"The Motorcycle Diaries," is based on a road trip that the legendary Cuban revolutionary leader Ernesto "Che" Guevara partakes with his best buddy, Alberto. Nearly in the end of his medicine school, Ernesto and Alberto plans a 10,000 km long trip from their home in Buenos Aries throughout the South American continent, with their terminus being an intership opportunity at a leper colony on the Brazilian Amazon.

The film follows their trip of discovery of the rich and complex human and social topography of the Latin American continent. Making their way through the countries, they encounter much difficulties with their motorcycle, which cannot cope with the poor conditions of the roads and keeps breaking down. They abandon the motorcycle and starts hitchhiking around, meeting different people along the way. They listen to the stories and tales of the local people, and learn of the conditions they must go through to make their own living. One can see the changes of ideas and opinions, which range as much as the landscape they travel through.

After 8 months on the road, they arrive at the leper colony. It is not long before Ernesto starts challenging the system with his medical knowledge, and offers to shake the hands of a leper without gloves. He questions the arrangement where the doctors and nuns are kept living on one bank of the river, and the lepers on the other side. He struggles to break down the barrier or ignorance people have concerning the lepers, and swims across the river to "live" amongst the lepers.

I could fully appreciate the romantic adventrous spirit which was portrayed in the film; after all, it is the similar kind of spirit that brings me about to travelling to other parts of the world, meeting people and getting to know my world better. For Ernesto, it was the beginning point of the path that he would embark on before becoming a revolutionary leader for Cuba. The film affords us beautiful scenery and the storyline is constantly captivating. I give this film four stars.