Hotel Rwanda
(2004)
Dir: Terry George
Until watching this movie, I knew very little about the mass genocide that occurred in Rwanda in 1994. I equated the word Rwanda with the word genocide in the vaguest of ways, as the specifics about what really happened were a mystery to me. This may have been because the atrocity was largely overlooked by our government and media—or more likely because I was drinking lots of forties. I generally feel a bit corny getting my history lessons from movies—documentaries notwithstanding—but Hotel Rwanda is exceptional.
Here an internet cherry picker’s summary of the Rwandan genocide:
On April 6, 1994, the radical members of the Hutu population in Rwanda—who were larger in number—tried to kill all of the Tutsi—who had political dominance. The movement was spurred on by the shooting down of a plane carrying Rwanda’s president by Hutu extremists. The Hutu militia carried out their attempted genocide using machetes (?!!?!)—they literally hacked men, women and children to death. Local, privately-run, Radio Tele Libre Mille Collines spewed vitriolic anti-Tutsi propaganda, helping fuel the bloodshed. The Tutsi-led Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) launched a military campaign to regain power—a goal they achieved in July, but by then between 800,000 and 1,000,000 Tutsi and moderate Hutu had been murdered.
The major world powers were well aware that this was going on, but they did jackshit to help, ostensibly because none of their interests were directly threatened and because white people weren’t the ones being massacred. The UN condemned the killing but was careful not to use the word genocide, and did not intervene until July of 1994.
Hotel Rwanda is based on the true story of a hotel manager named, Paul Rusesabagina who harbored over a thousand refuges during the struggle. The film is haunting, nuanced and beautifully acted by all involved. Though a dramatization, it also does a good job of flushing out the timeline with historic pinpoints.
As depressing as it is that America and Americans by-and-large ignored the atrocity, how’s this for demented, bloodsucking trickle-down: imdb.com reports that director Terry George had Don Cheadle in mind for the lead part from the beginning, but during pre-production, potential investors and interested studios were pushing for Denzel Washington, Wesley Snipes, Mekhi Phifer and even Will Smith because these stars presented a larger potential for box-office draw.
Will Smith.
WTF?
George ultimately produced the film independently and came up with the money himself, so he was able to stick with Cheadle. Good goddamned thing. Somehow I doubt that the Fresh Prince, fresh as he may be, could bring even a hair of the restraint that Cheadle breathes the delicate role—picture the militia crowding in on the refugees and Smith puffing his chest up, cocking his head to the side and giving a signature, “awww, hell no.”
But fret not Hollywood buckfuckers, you can probably get Mr. Affability signed on for the dramatization of the Sudanese crisis. Just be patient, it’s doubtful that world powers will intervene. Once the problem takes care of itself, you only need wait for the topic to cool a bit. After a few years enough speeches will have been made to deflect responsibility while simultaneously bemoaning the brutality. Once that phase passes, that apple will be ripe for the picking. Fuck it, I smell sequel. Get Bruckheimer on the phone.
