award. The book is based upon Ernesto Guevara and Alberto Granado’s adventures throughout South America on a motorcycle, named “The Mighty One.” The Motorcycle diaries, like just about any other book written, the movie’s screenplay was written to correlate with the book. While reading the book you receive a more personal feel for the adventures and changes Ernesto and Alberto come in contact with throughout the journey. While watching the movie one receives the visual of what was discussed in the journal.

Ernesto was one semester away from graduating and becoming a doctor, but decides to wait until he comes back after his adventure with Alberto. Alberto was a biochemist who had recently quit his job for hating it so strongly. Before leaving Ernesto took as many exams as possible while

Alberto was preparing the bike for the long journey that awaited them. They decided to follow through their plans of traveling by motorcycle throughout South America. The purpose of the quest is to see the things that they only read about in textbooks.
The film industry likes to try and sell the historical events, allowing them to produce historical fiction while also making a profit. Whereas, some of the time for them being able to make money, save money, and to draw viewers, they will add or cut particular events to meet certain needs. In the case of, The Motorcycle Diaries, Director, Walter Salles’s does not omit too much information, but he does not go into detail about all the political views that were frequently discussed throughout the book by Ernesto and Alberto.
A very important similarity that I noticed early on in between the movie and the book was that the storyline showed the steps that Ernesto had taken to transform himself into the Revolutionary he is still known for in his country. In the beginning of the book and movie Ernesto begins to tell the audience, “This is not the story of heroic feats, or merely the narrative of a cynic…” (Guevara, Page 31). Ernesto wanted it to be known that the purpose of his journal entries were not for them to be looked at as heroes, but just the adventure of two friends who were chasing their dreams, one day at a time (Guevara, Page 31). He wasn’t trying to gain popularity or pity, but he was trying to show the world how rough and how poor some areas are and what people have to go through. After rereading the book along with the movie this stuck out to me as to how exceptional Salles did at recreating this important aspect of the book.
For example, the book went into more detail when the homeless couple who needed work at the mines. According to the book, they spent the night sleeping outside in the cold, freezing on the ground with only what they had. They even shared a blanket so that the other couple could use a blanket and not freeze. The movie seemingly left that detail out, along with other details that were mentioned throughout the book. In the book he describes the injustice of working in the mines. In the movie, the couple that they’ve met talk about their political standing; meanwhile Ernesto does not go into detail about his own beliefs. However, in the book he said exactly how he felt about the unfair justice of the mineworkers, but the movie it just portrays that he was upset from lack of water given to the workers (when he throws the rock at the employer’s truck as he is driving away from the scene). They met several other poverty stricken people along the way that added to their life lessons where in the movie they only gave the appearance to very few. They were also picked up many people and given a ride to particular areas and given letters to people for traveling purposes. Along with the hospital visits that Ernesto had to make because of his asthma, the movie only showed a few instances of the asthma attacks described in the book.
Whereas with the movie is mainly showing two friends who are actively following their dreams and getting into arguments (frequently). The movie has a few blended events that are out of order from where they occurred in the book. Even though, both the movie and book are telling the same story, there are some noticeable differences with events and occurrences throughout the movie. Whereas, the book is based on the journal entries written to his mother of the struggles and adventures of the travel. The movie is more on telling a story about the “exciting” events that occurred throughout a journey between two friends. In the movie, we get to see the thoughts and actions of Alberto, even though throughout the book Ernesto discusses what he does, the movie gives us a better look into the mischiefs that Alberto get himself into.
One particular event that stuck out to me while reading the book was when they stowed away on the ship that was heading towards Antofagasta. This scene along with many other traveling scenes was not included in the film. This scene I felt would’ve brought forth a comedy aspect that many directors look for when making a movie. Another part of the book that was cut from the movie was when Ernesto wrote a letter to his dad. Even though it wasn’t a scene of great necessity it still shows how things get cut from the screenplay. Referring back to a comedic standpoint that directors and screenwriters add to movies is when Ernesto was celebrating his birthday at the leprosy clinic he was doing the tango when he was actually supposed to be doing the mambo. This was an example of Hollywood adding something in for the viewer’s ultimate pleasure; adding some harmless humor to the movie.
Again, when a book is turned into movie aspects from the book are left out in the film making process for many reasons currently unknown to us. Throughout the movie, Director Salles blended together a series of events: the meeting of the German ranch owners, shooting the duck, and the diagnosing of the tumor. In the movie it was all one big scene. Ernesto and Alberto ran upon a ranch that was owned by a German couple and attempt to diagnosed the “bump” on the German man’s neck as a tumor in exchange for food and drink for shelter. After being denied the two went to the river to fish, while there they see a duck flying and Alberto shot it. Where in the book, Ernesto says, “Late in the afternoon we stopped at a ranch whose owners, very welcoming Germans, had by rare coincidence put up an article of mine in the past…” (Ernesto, Page 43). At this time, they were at the German couple’s ranch, where they in fact went fishing, but the shooting of the duck occurred at another point in time in the book.
The way Ernesto described the patients with leprosy in the book and the way Salles portrayed it in the film was excellent, in my opinion. In the book, he mentions how the people were so surprised that Ernesto and Alberto were touching them and “treating them like normal people” was portrayed in away that touched the audiences. In the movie, when they arrive at the island where the patients with leprosy are at, Ernesto goes right up to the elderly men and shook their hands. After being told to wear gloves, they politely declined. The look of the sick men was portrayed just as envisioned. This was an excellent example of which they take an important fact from the book and transitioned it into visionary format.
Throughout the book, Ernesto mentions countlessly about the scenery and how it is captivating in Lima, Cordoba, and many others.

He mentions the history of the architecture and parks he visited in the letters to his mother. In the movie the only it ever mentions of this is when they visit the Inca ruins. They sit there and talk about the history and the government and how everything got so turned upside down in the world. This where you can see the “revolutionary” mentality of Ernesto really unfold. While in the book they visited more than one park and historical place along the way. For instance, when they made it to Cuzco, they stopped and conversed with the people there about the walls and the history behind it. Where in the book, Ernesto mainly explained the beauty and history of Lima, Cordoba, and Cuzco. He does not go into grand detail about the people he met and the conversations they shared like in the

movie.
When reading and rereading the book, a lot of the different events they overcame were in more detail. After watching the movie I felt like it was dulled down some on the minor details. When talking about this, I am not talking about just view and beauty of the desert, but the political view and everything in its entirety.
There were many historical events that were mentioned throughout, The Motorcycle Diaries. For instance they showed the economical situations that were occurring in South America during the time of their journey. The book and the movie each show the different classes of people and they respond to Alberto and Ernesto and the transformation of their personalities. An example being, the poor working class transforming Ernesto and Alberto into the political revolutionaries that they became. Ernesto mentions, “Often we realize how mistaken we were in concepts we knew so well; they had become part of us and, automatically, of our consciousness. Every so often we ought to change all our concepts, not just general, social or philosophical concepts…” (Page 173) The result of the adventure of traveling through South America witnessing poverty, disease, and hunger helped shape Ernesto Guevara into the Revolutionary figure he is known as today. Ernesto became a renowned Revolutionary for his people form his country.