Diarios de Motocicleta

I thought there were several scenes in the movie that helped shape what was to become the future leader of the Latin American revolution. The first scene that stuck in my mind was the one in which Ernesto was telling his family goodbye before departing on his long journey. His love for his family and their obvious love for him was important. Family relationships are an important part of any leader. Families tend to be the ones who offer unwavering support and conversely are the first to tell you when your wrong. I think this is crucial because every leader needs some type of advisor and those advisors are not always willing to be honest when the need arises. Most people know that their family members provide unconditional love and that the criticism or support will be honest and in their best interest.

The second scene that I felt was crucial was when he visited his girlfriend. The girlfriend didn't want him to leave and she eventually promised she would wait for him. I think they both knew that the promise given was tentative at best. Despite her not wanting him to go and the potential of the relationship ending in the near future, he was willing to sacrifice his personal happiness in order to fullfil his commitment to the journey.

The third scene that was important was the $15 the girlfriend had given him to buy her panties. After multiple attempts by his friend to get him to spend the money on food, lodging, and a hooker he still wouldn't part with the money. This showed the trustworthiness of Ernesto. He was willing to go without medical care after becoming ill just so he would not spend the money.

Ernesto showed a great deal of cunning and finesse when he was able to get the newspaper to print an article and a photo of the two "doctors" on their important journey. Because of the long journey, they looked like a couple of bums and no one believed them when they said they were doctors. The newpaper article aided them in finding food, lodging, and a mechanic for their motorcycle despite having no money. I thought this was rather ingenious of him. A little stretch of the truth perhaps but proved he had the resourcefulness needed in a good leader.

When the friends reached the leper colony is when Ernesto really began to shine. His ability to reach out and befriend the people afflicted with the disease showed great compassion. The scene where he swam across the river, risking his life, so that he could celebrate his birthday with the leper colony demonstrated his bravery. He never could get over the fact that the doctors, nurses, and nuns separated themselves from the lepers. He was able to empathize with the people of the leper colony. Compassion, bravery, and empathy are all good leadership qualities.

I really enjoyed this movie. I was saddened that such a dynamic person portrayed in the movie was eventually murdered. People change as they age and I have no idea what Ernesto came to be like as he grew older, but as a nurse I know it is often rare to find a doctor with so much compassion and empathy. -Kisha Williamson