Review of Hotel Rwanda (2004) by David C — 09 Sep 2010

Incredible. Amazing. Tragic. Beautiful. Inspiring. Terrifying. Heart-breaking. This movie is everything. Visceral in every way. I was infuriated at how difficult it was for these people to get help. I was saddened through the genocide. I was happy because of how they stuck together. Seriously, just every emotion a person can have, I had while watching this movie.

It is a masterpiece. It is a raw portrait of the conflict in Rwanda in the 1990s, of the people who went through every day of it in fear. There is nothing wrong with this film. The only thing that I don?t like about it is the fact that everything in it is true and happened. I hate the cruelty of man, but I love the perseverance of the human spirit.

The score of this movie is brilliant. It tells you what?s coming. It forces you to be sad, or happy, whatever, when it?s the time. You can?t watch a sad scene in this film, hear the music, and not be saddened. It complements the movie perfectly. It?s a lot of orchestra, violins predominantly, and an African song sung by children. It?s chilling. It?s absolutely beautiful.

I cried several times during this film. Not just little tears rolling down my cheeks, no, I was crying out loud. It will tear you up. I have never struggled so much to get through a movie. When the case warned of disturbing images, I knew what was coming, you know, corpses strewn about, young and old. I didn?t think it was going to impact me as it did. I can?t believe this really happened. I can?t believe the world didn?t care.

The acting was excellent. There was only one person who I felt wasn?t fully embodying the part, but I let it go because the rest of the movie was devastating enough.

Put yourself in the place of these people. Don?t watch the movie passively. Imagine being there, sleeping on the floor of hallways surrounded by strangers, crying children and babies, permitted to eat only a fraction of what you ate before and unable to bathe regularly. Imagine not being able to close your eyes for fear that when you open them again there will be a gun in your face. Imagine not wanting to turn your back on your family because when you turn around they may not be there. Let this movie change you.

I own this movie and I am extremely proud to. It is one of the most incredible cinematic documentations of true life that I have ever witnessed. I definitely recommend it.

Don?t forget this movie after the credits start rolling. Don?t forget it after a day. Remember these people. Remember them when you hear of more tragedies, and help. Send money, send yourself. This should never happen again.