Aaron Huddleston
Guest Columnist
September 9, 2005
He was a Hutu. She was a Tutsi. His name was Paul and he didn’t ask to be the salvation of a race of people. Her name was Tatiana and she only asked that she and her neighbors be allowed to live. They were husband and wife. When Tutsi rebels assassinated the Hutu president during peace negotiations in the country of Rwanda, Africa, a war broke out between the two racial groups. Militant Hutus took over and initiated a plan to kill off all living Tutsis. Where Tutsi rebels had previously been fighting for control of the nation of Rwanda, all Tutsis were now forced to fight for their lives and the lives of their children.
This is the setting for the touching and heart-wrenching story of the Oscar nominated film “Hotel Rwanda.” Based on the true story of a man who risked everything for his neighbors, his wife and his children, “Hotel Rwanda” at least deserved its nomination for best picture, and I’m not sure it didn’t deserve to win.
I attended the screening of this movie in Derthick Lecture hall on Tuesday, and I went in with only half-hearted enthusiasm. While I had heard from fairly reliable sources that the movie was as outstanding as its reputation, I still had my doubts. I feared that it would be little more than a venue for anti-American propaganda, or that it would simply be yet another of Hollywood’s cheap excuses for gratuitous violence and the purchase of unreasonable amounts of fake blood.
This proved not to be the case, however. I watched in stunned silence, hanging on every minute of a genuine tale of a real man’s struggle to do great things in oppressive surroundings. The scripting of the movie was amazing. It was completely focused on the story it had to tell and completely unconcerned with making political statements. The dialogue was not only believable but also dramatic and at times, heart-wrenching. Each line contributed to both character and plot development. There were no unnecessary, out-of-place or out-of-character lines.
The acting was superb. I only regret that this movie was released in the same year as “Ray.” While Jamie Foxx definitely deserved his Oscar, I wish there was an award to give Don Cheadle for his amazing portrayal of Paul Rusesabagina, the hero of this tale. Sophie Okonedo also deserved an award for her amazing performance as Tatiana Rusesabagina. I felt as though Okonedo had reached through the screen, grabbed my heart and pulled it right out of my chest at times. The entire supporting cast was amazing as well.
The director of this film, Terry George, took advantage of the cinematographic effect of almost every shot. He used the cinematography to set a tone that carried throughout the entire movie - one of fear, sadness, helplessness and chaos. There were a great many beautiful, though not always pleasant, images on the film.
Overall, “Hotel Rwanda” gets 5 out of 5 stars. An amazing film with amazing acting, “Hotel Rwanda” avoids the pitfall of political activism, and simply tells an amazing and important historical story.
Please see this movie. We all need to be reminded of what one, seemingly unimportant, person can do. To Mr. George I say: Congratulations on an amazing film!