Shocking, haunting, and real

Rating: 10/10 (17 January 2005)

I am sure that my general reaction is like most reviewers -- a remarkable film about a horrific episode in human history brought to life in a most intense and rewarding experience -- but I thought I'd approach it a little differently. We saw Hotel Rwanda in the theater on Saturday night and rented Gandhi on Sunday night, so for better or worse, the film drew comparisons with a multi-Oscar "best picture," "best actor" extravaganza. And it fared well...
The plot and character similarities are striking. Both movies center around non-western men of color who have absorbed Western values (or at least the values the West pays lip service to) and ways of life, only to find them entirely lacking when they are most needed. Both men use their Western training to their advantage on their own to accomplish the seemingly impossible. And both men leave behind extraordinary accomplishments, but not unqualified successes -- the problems of the world are bigger than any individuals, even ones with greatness such as these.
The backdrops are also similar, though the emphasis is different. Hotel Rwanda focusing on the utter lunacy of internecine conflict, with the cold arrogance of the West as a secondary theme. Gandhi reverses these -- the struggles against Western imperialism is center stage, with Hindu-Muslim hatred (substitute Hutu-Tutsi, Serb-Bosnian, Israeli-Palestinian, Catholic-Protestant in northern Ireland, etc, etc, etc) surfacing only when the oppression of the British is lifted.
Somewhat surprisingly, I liked Hotel Rwanda more. Perhaps it is because Paul, Don Cheadle's character, is less God-like and thus more approachable than Ben Kingsley's Gandhi. It could be the difference in history; it could be the screenplays, or it could be that Don Cheadle was so incredibly evocative on the screen. I suffered with him, I commiserated with him, I plotted with him (tho he was ever so much more facile than I), and ultimately I was overwhelmed by his strength and courage because he was not God-like. Paul could have been you or me, but I doubt I could or would have done anything like what he did. And that is what makes this story and this movie's telling of the story all the more special.
Finally, there are moral questions galore lurking beneath the surface (another distinction between Hotel Rwanda and Gandhi, where we were always told "this is what is right"). For instance, Paul gave up several opportunities to do great things for smaller groups of people. Had things turned out differently, his choices would have looked very bad indeed. So, taking away hindsight, were his choices right or wrong? How much does one risk for one's family in order to try to benefit an even greater good? Go see it. Appreciate it. It's special.