Che Part 1: The Argentine Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		4.5

Che Part 1: The Argentine Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 22, 2009

In France, Steven Soderbergh's epic "Che: The Argentine" (2008) is distributed by the Wild Bunch/Warner. The transfer for this release is practically identical to that used by Optimum in the United Kingdom. The only bonus feature on the French release is the original theatrical trailer for the film. With optional French subtitles. Region-B "locked".

The Argentine

There were two films in 2008 that made an enormous impression on me. Both were about powerful men with controversial legacies. Some critics hailed these films as cinematic masterpieces; others dismissed them as flawed attempts at rewriting history.

The first film was Paolo Sorentino’s Il divo: La straordinaria vita di Giulio Andreotti, an incredibly detailed look at the life of former Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti, whose image was severely compromised during the early 90s by allegations of ties between his government and the Italian mafia. The film went on to win the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

The second film was Steven Soderbergh’s ambitious Che, a poignant portrait of Argentine revolutionary Ernesto Guevara. Since its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, the film has received an enormous amount of publicity in Europe and Asia, but in North America it has been very much a persona non grata. It subject matter, I am sure, has a lot to do with that.

Che is divided into two parts - Che: The Argentine and Che: Guerrilla. Director Soderbergh structured both as collections of memory flashbacks linked through an extremely long interview Guevara gave during his famous trip to New York City in 1964, where he represented the Cuban government at the UN. Each of the two parts highlights key events from the life of the Argentine revolutionary.

The first film is primarily about Guevara’s emergence as a political leader. Director Soderbergh focuses on the relationship between Castro and Guevara, their clash with Batista’s forces and consequently Guevara’s New York City visit. Many of his extremely controversial speeches at the UN are recreated with notable precision.

Director Soderbergh also addresses Guevara’s interaction with those who questioned and opposed his political views. Unsurprisingly, throughout the film, there are a number of references to critics and enemies of Guevara. This is very important to note considering that many have dismissed Che as one-sided, shameless piece of propaganda.

The chronology of events is complicated. Director Soderbergh repeatedly goes back and forth between different events highlighting specific details – portions of statements, remarks and confessions - that allow the viewer to better understand Guevara’s position on a number of issues. During the second half of the film, where the political rhetoric is of key importance, the approach works very well.

Che is a notably sterile film. For long periods of time, director Soderbergh’s camera observes the action from afar, de facto preventing the viewer from becoming emotionally involved with the main protagonist. Obviously, this has to do with director Soderbergh’s desire to be as objective in his portrayal of Guevara as possible, drawing a clear line between myth and reality.

Director Soderbergh’s intent, however, is precisely what appears to have divided the critics. Some have stated that his film’s honest and unapologetic tone is precisely what makes it work (Ethan Alter, Film Journal International); others have argued that behind the guerrilla warfare footage and passionate anti-American speeches there is a disturbing message, one that has very little to do with Guevara and his legacy (Betty Jo Tucker, ReelTalkReviews).

Che Part 1: The Argentine Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Steven Soderbergh's Che: The Argentine arrives on Blu-ray in France courtesy of the Wild Bunch/Warner.

I have been comparing the French Blu-ray release of Che: The Argentine with the UK release by Optimum Releasing for the last two hours. As far as I am concerned, the two are practically identical. Contrast is very impressive, detail excellent and clarity stunning. The color-scheme is also very impressive. As you could see from the captures we have provided with this review, blues, greens, yellows, browns, blacks and whites are lush and well saturated. Even the nighttime scenes look incredible. As I mentioned in my review for the UK release, it really does show that the film has been shot with a Red One Camera. This being said, there are absolutely no scratches, flecks, dirt, or debris that I was able to detect. For the record, I was able to detect a bit of that mild edge-enhancement I noticed on the UK release on this transfer as well. (Note: I tested this Blu-ray disc on three different Region-A players. Unfortunately, it did not play on any of them. For the record, there is no forced PAL or 1080i/50 content on this disc).

Che Part 1: The Argentine Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and French DTS-HD HR 5.1 track. I opted for the Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and later on did a few random comparisons with the French DTS-HD HR 5.1 track for the purpose of this review.

The back cover of this Blu-ray disc incorrectly indicates that the Wild Bunch/Warner have supplied only a Dolby Digital 5.1 track. This being said, the Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track on this disc sounds identical to the one found on the UK disc. I tested a few different scenes and, as expected, I did not detect any audio discrepancies. Alberto Iglesias' music score is mixed very well with the dialog, the bass is rich and potent, and the rear channels intelligently used.

The French DTS-HD HR 5.1 track is also of exceptionally high quality. To be honest with you, I tested a few scenes from the second half of the film and noticed just a tiny a gap in the dynamics. The actual dubbing, however, is rather awkward. I personally would not recommend that you view the film with the French DTS-HD HR 5.1 track on.

For the record, the Wild Bunch/Warner have provided optional French subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, the appear inside the image frame.

Che Part 1: The Argentine Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The only extra on this Blu-ray disc is the original theatrical trailer for the film.

Che Part 1: The Argentine Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I was asked to review the French releases of Che: The Argentine and Che: Guerrilla because some of our French-speaking members were hoping that they might be Region-Free. Most unfortunately, the two discs, courtesy of the Wild Bunch/Warner-France, do not work on Region-A players. This being said, their transfers are basically identical to those used by Optimum Releasing for the British releases. Other than the original theatrical trailers, there is absolutely nothing else to be found on the discs. Regardless, these are exceptional films and we HIGHLY RECOMMEND them.