ABSTRACT
Chapter 5 examines how The Motorcycle Diaries engages with ‘the tourist gaze’ (John Urry) as well as with other forms of tourism (from adventure tourism to music tourism, from political tourism to voluntourism). An introductory part assesses the relationship between the historic Guevara and the alternative (or even ‘anti-tourist’) figure of the backpacker. Salles’ strategy of contrasting colourful postcard-like images with black and white ‘mental’ images is considered an example of disruptive tourism, itself related to a tradition of counter-hegemonic photography in Latin America, with names such as Martín Chambi and Sebastião Salgado. Attention is also paid to the way in which the musical score by Gustavo Santaolalla as well as the selection of pieces of period music contribute to the idea of a diverse yet also unified Latin America.
