Che: Part Two
After the Cuban Revolution, Che is at the height of his fame and power. Then he disappears, re-emerging incognito in Bolivia, where he organizes a small group of Cuban comrades and Bolivian recruits to start the great Latin American Revolution. Through this story, we come to understand how Che remains a symbol of idealism and heroism that lives in the hearts of people around the world.
The film box office disappointment against its mid-range budget of $58.0M, earning $8.6M globally (-85% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its unconventional structure within the drama genre.
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Che: Part Two (2008) showcases meticulously timed narrative design, characteristic of Steven Soderbergh's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 15 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.3, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 2 minutes (2% through the runtime) establishes Che Guevara arrives in Bolivia disguised as a middle-aged businessman, beginning his campaign to ignite revolution in South America. He appears confident, experienced, and determined to replicate his Cuban success.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 16 minutes when The Bolivian Communist Party leader Monje meets Che and refuses to support the guerrilla campaign unless he has complete control. Monje withdraws support entirely, leaving Che isolated without the expected local party infrastructure or indigenous recruitment base.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 33 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This illustrates the protagonist's commitment to Che makes the irreversible decision to launch military operations against the Bolivian army despite lacking local support, adequate supplies, or party backing. The guerrillas attack an army outpost, officially beginning armed conflict and making them fugitives with no option to retreat., moving from reaction to action.
At 68 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Significantly, this crucial beat The guerrilla group is ambushed crossing a river. Several fighters are killed or captured. The group is forced to split into two columns, severing Che from half his forces. This represents a false defeat—what seems like a tactical setback becomes a strategic catastrophe from which they never recover. The initiative permanently shifts to the army., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 102 minutes (76% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Che is wounded and captured in the Quebrada del Yuro ravine. His rifle is destroyed, he can barely breathe due to asthma, and he is surrounded by Bolivian soldiers. The revolutionary who conquered Cuba is now a prisoner, defeated and helpless. The guerrilla campaign is dead., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 110 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 82% of the runtime. Che receives word that he will be executed. He accepts his fate with clarity, understanding that while his Bolivian campaign failed, the myth of his revolutionary sacrifice may accomplish what his military campaign could not. He synthesizes his idealism with the brutal reality of his defeat., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Che: Part Two's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping Che: Part Two against these established plot points, we can identify how Steven Soderbergh utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Che: Part Two within the drama genre.
Steven Soderbergh's Structural Approach
Among the 16 Steven Soderbergh films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.1, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Che: Part Two represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Steven Soderbergh filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include Eye for an Eye, South Pacific and Kiss of the Spider Woman. For more Steven Soderbergh analyses, see Traffic, Ocean's Thirteen and Contagion.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Che Guevara arrives in Bolivia disguised as a middle-aged businessman, beginning his campaign to ignite revolution in South America. He appears confident, experienced, and determined to replicate his Cuban success.
Theme
A guerrilla fighter questions whether the Bolivian peasants will support them. Another responds that revolution requires sacrifice and persistence regardless of immediate support—establishing the theme of idealism versus reality.
Worldbuilding
Establishment of the guerrilla camp in the Bolivian wilderness. Introduction of key fighters including Pombo, Benigno, and Tania. The harsh conditions, limited local support, and communication difficulties with the Bolivian Communist Party are revealed. Che's asthma condition is shown as a persistent vulnerability.
Disruption
The Bolivian Communist Party leader Monje meets Che and refuses to support the guerrilla campaign unless he has complete control. Monje withdraws support entirely, leaving Che isolated without the expected local party infrastructure or indigenous recruitment base.
Resistance
Che debates whether to continue without party support. The guerrillas train, establish routines, and attempt to make contact with local peasants. Small victories include minor skirmishes, but the group faces desertion, illness, and the realization that Bolivian peasants are suspicious rather than welcoming. Che remains committed despite mounting obstacles.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Che makes the irreversible decision to launch military operations against the Bolivian army despite lacking local support, adequate supplies, or party backing. The guerrillas attack an army outpost, officially beginning armed conflict and making them fugitives with no option to retreat.
Mirror World
Introduction of the peasant guide who is forced to help the guerrillas. His fear and reluctance mirror the reality Che refuses to see: the Bolivian people do not share his revolutionary fervor and view the guerrillas as foreign intruders rather than liberators.
Premise
The guerrilla campaign in action. The fighters move through the jungle, engage in small skirmishes with the army, struggle with disease and starvation. Che maintains discipline and revolutionary ideology while the harsh reality of their isolation becomes apparent. The group fractures as fighters fall ill, morale drops, and the promised peasant uprising never materializes.
Midpoint
The guerrilla group is ambushed crossing a river. Several fighters are killed or captured. The group is forced to split into two columns, severing Che from half his forces. This represents a false defeat—what seems like a tactical setback becomes a strategic catastrophe from which they never recover. The initiative permanently shifts to the army.
Opposition
The Bolivian army, trained by US advisors, closes in systematically. Che's column wanders desperately seeking food, medicine, and the separated fighters. Peasants inform on them rather than help. Fighters die from disease, starvation, and ambushes. Che's asthma worsens critically without medicine. Each day brings more losses and isolation. The dream of revolution dissolves into survival.
Collapse
Che is wounded and captured in the Quebrada del Yuro ravine. His rifle is destroyed, he can barely breathe due to asthma, and he is surrounded by Bolivian soldiers. The revolutionary who conquered Cuba is now a prisoner, defeated and helpless. The guerrilla campaign is dead.
Crisis
Che is held captive in a schoolhouse in La Higuera. He refuses food, confronts his captors with dignity, and faces the reality that he will be executed. In his final hours, he reflects on the failure of his mission while maintaining his revolutionary convictions. A teacher visits, representing the ordinary people he sought to liberate who remain disconnected from his ideology.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Che receives word that he will be executed. He accepts his fate with clarity, understanding that while his Bolivian campaign failed, the myth of his revolutionary sacrifice may accomplish what his military campaign could not. He synthesizes his idealism with the brutal reality of his defeat.
Synthesis
Che's execution by Bolivian soldiers. His body is displayed, photographed, and his hands are severed as proof of death. The military victory is complete. The film shows the immediate aftermath with clinical detachment, allowing the weight of the historical moment to settle without sentimentality. The revolution ends not with glory but with bureaucratic finality.
Transformation
Final image of Che's dead body surrounded by soldiers and officials, photographed like a trophy. In stark contrast to the confident revolutionary who arrived in Bolivia, he is now a martyred corpse. Yet the iconic image itself begins his transformation into legend—the failure becomes myth. The closing frames suggest that defeat in life may be victory in memory.