"Che: Part One" is the first half of Steven Soderbergh's massive biopic on the life of revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara, played by Benicio Del Toro. Che's early life was chronicled in the 2004 film "The Motorcycle Diaries" and Soderbergh does well to avoid recycling that story. We pick up on Guevara (who was born in Argentina) just before he and Fidel Castro assemble their revolutionary army to attempt to overthrow the Cuban government.

The film begins in 1964 post-revolution. Che is doing a series of interviews with a British journalist starting in Havana, and we follow him as he travels to New York City in order to speak at the United Nations on behalf of Cuba. As Che recounts the time of the Revolution, the audience is shown his flashbacks. In order to distinguish between the two time periods, Soderbergh presents 1964 in black-and-white and Che's account of the revolution in color. This is a unique technique considering in film we typically see it the other way around. Perhaps Soderbergh is trying to convey that, for Che, the revolution was a time when he felt most alive therefore it is presented in vivid color.

The film is meticulous is sticking to the factual record, but takes extra care to document Che's struggle with asthma as he trekked through the Cuban jungle for months and months on end. Much of the time he had no medicine to help him and at times it is painful to watch this man struggle to breath and gasping for air with each step.

Surprisingly, considering the passion embodied in this mythic figure, I remained relatively detached from his character. Del Toro's Che is a stoic figure; a man with a goal who will let nothing stop him from reaching that goal. Del Toro does an exceptional job of portraying Che, but perhaps he is a victim of his character because the inspiration and admiration for what this man accomplished just did not come.

The cinematography is the most notable aspect of this film. In one word it is beautiful. Soderbergh took responsibility for directing photography himself, and it is clear that he had a precise vision for this film. Alongside the truly beautiful photography, unique shots and camera movement, some historic documentary film scenes are interwoven to give the film a sense of realism.

While this film truly deserves the label of epic, (the full movie runs almost four and a half hours) "Part One" delivers on the promise of the myth of Che Guevara. While it is by no means a masterpiece, it is an entertaining and insightful look into the Cuban Revolution period of Che's life.