Dreadful Tale, Wonderful Picture

Rating: 10/10 (8 January 2005)

At a moment when the world is rallying to the cause of the Tsunami victims (and especially the developed countries), it is sobering to be reminded, as this film does so effectively, that the ENTIRE world averted its eyes 10 years ago when 800,000 innocent people were slaughtered in Rwanda 10 years ago. The desperate, unsought heroism of Paul Rusesabagina (Don Cheadle) is the foreground tale in "Hotel Rwanda," and it is brilliantly and suspensefully told. But equally important is the background: abandonment of the Rwandan Tutsis by the Europeans, who sent troops to save only their own citizens, the United Nations whose soldiers (led in the film by Nick Nolte's anguished colonel) were forbidden to fire their weapons, and the United States whose euphemisms and evasions are recounted in the supposed radio interview of a State Department spokesperson. And, of course, the other African nations did in Rwanda what they are now doing in the Sudan -- nothing. This is possibly the most painful movie I've seen since "The Pawnbroker" of many decades past. It's hard to believe that this is the same Don Cheadle who played a homicidal maniac in "Devil in a Blue Dress." While most actors, even highly skilled actors, play versions of themselves in other films, Cheadle is an entirely different person here: dignified, highly intelligent, crafty, cool, emotional. It's a brilliant performance. One hopes that other major roles will be found for him. He deserves to be a household name. In addition to Nick Nolte, superb as the UN commander,credit must also be given to Sophie Okenedo as Rusesabagina's wife and to Fana Mokoena as Augustin Bizimungo, the corrupt head of the Rwandan Army who countenances the slaughter by the Hutu mob. Go see it -- and prepare to be miserable.