The Motorcycle Diaries

"Let the world change you...and you can change the world."

2004 2h 6m ES

👍

7.4

SOLID

★7.4TMDB · 1,476

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

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.

“Let the world change you...and you can change the world.”

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Cast

Gael García Bernal
Ernesto "Che" Guevara de la Serna
Rodrigo de la Serna
Alberto Granado
Mercedes Morán
Celia de la Serna
Mía Maestro
Chichina Ferreyra
Jean Pierre Noher
Ernesto Guevara Lynch
Lucas Oro
Roberto Guevara
Marina Glezer
Celita Guevara
Sofia Bertolotto
Ana María Guevara

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Walter Salles
Writers: Jose Rivera
Languages: Quechua, Spanish
Countries: Argentina, France, United Kingdom, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 22 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Quechua, Spanish.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 4 countries: Argentina, France, United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Walter Salles, shot by Éric Gautier. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Gustavo Santaolalla. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Daniel Rezende shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Gael García Bernal and Rodrigo de la Serna and Mercedes Morán carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Let the world change you...and you can change the world.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Walter Salles directs. Éric Gautier behind the camera. Gustavo Santaolalla scores. Daniel Rezende cuts. Produced in Argentina, France, United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in Quechua, Spanish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 22 years ago.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Quechua, Spanish.
3International production across 4 countries: Argentina, France, United Kingdom, United States of America.
4Directed by Walter Salles, shot by Éric Gautier. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Gustavo Santaolalla. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Daniel Rezende shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Gael García Bernal and Rodrigo de la Serna and Mercedes Morán carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Let the world change you...and you can change the world.".
9IMDB entry: tt0318462 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 14 themes, including "based on novel or book", "peru", "revolution", "asthma".

The technical file

Cinematography: Éric Gautier
Original score: Gustavo Santaolalla
Editing: Daniel Rezende
Production design: Carlos Conti
Costume design: Beatriz De Benedetto
Runtime: 126 min · 2h 6m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $57,663,224
Original language: ES
Certification (US): R
IMDB: The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)

Awards

François Chalais Prize
Goya Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
British Academy Film Awards
San Sebastián International Film Festival
Film Independent Spirit Awards
Academy Award for Best Original Song
Cannes Film Festival

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Walter Salles

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2025-09-25
★ 7/10
Ernesto Guevara (Gael Garcia Bernal), affectionally nicknamed “Fuser” by his best friend Alberto Granado (Rodrigo de la Serna) is about to join set off with him on an epic journey across South America on a rickety old Norton 500 motorcycle that has certainly seen better days. Their plan is to cover the over ten thousand kilometre distance between Buenos Aires and the northern tip of the continent, via Patagonia, before Granado reaches his thirtieth birthday. Their first stop is at the chateau-style home of his girlfriend Chichina (Mia Maestro) but thereafter it is just them, their machine, and the elements as they embark on quite an eye-opening road trip. “Che” Guevara is in the latter stages of training to be a doctor, specialising in leprosy, and along the way they stop off at a leprosarium where he becomes even further convinced of what he believed before his travels began: that this resource-rich but poverty-stricken continent could not function effectively unless it were to be united into one single political entity devoid of man-made division and self-interest. His companion is less philosophical in his outlook, looking mainly to enjoy his trip and get laid whenever and wherever he can. The complimentary attitudes of the pair, though not always in agreement, and the stunning cinematography provide a poignant setting for this realisation of his diaries of their actual trip. His powers of description are eloquent, emotionally-charged and GGB manages to sensitively combine the vulnerabilities of his character with the visionary aspects of a man who desires something better for himself and the peoples he encounters. It’s sometimes quite funny too, with de la Serna and their unreliable Norton providing some light-heartedness and there are provocative and celebratory cultural references a-plenty as we meet the Inca and the In-capable. This is much more than a travelogue, and it has an curious and exploratory look to it that delivers food for the eyes and the brain - the soul, even. There is something positively mystic about their trip through the snow-capped Andes and this is a compelling and enjoyable piece of cinema.

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