Cannes | Why did everyone have Che wrong?
The headline all over last week's Cannes prognostications were about how Soderbergh's Che epic wasn't going to make the Croisette.
Today, all the Cannes headlines lead with Soderbergh. Surprise, surprise: Che will storm the south of France - all 4 hours of it.
In hindsight, some could argue that a Soderbergh film at Cannes is a shoe-in - no matter how incomplete it is. And where else could the film preem? Venice, Telluride, Toronto? Too far away. And the rich biopic is still a glorious art film. No matter how many kids wear the Che-shirt, it still needs a splashy debut at a fest for a hungry press that always leans art-house.
How was everyone so off? Some conspiracy theorists might not be wrong in smelling a hand behind the bait and switch.
The film's producer and sales agent, Wild Bunch, who famously revolted against the Berlin market by setting up a bunker across the street, are lovingly notorious in misleading the press. Buyers at Berlin balked at the $10 mil asking price and Che fled the city with no deal.
Then the Cannes rumors started, becoming a near-fact in the blogosphere that there would be no revolution on the Croisette. WB has to be loving the press today, as will Cannes topper Gilles Jacob, who also loves his splashy announcements.
No matter who the person behind the curtain is, Che gloriously overthrew the press. Including us.
Michael Jones is the film festival editor at Variety.com. 
Amen, why would you make a pro Che film? Hey, maybe someone should make a pro Hitler film, or a Pol Pot. It seems Hollywood has turned a blind eye towards a man who was a murdering jerkhole who put people in labor camps. If you are Gay, Religious or support freedom, ya shouldn't support this film.<br>Joe Blow
Posted by: Joe Blow of Dog Company | 6/6/2008 11:21:18 PM
The utter folly of glorifying Che and the Castro Brother shows the complete blindness and stupidity of Western Liberal Elites. Ask any Cuban about this trio -- their savagery puts them in the bottom rung of hell.
Posted by: Will Walters | 5/22/2008 2:37:54 AM
Thanks Mark, I'm glad someone pointed out this piece of egotistical human garbage is not someone to glorify he betrayed many of those who helped in the Cuban revolution if you were non-communist you were dead.
Posted by: Sam Gordon | 5/13/2008 3:44:15 PM
Che knocked off the wall of his office to enjoy the view of the firing squad executng his political enemies.<br>He was torturing people himslef in the name of revolution. So after the Cannes is done gloryfing this peice of garbage proven mass murderer, probably the courageous Erol Moris will make a documentary examining why the torture by Che is justified and Abu-Grahb is a disgrace. Do you people realize how pathetic you are in your blindness? Che Murderer Guevara was as much of a hero as Stalin whom I am sure Soderbergh considers another freedom fighter. So he can make a two part epic called "Giorgian" and "Guerilla, who killed millions of people and adored Che as well"<br>Get a life, or at least let others have theirs by not inspiring more murderous psychopats through the power of film.
Posted by: Yervand Kochar | 4/28/2008 12:30:54 AM
Hasta la victoria, siempre! Venceremos!<br><br>(Even though Soderbergh should have talk to my dad about Che....)
Posted by: Mark Rabinowitz | 4/23/2008 2:05:48 PM