Hotel Rwanda
Canada, UK, Italy, South Africa
This movie is difficult to watch due to it's subject, but it is also a
very good movie. We are taken (only!) 10 years back in time to the
genocide in Rwanda: a million people were slaughtered in only 3 months.
The victims were unarmed men, women and children guilty in nothing else
than belonging to the "wrong" ethnic group. So... No, it's no fun
watching, but actually a touching and important movie that ought to have a
big audience. The movie is "designed" to shaming us of the fact that the
West didn't do anything to stop the bloodshed until it was too late -and
this is exactly what it does. Luckily the director helps the audience
through by choosing to tell one of the few positive stories, which
actually leaves us with a bit of hope.
The movie is based on a true-life Hero: the Rwandese hotel manager,
Paul Rusesabagina, who actually managed to save his own family and several
hundred other lives against all odds. This was a remarkable achievement
and according to this movie Paul Rusesabagina is a truly remarkable man.
He has said that everything shown in the movie is correct and shown
exactly as it happened. Paul Rusesabagina opened the doors at the luxury
hotel for refugees whether they were Tutsis or Hutus. In the hotel they
awaited rescue by the UN forces. But help from the outside world didn’t
come to the people of Rwanda, and UN only evacuated the foreigners.
Unfortunately I think the film lost a bit of its credibility because of
the English dialogue and the American-style of story telling. I would have
preferred to have the characters speak French and Kinyarwanda for
authencity. I found it a bit too obvious that the film's couple behaved
more like an American family than an African in their private relations
and I could also have done without most of the music score. I am happy
though that the producers dropped their idea of actually casting Wesley
Snipes or Will Smith for the leading role (it was actually considered).
Don Cheadle IS giving a great performance in the main part.
All in all the movie IS very strong and takes complete control of us
when we are shown some of the worst and best humans can do to each other.
I can't remember the last time i saw an audience so quiet and affected by
a movie. Go see it -or buy it on DVD. But this one is not for children!
Starring Don Cheadle, Sophie Okonedo, Nick Nolte and Joaquin Phoenix.
Directed by Terry George. Filmed on location in South Africa.
A few more movies has already been made about the tragedy in Rwanda.
"100 Days", "Shooting Dogs" and "Sometimes in April" are all shot on
location in Rwanda. The last one directed by Raoul Peck ("Lumumba") will
be available on DVD later this year. |
