Reframing Latin America: A Cultural Theory Reading ... - BGSU Blogs

the socialist utopia 249
to leave, the fi lm uses poignant imagery of fog and earth tones to express
the sadness that the lepers feel as Che goes away. In an important framing
device that cannot be achieved in Che’s diary, the fi lm focuses in on their
faces to allow their expressions to reveal longing for Che and regard for his
leadership. This framing device is used repeatedly throughout the scenes in
the leper colony, where the lepers become reminiscent of people witnessing
a miracle in religious paintings.
The analogy to Che’s eventual life as a revolutionary leader in this scene
is obvious. He throws aside concern for his own well-being out of an inherent
embrace of the masses and their suffering. They, in turn, are drawn to
him and become the malleable force that he will lead to a better future
through revolution and mass activism. This same message is delivered in
another scene on the night of his birthday, just before he crosses the river.
Che offers a toast of thanks to doctors and nuns at the colony and delivers
the brief speech in which he calls for Pan-Americanism and a brighter future
with diminished suffering. The camera immediately shifts to the faces of
those listening, whose expressions reveal a deep regard for Che. The camera
hones in on Granado’s face, which reveals amazement verging on anguish.
Until that moment, Granado knew Che as a deeply decent but carefree and
apolitical young medical student. Suddenly, Che became an eloquent leader
of men. Granado’s look seems to be one of revelatory awakening and wonderment
but also fear of what this might mean for Che’s future.
Another curious realignment by the fi lm revolves around Che and Granado’s
womanizing and conniving. The Diaries portrays these less-than-ideal
character traits as constant features of the two wanderer’s travels, but the
movie downplays such behavior as solely Granado’s. Guevara is depicted as
devoted to his girlfriend and honest to a fault: a counterpart to Granado’s relentless
pursuit of beauties and to free rides acquired through manipulation.
In the one instance where Guevara does fl irt with a woman, he is so drunkenly
inept that he fails to achieve his objective. This scene allows the spectator
to grant Che leniency. The woman looks like Che’s girlfriend, and their
resemblance makes the viewer empathize with Che and his commitment to
her. Moreover, the woman he fl irts with is more aggressive than Che, whose
inebriated state makes him appear more careless than conniving. This attempt
by the fi lm to smooth over the complexity in Che’s personality, coupled
with the protracted scenes of him overcoming life-threatening asthma
attacks, leads the viewer to honor Che and celebrate him.
Finally, a distinct cinematic device draws the viewer closer to Che. Blackand-white
images of the faces of poor Latin Americans appear recurrently
throughout the fi lm, but especially at the end. As the viewer is asked to