A great performance from the leading actor in this moving historical drama!

Rating: 10/10 (16 March 2010)

The 1994 Rwandan Genocide happened during my lifetime, but I was just under eight years old, and was totally unaware of the atrocities that were taking place. In fact, I knew absolutely nothing about it until ten years later, when I was taught about the genocide in high school. That was shortly before the release of this film, "Hotel Rwanda". So, I knew about the mass murder by the time this 2004 historical drama came to theatres, and knew that this was a film about it. I was probably well aware of this movie's existence from around the time of its theatrical release, and I remember being interested in seeing it years ago, but that never happened. I never saw the film before renting it last week, but now that I have seen it, I think I can understand why it was so well received.
Based on a true story, conflict between the Hutu and Tutsi peoples in the African country of Rwanda is on the rise in 1994! The Tutsi people are often referred to as "cockroaches" by Hutu extremists and anti-Tutsi propaganda is constantly heard on the radio. Paul Rusesabagina runs a hotel called Sabena HÃ´tel des Mille Collines in this country. He is Hutu, but his wife, Tatiana, is Tutsi. As the danger in this African country increases, Paul and his family witness the appalling assault of a neighbour! Paul has to use his bribing skills to protect his family from the anti-Tutsi powers that be, and it isn't long before the hotel manager begins to provide shelter for Tutsi refugees at his hotel. After he takes his family and neighbours there, many more refugees come from different places for shelter and protection at this hotel! Paul must do everything he can to prevent the murders of as many Tutsis as possible, which gets increasingly difficult.
At the beginning of the film, we hear an anti-Tutsi propaganda radio broadcast. With this, the film is already compelling, and it continues this way. This drama as a whole is a very powerful one, with a lot to hold the attention of the viewer with. There's a lot of tension in the film, and it's hard not to admire the protagonist for his courage. Since this is a movie about genocide, it's not surprising that there are heart-wrenching scenes here, such as Paul and Tatiana's son, Roger found injured outside the house (it doesn't take long for this scene to come), and a Red Cross worker named Pat Archer talking about the killing of a Tutsi orphan! There are scenes which viewers could easily not expect and find pretty shocking! In addition to all this, an excellent script was written for "Hotel Rwanda", and the dialogue and acting in the film are generally impressive. For a film like this, it goes at a decent pace, not too fast and not too slow. The lead role is played by Don Cheadle, and I wasn't familiar with this actor at all before seeing him in this drama, but many people think his performance here is excellent, and I agree. It's one of the many memorable aspects of this powerful movie!
Since this successful 2004 drama is based on a true story, one might wonder how accurate it is. As with any other historical film, I can't be the one to tell you exactly how historically accurate or inaccurate it is. I know that UN Peacekeeping forces leader Colonel Oliver is a fictional character, though he is loosely based on Romeo Dallaire, a former Canadian Lieutenant General who is well known for his contributions to stopping the Rwanda genocide. I'm also sure that it was more complicated than "Hotel Rwanda" shows, and obviously not all the events of the genocide are shown in this film. On the other hand, it seems some people have praised the film for its historical accuracies. Well, even though it obviously can't teach you EVERYTHING about the genocide and the conflict between the Hutu and Tutsi peoples that led to it, it's still a very well made film, and it can really make viewers think about the cruelty and danger in the world! It's obviously not the most pleasant movie to watch, but if you're looking for a gripping emotional drama based on a true story, I recommend it!