The Motorcycle Diaries

DVD review by guest reviewer Jonathan L.

Motorcycle Diaries

Biopic, Buddy Picture, Road Trip or Travelogue? All of the above. Che and his biochemist friend Alberto travel from Argentina to Venezuela by bike and then foot, meeting friends, family and locals along the way. Great film - would be even better on a big screen. The writing, despite the profanity, is solid, as is the acting. The scenery - stunning, at least in places. The message? Don't worry about it - just enjoy the ride. Judgment? Don't miss.

As a side note, the main characters spend considerable time in a leper colony. Leprosy creeps me out and I kept wondering why these guys don't worry about it. Seeing the movie made me look up some information from the WHO: Leprosy is a chronic disease caused by a bacillus, Mycobacterium leprae The bacteria multiply very slowly - the incubation period is about five years and symptoms can take as long as 20 years to appear. Although the route of transmission is not exactly known, it's apparently transmitted via droplets, from the nose and mouth, during close and frequent contacts with untreated cases. It's not considered highly contagious. Fortunately, the number of active cases has dramatically decreased from 5.2 million in 1985 to 286 000 in 2004. It has been eliminated from 113 of 122 countries where it was considered a public health problem in 1985.