March 23, 2005
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WEDNESDAY MOVIEThe Motorcycle Diaries
Many xangans were not born yet in 1952 when Ernesto “Che” Guevara and his friend, Alberto Granado, jumped on a 1939 Norton 500 bike and began an 8,000-mile journey into history. The two were bright young Argentinian medical students who were taking a year off to have a Grand Adventure with the excuse of doing research to establish a chain of leprosy hospitals. Che was 23, asthmatic, and a sensitive idealist whose exposure to the poverty of his continent on this trip planted the seeds for the revolutionary he became as Castro’s right-hand man in the takeover of Cuba.
These would not be his only diaries. Handwritten notes were also found in his knapsack after his execution at 39 by the CIA and published in 1968 as The Bolivian Diaries that told about the 1966-67 guerrilla struggle in Bolivia. It was a day-by-day chronicle of the campaign led by one of the central leaders of the Cuban revolution to forge a revolutionary movement of workers and peasants capable of contending for power in Bolivia and providing an example for all Latin America. But long before that he and his friend made this lyrical, formative journey. The actor who plays Guevara, Gael Garcia Bernal, is a rising star whose breakout film in the U.S. was Y Tu Mama Tambien. Walter Salles directed. See it for geography, history, and beauty.
Deep Thought: “Higher beings from outer space may not want to tell us the secrets of life, because we’re not ready. But maybe they’ll change their tune after a little torture.”
Today I am grateful for: Clocks
Guess the Movie: “In order to know virtue, we must acquaint ourselves with vice. Only then can we know the true measure of a man.” Answer: Quills, 2000.
Winner: thenarrator.
Life, Death and Cynical Grandstanding
by Robert Scheer
I cannot remember a time when Congress and the president have acted with more egregious political opportunism and shameless trafficking in human misery than last weekend, leaping into the 15-year-long Terri Schiavo saga at the last possible moment as grandstanding defenders of the defenseless.
Although Schiavo’s relatives on both sides of the issue are assuredly acting in good faith, national politicians certainly are not. (Rest of article here.)
End of Day: 8:45 pm
+ = Didn’t forget to turn the burner off under the teapot before I went to work though I worried about it all day.
- = Found out my Curves gym funnels major bucks to radical anti-abortion groups, resigning tomorrow.
Comments (17)
I’ve read reviews of that movie, and definitely need to see it some day. As for Shiavo — the whole thing is a tragedy, but what makes it most tragic is the governmental interference.
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Thanks for pointing out the article about Schiavo. It’s a terrible family tragedy. Politicians ought to be ashamed of themselves for butting in where they certainly don’t belong.
I read a book about this trip a year or so ago and then saw the movie. It is most about the transformative power of being willing to see. In retrospect we might see Che as less than the “hero,” but that, yo me, is nonsense. He saw massive human misery and staked his life to do what he could to stop it. If we all did that, the world wouldn’t need violent revolutions.
I’m not grateful for clocks because I’m way late…
You have an amazing layout on your xanga. I really like it. You’re right. Many xangas were not born until much later, including myself. “Y Tu Mama Tambien” is an interesting movie, although I should see it again so I can have a better understanding of the movie. But the Terri Schiavo case is very upsetting to me. It’s upseting because the government is using the case for their own political games. This situtation has been going on for, I believe 15 years, and suddenly the govenment decides to intervene? -Ugh- Anyways, nice xanga and please continue to post. I enjoy your entries.
As a callow high school student, I nursed a crush on Che, and what I was learning about him seemed so madly heroic. RE the Schiavo case. So upsetting, to see this unbelievable action of our congress…a slippery slope, where will it end????
have not gotten up the zeal to look at Che yet…
Ahh, Che Guevara, in my youth one of my heroes…
Whether one considers him hero or villain, Che was an amazing man.
Did you know Johnny Depp was up for that role? Would’ve been interesting to see his interpretation of Che.
T
Funny to be reading this today, since I happen to be wearing a Che t-shirt today.
I thought it was a pretty good movie overall. I thought that Gael Garcial Bernal was also good in “Amores Perros”.
Che was more of a hero to me, despite all the negatives.
clocks?! NEED them, otherwise the day would too confusing.
LOVED the movie!
Wait: is the quote from Quills? Is that the name, the movie about de Sade? right?
Yes, finally! Count on you.
Wow, even I wasn’t born in 1952
I was moved by the movie and hadn’t expected that. I experienced similar feelings at the end of the movies as I do when I am in Cuba. Not really sure what that is about yet, just curious about it.
In all the smoke and mirrors – dog and pony show over Mrs. Schiavo, very little consideration for her as a human, confined in a helpless body, unable to communicate and regardless of range of motion physical therapy, muscles atrophied from disuse, unable to roll over or move of her own volition has been shown for her herself. At that is my opinion. –
I share your angst over Curves. It’s such a great idea, and such a great workout — just the thing to prevent osteoporosis and other maladies of old age. And yet, how can we in good conscious support a business whose profits are ultimately funneled into anti-abortion donations? How ironic — a program designed to be really beneficial to women’s health, supporting a political position that inimical to women’s well being! I think there are some knockoffs, I need to check into that. I’d like to get the benefit without underwriting anti-abortion efforts.