In a tragic story of man’s inhumanity to man, Don Cheadle’s portrayal of Paul Rusesabagina demonstrates what one man, with a conscience and good heart, can accomplish even in the face of evil. Cheadle’s passionate performance in Hotel Rwanda makes the movie impossible to look away from the time it begins until the very end.
The movie tells the tragic story of what happened to the people of Rwanda in 1994 when their country broke out into a civil war between the tribal Hutus and the Tutsis - that left more than a million Tutsis dead in the genocidal wake. It also shows how the whole world turned its back on Rwanda and the massive murder of the Tutsis people, and the devastation to the country that was left in the aftermath.
All of these atrocities are told through the story of Paul Rusesabagina - a simple hotel manager who proved to be a light in the darkness through his heroic actions that saved more than 1,200 Tutsis and Hutus. He accomplished this act by sheltering the refugees at the luxury hotel he managed, and by using every bit of political favors and bribery he could manage.
Cheadle’s performance of Rusesabagina is intense and desperate which adds even more to the amount of chaos you watch on the screen. From the very start of the movie, you see the charm that Cheadle brings to every role he plays, but as the country descends into madness you also see a passion and emotion that only a great actor can bring to the screen. He truly deserved the amounts of recognition he received for this role and he demonstrates why he is one of the best actors working in Hollywood today.
Menu Screen for Hotel Rwanda
The movie was directed by Terry George and written by George and Keir Pearson. George does an excellent job of keeping the audience glued to what is happening in this movie. It is a hard movie to watch, which it should be, but George makes sure that it is never so violent that the images turn you away. He delivers a movie that slowly builds tension in the opening moments and has you truly caring for these people by the end.
George also does a good job of showing that not everyone in the world wanted to turn their back on the people of Rwanda through Nick Nolte’s performance as a frustrated U.N. Peacekeeper and Jean Reno’s portrayal of Sabena Airlines President, Mr. Tillens.
Nolte’s Colonel Oliver is seen as a man frustrated by his lack of support from the rest of the world. He seems to really want to help Rusesabagina and the Tutsis people. His portrayal of Oliver is that of a man desperate to do the right thing, but not knowing how. He is a great foil for Rusesabagina who just acts without giving thought to whether he should or should not take in more Tutsis refugees.
Reno, whose is not credited for his role, also shows the frustration of some of the Western people. He does everything he can to help Rusesabagina and even apologizes for what the rest of the world is letting happen.
These performances elevate the movie to a more global level, and also show the amount of politics that were being played as people were being slaughtered. At the same time, George and Pearson’s story does a great job of showing world politics and crimes of humanity without taking away from a simple love story between a Rusesabagina and his wife.
At its core, Hotel Rwanda is a simple story of a man trying to save his family, but he soon discovers that his heart will not allow him to turn his back on other people in need of his help. The story never loses focus on Rusesabagina in an attempt to bring a larger message to the screen, and succeeds in doing just that through that very focus. It shows us what one man can accomplish when he decides to do the right thing even in the face of evil and death.
Special Features Screen Hotel Rwanda
The DVD's special features are really worth watching. They include commentary by George, and select commentary by the real Paul Rusesabagina, Wyclef Jean, and Don Cheadle. The features also include “A Message of Peace: Making Hotel Rwanda,” and “Return to Rwanda.”
In the making of feature, Pearson talks about how he wanted to write the screenplay after hearing the story of a man who hid over 1,000 people in his hotel to save them from being murdered. George discusses how they wanted to make the movie very accurate, but at the same time didn’t want to make it extremely gory or violent. He said he didn’t want it to be a gory film that might turn away viewers, and how at its heart, the movie is a love story.<!--page-->
The Return Rwanda feature is a documentary about Rusesabagina’s return to the country. He takes the viewer on a tour of the hotel and tells his story. You also meet people he worked with in the hotel, people he saved, and see how they survived. Rusesabagina described the hotel as a historic monument, which should be kept as it is now. He said it was the only place where all the refugees went to and survived. He talks about the hotel’s staff, like the cooks, kept working even when there was no electricity - which kept people alive.
Overall, Hotel Rwanda is a movie that must be watched. Cheadle’s performance is mesmerizing, desperate, and uplifting. The film’s story is haunting and demands you look at what the world let happen. It is the tale of a father, a husband, and human being. All of these elements combine to tell Rusesabagina’s inspirational story and I highly recommend everyone see it. Hotel Rwanda is truly a movie that should not be missed.
The DVD is out now in the US and available via Amazon . There is no word on a UK release but Amazon UK are offering the Region 1 on import.
You can view a summary of the DVD in our database .
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