The Critics Speak

Hotel Rwanda

Critic: Steph Lewis
On a scale of 0 to Awesome, I rate this: Solid & Thoughtful
Released: December 22, 2004
Director: Terry George
MPAA RATING: R, violence, disturbing images, and brief strong language

Synopsis: Don Cheadle gives a riveting performance as Paul Rusesabagina, the manager of a European-owned hotel in Rwanda, who created a secret refugee camp for the Tutsi people during the brutal genocide committed against them by the Hutu people in 1994. His efforts helped to save 1200 lives out of close to a million who were killed. HOTEL RWANDA shows this man's courage, while also capturing the political events that occurred between April and September '94. First, United Nations soldiers are restricted from fighting back against Hutu guerillas, even after the Rwandan president is assassinated and the country is thrown into chaos. But as the fighting worsens, all non-Rwandans including UN peacekeepers, Europeans, and Americans are evacuated. This leaves the Tutsi people defenseless against aggressive Hutus who are armed with machine guns and machetes. While working the system with strategic phone calls to powerful international contacts of the hotel, Rusesabagina also uses smart lies and power plays to hold off the Hutus. The morale among the refugees is low, but because they are protected from the inconceivable brutality happening outside the hotel's gates, they maintain a sense of hope. Powerful acting from all cast members, including throngs of children, makes this film touching and believable. Sophie Okonedo offers moving support as Rusesabagina's wife Tatiana, Nick Nolte shows knowing machismo as an American UN officer, and Joaquin Phoenix turns in a heartfelt display as a TV journalist. But it is the delicate treatment that director Terry George gives the insane, helpless situation depicted in HOTEL RWANDA which makes the film so penetrating. While the violence and gore of the genocide play a disturbing part in the film, the focus lies on the heroism of its protagonist and the strength with which he navigates under seemingly impossible odds. --Taken from Rotten Tomatoes

My Take: Gosh. I don't even know where to start with this gem. I pretty much sobbed the entire way through, had a stomach ache by the end, and looked at all the crap I own and felt even more disgusted at the end. My life seemed so safe. And I just felt awful about humanity on all sides of the fence.

This was a recreation of actual events and was similar to Schindler's List in scope. Things that stood out to me are that most of the killings were done with machetes. In Schindler mostly gas chambers and guns and starvation are used for the large killings. But this one is straight up slaughter that is done man-to-man. That just makes my stomach turn to think that just under a million people were killed this way. I can't even fathom the fear and disgust. It was like the Hutu men were like a bunch of angry adolescent boys who didn't have any parents to tell them to stop acting like a bunch of morons. And they'd drink, rape, act macho, and kill without thinking.

It does give me strength to see that there are people who are willing to stand up in these events. There were some groups working to help refugees, people from the UN (acting under ridiculous orders), and even the local police. I get kind of a hero feeling watching Rusesabagina (Cheadle) work every connection he has to save the lives of all of these people. It would have been easy for him to leave with his children, or maybe even leave with his wife & children. But, he stands for something greater and lays everything on the line to save his neighbors, orphans, and other refugees. I would like to think that the whites who were evacuated went back home and actually did something about it...but they probably didn't.

Overall, this movie shakes my core. It makes me look at life, my life, and wonder how it can be significant to the world. I wonder how I could help stop suffering and tyranny. It makes me look at the regular every day life and appreciate it, but also want to break out of it into something that means more. Something less safe. Something that reaches out and makes a difference. I ask questions about how I can do that, how I can help. And then I eat my dinner and go about my normal life, and feel even worse. It's not my time yet, I will be significant in time, just not right now...that's what I tell myself.