University of the Philippines Cebu

Social Sciences Cluster

Department of Political Science

A Film Review of

Motorcycle Diaries

In partial fulfillment of the requirement in

Political Science 160 – Political Sociology
First Semester S.Y. 2016-2017

Submitted to:
Ronald Pernia

Submitted by:
Khiarra Marie O. Tacubao
BA Political Science II
November 18, 2016
 Summary/Synthesis

The movie ‘Motorcycle Diaries’ directed by Walter Salles, was based on the diaries of

Alberto Granada and Ernest Guevara. The movie tells the journey of the young medical student

Ernesto Guevara de la Serna (Gael Garcia Bernal), who would later be known as Che Guevara,

with his self-proclaimed “wandering scientist” biochemist friend, Alberto Granada (Rodrigo de

la Serna). A 23-year old Ernesto Guevara, one semester away from graduating from med school

decided to take his last semester off to accompany his 29-year old friend Alberto Granada in an

8000 kilometer journey across the Latin American continent. They depart from Buenos Aires,

Argentina on January 4 riding their 1939 Norton 500 nicknamed “The Mighty One”. They plan

to head west to Patagonia, then 6000 kilometers north up the Andes to Machu Picchu, then to a

leper colony in the Peruvian Amazon, San Pablo, then to the Guajira Peninsula in Venezuela.

They decide to detour to see Ernesto’s girlfriend, Chichina (Mia Maestro). On January 1952,

after covering 601 km, they arrive at Miramar, a luxurious resort to visit Chichina. Chichina was

from an upper class family. Alberto and Ernest stayed in Miramar for six days. They approach

Andes on a narrow dirt road and had a flat tire. Alberto finds out that Ernest had money but it

was from Chichina and was for Ernesto to buy her a bathing suit when they reach the US so

Ernesto says that the money was off limits. January 29, they covered 1809 km in Piedra del

Aguilla. They spin out on the rough dirt road and Ernesto gets a nasty gash in his leg. They tried

to set up camp but got their tent blown away by the wind. They seek shelter from a rancher; they

claimed to be doctors doing research and the rancher let them sleep in a shed. San Martin de los

Andes on January 31, they traveled 2051 km. They stop at a house with a man with a lump on his

neck to ask for food. On Febuary 18, they arrive in Temuco, Chile and argue. Alberto says that

Ernesto’s honesty is a problem. The next day, Austral News prints a story about them. A
mechanic agrees to fix their motorcycle after showing the article exaggerating their qualifications

and experiences as doctors. They arrive in Los Angeles, Chile on Febuary 26 and meet two

young women, Jazmin and Daniela. They trick these women to buy them drinks and food to eat.

They go and see the town with the women when they were approached by Moncho who asked

them to take a look at a sick old woman. In Desierto de Atacama, they meet a couple who were

chased away by the police because they were communists. Ernesto writes: “Their faces were

tragic and haunted. They told us of comrades who had mysteriously disappeared and were said

to be somewhere at the bottom of the sea. It was one of the coldest nights of my life, but also

one which made me feel closer to this strange, for me anyway, human race.” Mine bosses pick

out workers in Mina de Chaquicantu. Among the couples, the man was chosen to work in the

mines. In Cuzco, they meet a boy who served as their guide. They spend time with the natives. In

Lima, Peru, they steal two bottles of milk from Dr. Hugo Pesce who gives them, food, money,

clothes and ideas. Pesce gives them a manuscript to his novel and asks them to read it. While on

the Amazon River ferry, Pesce asks for their opinions on the manuscript and Alberto says it was

great while Ernesto says it was bad. While on the boat they meet Luz, a prostitute. Alberto asks

for the money and finds out that Ernesto gave it to the mining couple. They arrive in San Pablo,

Peru, at the leper colony. They reached Columbia on July 22. They depart from Venezuela on

July 26. At the airport they say their goodbyes and Ernesto tells Alberto that something happened

to him while on the trip.

 Major Ideas of the Film

The relevance of the movie in the study of Political Sociology is that it shows us that

political science student or not, you can be interested and engage in political aspects and issues

in society. In Guevara’s case, while he was traveling across the Latin American continent, he

was exposed to the different situations in society. Even just by observing and not necessarily

experiencing what they have gone through or has been going through we understand the different

ills of society that different people go through.

A very clear idea in the movie is the Marxist theory, the class struggle in society. During

his journey, most of his encounters were with the marginalized, lower class people who were

facing the problems in society. A clear example of this was when they were in the mining

company, where people, including the couple they met, wait for the man to choose them for

working in mines. People had no choice and had nowhere to go but to work for the mines and

they weren’t even sure if they would be able to work in the mines. Also, when they were in the

ferry, when they met Luz, a prostitute, where I assume life was so hard for her that what she

thought of was to use her body to earn money. People resort to dangerous jobs just to go through

and continue living. The Farmers, who were thrown out of the land they were tilling by the

landowners. When he asks the farmers why, the farmers simply answered because they had the

power to do so. It shows Marx’s idea that who had control over the means of production had

power over those who don’t. It showed the disparity between the rich and the poor, the rich had

power while the poor struggles. Power dictates who live and who doesn’t. Since those who has

power dictates what those who don’t do. The division of the people was also very clear I the

movie especially in the leper colony. People with leprosy were made to live in a separate village.

Social Capital was also in the movie, when Ernesto was in the leper colony, when he asks for
seconds for his food but was not given some. He then stayed outside and was then willingly

given some food by the lepers. It shows how Ernesto was able to gain the peoples trust which

then turned into social capital. Role of media was also clear when the mechanic agreed to fix

their motorcycle after they were showed the article that exaggerated Alberto and Ernesto’s

credentials as doctors. In this case, it showed how media affected how the mechanic viewed

Ernesto and Alberto.

One line that truly had an impact on me was Guevara’s closing soliloquy:

“This isn’t a tale of heroic feats. It’s about two lives running parallel for a while,

with common aspirations and similar dreams. Was our dream too narrow, too

biased, too hasty? Were our conclusions too rigid? Maybe. Wandering around

our America has changed me more than I thought. I am not me anymore. At least

I’m not the me I was.”

It made me think that no matter who you are or what you do, your views in society can

always change. They were also a part when Silvia and Ernesto talks about hard life is and

Ernesto says “You gotta fight for every breath, and tell death to go to hell.” It shows and tells us

that we must never give in to the ills of society that no matter how hard it is to fight we must do

so because in the end it is us who will suffer. Alberto also Ernesto chats in the leper colony

Ernest says, “Have you seen the river? … It segregates the ill from the healthy.” Why segregate

them? Why not try to help them? Why think that they are different? The part when Ernesto

declines to where the gloves when going to the leper colony. There was truly a significant impact

on it to me. It showed that Ernesto does not think of them differently, they were still people so

why the need to wear gloves that might make them feel that they are disgusted. When Ernesto
talks with an indigenous peasant who has been thrown off the land where he was working

although the land was productive and says “I can’t live in the past. I have to move on, work, find

the money to educate my kids.” It showed how that those with power can dictate the lives of

those who do not, power dictates the lives of people, the rich and the poor.

Critique/ Conclusion

It affected me in different ways. Power dictates the lives of the people. It showed the

different inequalities in society. The rich who had power was able to dictate how those who

didn’t live. This movie is remarkable, it is very inspiring and I would recommend it to people. It

shows the different inequalities and issues of societies, you don’t need to travel to be exposed to

these situations.