Movie Reviews
In 1994, Rwanda was boiling with anger. The two dominating tribes, the Hutus and the Tutsis, lived mostly peacefully together as the general public. But when politics got involved, Tutsi rebels assassinated the president who ironically had just signed a peace agreement. Hutu radicals decided it was time to rat out the Tutsis one by one.
In the film Don Cheadle plays Paul Rusesabagina, the manager of a four-star hotel in a nice part of Rwanda. He understands the value of order and organization, and makes sure that all of his staff is always working to accomplish their goals and to please the customers. The hotel is successful, even as tensions rise.
When the U.N. gets involved, and when the Hutus begin mass killings of the Tutsis, Paul is forced to accept the presence of both Hutu and Tutsi refugees. He, as a Hutu, is immune from persecution, but his wife and family is Tutsi, as are many of the refugees he ends up taking care of in his hotel. So now, he’s no different and prone to death just as much as his family.
“Hotel Rwanda” has the ability to tell its grim story, with each horrible event taking place one right after another, without it becoming episodic. Terry George’s script is valuable, standing tall as an art form and as a piece of history. His direction is passionate. He knows when and how to introduce a critical shot. Such is the case when we see the first sign of Tutsi dead. That single frame is haunting.
And Don Cheadle, who made a total of five movies in 2004, gives his best performance right here. This is a brutal story to tell and to hear, all revolving around the central character of Paul. He must remain good at all times, while being able to have the courage to do things he wouldn’t normally do. George quite effectively establishes that this film is taking place in desperate times, and so Paul’s actions are always plausible, are always justifiable.
I’m sure that by now, if you done any research on the film itself, you’ve seen it being paralleled to “Schindler’s List”. It is quite similar in story. One man is plunged into life-and-death odds, but decides to sacrifice his well-being for the lives of others. It’s said that at its height, the hotel that Paul managed was holding 100 staff members and over 800 refugees. In a film with this much conviction and this much truth, that is a fact worth knowing. ****