The Motorcycle Diaries was an interesting film that gave great insight to the Spanish lifestyle during the early 1950’s. The film was adapted from a book of the same name written by Che Guevara. The film’s beginning is a bit vague, yet much can be gathered and later used, as the movie progresses. The two main characters of the film are the author, Che Guevara and his close friend, a biochemist named Alberto Granado.

The effectiveness of the film as a source of history of a time period was not excellent because the film just focused on Che Guevara’s beginnings. It showed how he started to opt for his political career rather than continue medicine, yet it did not go more in depth of the actual accomplishments he had. It was evident that the cruelty, injustice and tremendous poverty created a strong impact on Guevara, psychologically, emotionally and idealistically.

Since then, he became a Marxist and supported Fidel Castro. Che Guevara turned his attention to South America. He believed that Bolivia would be his best bet to start a revolt, because of its discontented peasant population and the United States’ relative lack of interest in it. He grossly misjudged the political climate, however, and found it difficult to recruit soldiers. He was captured by Bolivian Army troops on October 8, 1967. The army was in a dilemma as to what to do with him; they feared a trial would only stir up support for the revolutionary.

The movie is based on a true story about two men who actually travelled the full eight thousand kilometers across Latin America. The movie helps demonstrate the poverty of the working class. The clash between the government and its citizens such as the farmers whose land was taken away from them because they were communists. The harsh working conditions of the poor working in the mines. The cruel way that the miners were picked and put into a truck without any food. When Ernesto and Alberto arrive at the Machu Picchu, Ernesto wonders, “how things would have turned out if the Inca’s possessed the gun powder to defeat the Spanish invaders.” The characters in the movie give their own perspectives about the country they love.

In conclusion, The Motorcycle Diaries provides a different outlook from the men who want to learn about their country from the books they have read. The movie helps tie the value of Cultural Education and teaching. A classroom who watches this movie can appreciate the experiences and perspectives the two men provide from their journey. The movie helps emphasize the economic rationalism perspective as a contributor to the growth of an economy. The movie demonstrates how human behavior can affect the learning process. The journey has a profound effect on the lives of the two men. The movie is based on a true story that further provides the firsthand look at the lives of the citizens in Latin America.