what on earth be director steven soderbergh think when he decide to tackle the story of ernesto che guevara and the argentinian born doctor and revolutionary who join fidel castro campaign to take cuba back from the american backed dictator and fulgencio batista . what motivate the director of ocean eleven and twelve and thirteen to make this amazing 4½ hour biopic . why che guevara and and why now . how do he even manage to get the funding for a film about a communist revolutionary in the first place . what be the pitch . not that there be anything wrong with the film . far from it . soderberg tell guevara story with love attention to detail and and without resort to sentimentality or melodrama . this be not the first time che story have be turn into a movie . the 2004 film and the motorcycle diary and examine the formation of guevara early politicization and and but soderberg film ( with benicio del toro in the lead role a che guevara ) and be the first to try and tell the whole story of guevara involvement in the cuban revolution and and his subsequent attempt to spread the revolution to boliva and where he be eventually catch and kill in october 1967. part 1 and deal with the fight against batista . the long hard slog of wag a guerrilla campaign be cover in great detail a a boatload of 82 revolutionary head for cuba during november 1956 and and the struggle to win cuba back for the cuban people begin . the first film draw extensively on the guevara own writing and especially his memoir reminiscence of the cuban revolutionary war . the month and year of protracted guerrilla warfare be inter cut with beautifully recreate scene show che address the united nation in 1964 and and conduct numerous interview with a range of medium outlet . soderberg use these scene to explain some of the history and back story to the cuban revolution and and to give the audience some insight into che guevara the man and revolutionary . part 1 of che end in 1959 a batista fly into exile in the united state and and the revolutionary under the leadership of fidel castro and che guevara be about to enter havana . draw on guevara bolivian diary and part 2 of che take up the story a che and go under the pseudonym of ramon and land in boliva in 1965 and and begin try to recruit local guerrilla with the intention of overthrow the ruling government . here and his campaign to recruit local peasant farmer fails and and before he and his small band of revolutionary be able to launch any sort of major anti government attack and they be hunt down and kill with the help of the central intelligence agency . che guevara be wound and capture on or about october 9 and 1967. it be a matter of record that he be alive at the time of his capture and and that he be subsequently shoot and kill to ensure he would no longer be able to foment revolution either in boliva or elsewhere in latin america . how ironic then that his execution have spark a cult of the revolutionary that have not diminish over the intervene 40 plus year since his death . of course and apart from the ocean series of film and soderberg have show he be socially aware by also direct erin brockovich and traffic ( again with del toro ) and and the good german and so maybe we shouldn not be surprise that he decide to tackle the story of ernesto che guevara . don not be fool by the inclusion of other a list cast member ( julia ormond and matt damon and franka potente and and lou diamond phillips ) in che . all of these actor have minor role and and small support part . in fact matt damon be on screen for less than two minute . i can only assume that soderberg need some additional well know actor to help secure finance and distribution for the film . however and this be without a doubt benicio del toros film . his performance be a revelation . he inhabit the role of guevara so well and that there be time when i wasn not sure if the historical footage recreate in black and white do not have the real che guevara in them . accord to the program note and soderberg be work an a middle part to che story . this film will apparently cover guevara experience in africa . if this be the case and then this trilogy will indeed constitute steven soderberg masterpiece . i can think of no other biopic to rival it and and the finished series should help to keep the legend of che guevara alive for at least another 40 year .