The film conforms to the expectations of a road movie in various ways. There is the breakdown of the family unit, whereby Ernesto leaves his family partly to escape from the pressure of their high expectations. Ernesto is only a semester from graduating medical school and so to becoming a doctor; it is for this reason that his father is reluctant for him to leave for this expedition. This particular circumstance also occurs in Crossroads (2002), whereby one of the main characters, Lucy Wagner, played by Brittany Spears has just graduated and appears to have succumbed to family pressure by choosing to go off to university to study for a medical degree.
The film starts off in small claustrophobic town, with a tightly knitted community, which makes the prospect of exploration of the open road, seem more alluring and attractive. This is apparent in Lynch’s “The Straight Story” (1999) in which the film starts off in a small, southern, American town. The plot proceeds to depict Alvin Straight; an elderly man on the verge of death, who embarks on a journey to visit his brother one last time. This stereotype of the “small town/ claustrophobic setting” is in most cases, a trademark of the traditional road movie.
There is also an apparent theme of exploring new cultures, as many places are mentioned during a talk between Alberto and Ernesto before their departure. During their travels, they discover the hardships of work in Chuquicamata Copper mine and encounter at first hand how badly the natives are treated. They go on to work among the lepers at the colony, remembering to treat them with dignity and respect, Ernesto in turns becomes a changed person because of these experiences. A similar film to the motorcycle diaries is ' Alfonso Cuaron's “Y tu mama tambien”' (2001), a Mexican road movie. Two young boys, almost like brothers (Tenoch played by Diego Luna and Julio played by Gael Garcia Bernal ( Ernesto in the Motorcycle Diaries) and a confident beautiful 'older' woman Luisa Cortes (Maribel Verdu) take a trip of sexual discovery and enlightenment. It is social commentary on the lives of the young men, their feelings and political awakenings, but also we see the real Mexico, its complexities and sharp contrasts between the rich and the poor.
This exploration of culture and the meticulous planning that goes into it is of course rather ironic as the characters always seem to go searching for adventure and to escape small town life, only to realise that they are homesick as “The Wizard of Oz ()” clearly illustrates. Dorothy Gale played by Judy Garland embarks on a magical journey on the yellow brick road to see the Wizard of Oz, only to realise that she misses the bleakness and dull nature of her home back in Kansas. She goes on to quote one of the movies most memorable lines “There’s no place like home”. In the “The Motorcycle Diaries” Ernesto becomes very homesick during various parts of the film especially the two are strapped for cash and have nowhere to stay. They face various physical and emotion obstacles, another typical characteristic of the road movie genre.
Ernesto and Alberto set out on their travels on one old motorbike ironically named "The Mighty One". Within the first seven minutes, they are nearly hit by a bus and accidentally drive into a ditch along the road. They also agree to take a detour so that Ernesto may visit his girlfriend. Mode of transport in a road movie is obviously a very key factor. With Hopper’s “Easy Rider” () it was not one but two motorbikes. The mode of transport often reflects the character of the protagonist(s); in this case the bikes are fast and wild, much like Wyatt and Billy’s hedonistic lifestyles. In “The Motorcycle Diaries”, “The Mighty One” describes both Ernesto and Alberto well. Ernesto, as “The Mighty One” because he carries on to become one of the most prominent leaders of the Cuban revolution and Alberto because he is “chubby” or “ mighty” in other words.
“The girlfriend” is also a common attribute in road movies, whereby the male protagonist embarks on a journey, suffering harsh conditions to reach the girl only to find that later that it was the meaning of life that he found instead. Ernesto carries a puppy for his girlfriend and later is given $15 from her to buy a swimsuit, of which he refuses to use to pay for food or shelter, even when Alberto pleads with him. This situation appears notably in the teen movie “Road Trip” (2000) where the main character, Josh Parker played by , goes on a mission to recover a sex tape of him and another girl, of which he has accidentally mailed to his long term girlfriend. He and his buddy E.L, embark on a mission to retrieve the tape before she see it, overcoming obstacles and hardships along the way.
There is also the obstacle of Ernesto’s health, he is heavily asthmatic and further on in the film, he suffers an attack. Conforming to the genre’s expectation is the relationship between the two male friends; present is the older, wiser and more experienced male, Alberto. He in turns takes the younger, often troublesome male (Ernesto) and acts as a fatherly figure. This is established later on in the film where Ernesto suffers an attack on the boat and Alberto comes to his aid. A similar maternal relationship is mirrored in 'Thelma and Louise' (1991) whereby Louise, played by Susan Sarandon is the older, more experienced motherly figure for a slightly disillusioned, Thelma played by Geena Davis. This maternal instinct is played out when Louise shoots a man who threatens to rape Thelma.
Contrast between the two protagonists is almost vital. The two always seem to have common aspirations and similar dreams, yet they seem to differ a great deal in personality. This is done to create possible friction and potential conflict between the two characters. Ernesto is an honest man who refuses to lie or cheat (shown in the later parts of the film), the audience hear him and Alberto discussing the journey in a local café. We believe that Ernesto’s reasons for the journey are to visit his girlfriend in Miramar fuelled by a genuine love for exploration. This is heavily contrasted by Alberto, the older partner who sets out to complete the journey before his 30th birthday and is only looking to “get laid in every country in south America”. The contrast of the two leads is not an uncommon feature in road movies, but the seriousness of one character and the carefree nature of the other often provide light humour. An excellent example of this kind of relationship is that between Wyatt (Captain America) and Billy (The Kid) in Hopper’s Easy Rider. Wyatt, played by is the cool, composed and collected elder of the two, whereas Billy is reckless and often rash in his actions.
“The Motorcycle Diaries” also features a classic open shot of the road about 7 minutes into the film, a highly distinguishable feature of the road movie; depicting vast expanses and unexplored possibilities. “Easy Rider” and “The Straight Story” again prominently features many long camera shots of this kind.
“The Motorcycle Diaries” conforms to road movie tradition. In doing this, it manages to perfectly encapsulate what a road movie should be. A brilliantly shot, contemporary film which makes the audience at hand consider their somewhat mundane existence, unchallenging surroundings and the restraints of society. It challenges the viewpoints of the characters in the beginning of the film and slowly but surely they take us along on the journey to discover the “meaning of life”.
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