The True Story of Che Guevara
2007
Directed by Maria Wye Berry

The opening lines of this documentary are: “A hero to some.  A monster to others.  He hoped to start a third World War…”

Obviously, this film isn’t a fluffy Che lovefest.

The intro then continues: “The man they hoped the world would forget has become a legend.”  Indeed he has.

This History Channel documentary called The True Story of Che Guevara gives the impression that it is just that. The narrator speaks with a tone of integrity and authority. The production standards are high; great footage and photos are interspersed with interviews.

The line-up of interviews seems pretty balanced. However, it should be noted none of the interviewees currently lives in Cuba. Some interesting appearances included Nikita Khrushchev’s son, Sergi, and several Americans who fought with the rebels in the Sierra Maestra.

Where some films display a clear pro-Che bias, going so far as to regard Che as the mastermind of the Cuban revolution, this one considers how politics and war shaped Che and his beliefs. Whole minutes are spent describing the political climate of the time, Fidel Castro’s rise to power, and post-revolution Cuba without mentioning Che’s name.

Many of the factual assertions in this film come from John Lee Anderson, author of Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life. After years researching the man, he doesn’t appear starstruck by the icon. Instead, he sums up his opinion of Che in two words: a paradox.

While he empathized with Che’s social indignation and passion, Che’s cold logic, rhetoric, and actions were terrifying, he said. Anderson also made a point to distinguish between guerilla warfare and terrorism. Other memorable quotes from Anderson include “[Che's] face has come to be the quintessential icon of youthful defiance of the status quo,” and “Che tried, but failed to change the world.”