In January, 1952, 23 year-old Ernesto Guevera de la Serna, called "Fuser," with affection, along with good friend, Alberto Granado, began an eight month-long epic journey, (almost 5000 miles) - an adventure of a lifetime - which was to have a tremendous impact on both of their lives. Ernesto still had a semester to go before he would finish medical school with a specialization in leprosy. Granado was a biochemist, about to begin his career. The two rode the "The Mighty One," an old 1939 Norton 500 motorcycle, on its last legs. Beginning in Buenos Aires, they traveled west to Patagonia, then crossed the border into Chile and headed north, across the rugged Andes to Machu Picchu, Peru. After a stay with a doctor friend and mentor in Lima, they volunteered their services at the San Pablo Leper Colony in the Peruvian Amazon. Arriving in Caracas, Venezuela, in time for Alberto's 30th birthday, Ernesto and Alberto achieved their goal - under duress. "The Mighty One" gave out on them before they reached Valparaiso, Chile, with most of their trip ahead of them. Filled with idealism and dreams, they were not deterred. The two men used their feet and thumbs, to make their way across a continent."The Motorcycle Diaries" is much more than a historical travel film. It is a moving drama about the human spirit, rife with comedic moments, as Alberto and Fuser banter, argue, and provide each other with conversation and companionship on the road. Granado's attachment to his beloved motorcycle is hilarious, as is his highly developed art of bullsh*t. His charm and gift of gab come in extremely handy when money and transportation are needed. And his eye for women never fails. Ernesto, an extremely sensitive person, lacks this smooth-talking manner. Oddly enough, for one so perceptive, he is almost brutal in his honesty, often to his own detriment. Neither of the men had ever been outside their native Argentina before. They meet hundreds of people along the way, from all stations in life. But because of their lack of funds, they almost always share company, and whatever food and shelter are available, with the poor. Ernesto is especially moved and angered by the poverty and injustice he witnesses. This growing awareness of the vast differences in social and economic circumstances between the wealthy few, and the multitude who barely eke out an existence, all over Latin America, begins a process of transformation for Ernesto. And this transformation is the driving force behind the film. The tremendous transition from middle class professional to future revolutionary, begins on this journey.Gael García Bernal, as Ernesto Guevara, and Rodrigo De la Serna, as Alberto, (the real life cousin of Ché Guevara), give extraordinarily nuanced performances. The two actors are the film's very heart, soul and energy. De la Serna provides humor and warmth, an excellent contrast to Garcia Bernal's more serious, intense young Ernesto. The supporting cast also excels - from a pair of Chilean sisters, to the lepers at the San Pablo colony, a desperately poor couple looking for work at the Anaconda mines, and various others - the acting is superb!A variety of exquisite South American landscapes, in all kinds of weather, are beautifully portrayed. The shots of Machu Picchu and Cuzco are phenomenal. Living portraits, in black and white, of the people encountered along the way, are one of the movie's highlights. I am personally touched by "The Motorcycle Diaries." I lived in Central and South America for 15 years, and traveled many of the roads that Guevara and Grenado passed along, years before me - although, fortunately I had much better transportation. I worked for a non-governmental, non-profit relief organization. The poverty and hopelessness that were documented in the "Motorcycle Diaries," still exist today. Although modern technology has reached the cities, the beautiful scenery of the countryside is the same, as are the faces of the people, their songs, dances, native dress, languages and dialects. At the movie's conclusion, the final shot is of the now very old Alberto Grenado, the man who made this famous trip back in 1952.I am moved at how well Brazillian director Walter Salles captured the peoples of South America, their cultures and ambiance, and the content of the diaries. He has remained faithful to the literary sources - Alberto Grenado's book and the notebooks of Ernesto Guevara, which were not found until long after his death, and only published in 1993. When he wrote of his trip, he did so with the youthful idealism of a 23 year-old, not knowing his future role in history. It is this fresh, idealistic perspective, and the genuine expression of social consciousness, that makes the film so powerful. Although no political agenda is promoted here, the film does explain some of the passion behind the decisions that Ernesto Guevara made later in life.I say BRAVO to all who participated in making this movie and highly recommend it.JANA