The story of a man who fought when the West wouldn't listen (Hotel Rwanda (DVD))

Member Name: mrbusy62

Product:	Hotel Rwanda (DVD)
Date:	11/09/09 (24 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A piece of history that is a harsh lesson learnt

Disadvantages: Heartbreaking

My wife has wanted to watch this for a while. We have watched it before and I remembered it being a fantastic film. I relented last night and don't know why I haven't watched it sooner.

The film is based on actual events, which always makes for a better story. Let's face it, you can't make up what happened. Set in 1994 it tells of the of civil war in Rwanda and the acts of treachery on one side, heroics on the other and the complete ignorance of the West save for a few good men. At times it makes you ashamed to Caucasian from the West.

The film starts with malicious undertones in the form of radio broadcast and hints at what atrocities are to come. Don Cheadle's character basically runs a fancy hotel for rich guests and has got to where he is by bribing and influencing rich people with the intention that if he ever needs a favour he can call on help.

A key underlying issue is that Don Cheadle's character is HUTU. His wife is TUTSIE. And the HUTU are planning an uprising and genocide.

The film tells the story of how Paul (Don Cheadle) helped to save well over 100 people by sheltering them in the hotel where he works after all of the Western people leave. These are not just rich foreigners but diplomats and world leaders. The West sends no aide and the UN only save people from the West. Paul must take what help he can and bargains/buys food and provisions where possible.

There are evacuation attempts but these fail. All in there is desperation about the people and when Paul is told to take a certain road back to the hotel as it is clear you will have chills down your spine. You will be close to tears when you see what awaits them.

The acting is superb from Don Cheadle and Sophie Okenedo. Nick Nolte as a UN general is the only character who restores faith in the West along with, to a much lesser extent Jean Reno. When you see the horrors of genocide laid bare you can't help but feel touched and angered at the ignorance of the rest of the world.

The real horror of this film is that it is based on fact as the closing credits reveal. For all the images you have seen and the horrors laid bare there is nothing more chilling than the bare facts in black and white across a TV screen.

From IMDB:

Closing credits:

Title card: Paul Rusesabagina sheltered 1268 Tutsi and Hutu refugees at the Milles Collines Hotel in Kigali.
Title card: Paul and Tatiana now live in Belgium with their children, Roger, Diane, Lys, Tresor and their adopted nieces Anais and Carine.
Title card: In 2002, General Augustin Bizimungu was captured in Angola and transported to the U.N. War Crimes Tribunal in Tanzania. At the same tribunal the Interhamwe leader George Rutuganda was sentenced to life in prison.
Title card: The genocide ended in July 1994, when the Tutsi rebels drove the Hutu army and the Interhamwe militia across the border into the Congo.
Title card: They left behind almost a million corpses.

Summary: A brilliant movie with a lesson for all