← Back to results
The Motorcycle Diaries
Diarios de motocicleta
2004 126 min Argentina, France, United Kingdom, United States of America R 16+
★8.3
Drama
Director: Walter Salles
📖 Based on the novel
«The Motorcycle Diaries»
byChe Guevara
Trailers
EN
EN
Description
Based on the journals of Che Guevara, leader of the Cuban Revolution. In his memoirs, Guevara recounts adventures he and best friend Alberto Granado had while crossing South America by motorcycle in the early 1950s.
US Gross:
$16.78M
Worldwide:
$57.66M
Starring
Gael García Bernal
Actor
Rodrigo de la Serna
Actor
Mía Maestro
Actor
Awards
Academy Awards 2005
— Best Original Song
Cannes Film Festival 2004
— Ecumenical Jury Prize
Cannes Film Festival 2004
— François Chalais Prize
BAFTA 2005
— Best Supporting Actor
European Film Awards 2004
— Screen International Award
Golden Globe 2005
— Best International Feature Film
Academy Awards 2005
— Best Adapted Screenplay
BAFTA 2005
— Best Adapted Screenplay
BAFTA 2005
— Best Picture
Goya Awards 2005
— Best Adapted Screenplay
Cannes Film Festival 2004
— Palme d'Or
San Sebastián International Film Festival 2004
— Audience Award
BAFTA 2005
— Best International Feature Film
BAFTA 2005
— Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music
BAFTA 2005
— Best Actor
BAFTA 2005
— Best Cinematography
César Awards 2005
— Best International Feature Film
Key opinion
The Motorcycle Diaries is widely celebrated as a soulful and visually evocative coming-of-age road movie that captures the formative youth of Che Guevara. While a small minority find the narrative idle or lacking in political depth, most viewers find the film’s authentic portrayal of Latin American landscapes and the nuanced performances of its leads to be profoundly moving.
| Acting | Gael García Bernal and Rodrigo de la Serna deliver immersive, naturalistic performances that anchor the emotional journey. | |
| Cinematography | Erik Gautier’s cinematography provides stunning, near-documentary authenticity that captures the beauty and hardship of the Latin American landscape. | |
| Score | The score by Gustavo Santaolaya and Jorge Drexler is widely praised for being melodic, soul-touching, and essential to the film's atmospheric success. | |
| Direction | Walter Salles’ direction successfully avoids traditional biopic tropes, opting instead for a contemplative, humanistic study of character development. | |
| Pacing | Viewers are divided on the film's narrative momentum: some appreciate the subtle, character-focused pacing, while others find the lack of a traditional plot or dramatic resolution to be boring. | |
| Theme | Opinions differ on the depth of the portrayal: some admire the focus on Guevara's personal humanism, while others feel it romanticizes him or fails to capture the complexity of his later revolutionary politics. |