Ghosts of Rwanda

After countless interviews with government officials, diplomats, soldiers, and survivors of the genocide, Ghosts of Rwanda uncovers, first-hand accounts of the genocide from those who lived it, the diplomats who served during the genocide; the Tutsi survivors who recount the despicable murders of their friends and family, unfortunately slaughtered by Hutu friends and co-workers; and the U.N. peacekeepers in Rwanda who were ordered not to intervene in the massacre happening all around them. The documentary relives the Genocide by visiting the locations where thousands were killed. In numerous occasions there were remains from the dead bodies, clothes and bones from ten years earlier still there. The documentary showed actual footage of Tutsi’s being slaughtered and really depicts the horrific murders.

                Ghosts of Rwanda was a fantastic documentary; it was extremely informative and illustrated the genocide in a whole new light. It didn’t show the good in Rwanda, rather focussed on real life accounts of survivors who saw their family and friends murdered right in front of their eyes. Many of the real life accounts were hard to swallow because it showed the reality of the genocide and how hard it must have been to see your family killed and being powerless while they died. This documentary was fabulous because it showed real people and their stories. I connected to each one and felt their pain. One story in particular was when a little girl had to hide under hundreds of bodies so she wouldn’t be slaughtered by the interhamwe. The church was supposed to be safe, but one day the interhamwe discovered their location and there was nothing they could do to prevent their death. Ghost of Rwanda was an amazing documentary that portrayed the genocide in a whole new light; it showed me what really happened during these 100 days. I would recommend this documentary to an older audience because of its gruesomeness, that’s interested in learning more about the genocide. I would rate it 4/5 stars, it really taught me a lot about the struggles the Tutsi’s must have faced on a daily basis.  

Shake Hands with the Devil Review

Shake Hands With the Devil is a film about the charismatic Romeo Dallaire, a Lieutenant General in the Canadian Army and his struggle to “keep” peace in a hostile Rwanda. A just month after Dallaire arrives, the Rwandan’s President’s plane is shot down and he is unfortunately killed. Soon following all hell breaks loose when the well-planned genocide begins. Dallaire must stay composed and attempt to save as many lives as he can.

            This film did an amazing job portraying the genocide. It covered all aspects from who was involved to what caused the genocide. This fantastic depiction taught me a lot about the actual genocide, but also of Dallaire who was so poorly portrayed in Hotel Rwanda. The audience views a determined and humble man who must struggle with his own government to prevent the extermination of the Tutsi’s. This depiction of the film shows how much Dallaire actually did to save as many lives as he could. When he was ordered out he stayed, when his UN building was bombed he stayed, when his life was threatened he stayed. He risked his own life to prevent an extermination.

            The setting added a lot to the overall realism of the film. All the locations used in the film were the actual locations where people were killed in the genocide. Not only was this a fantastic addition to the movie, but it also showed the audience areas where thousands were slaughtered, men, women, and children. The setting incorporated a realistic aspect that helped me understand the struggles the Tutsi’s felt. Although I will never feel this myself I can infer their feelings and their mindset, these locations help me do so. The setting also shows how beautiful Rwanda is and you think to your self, how could such harmful acts occur in such a wonderful country? The landscape is amazing and brings a different perspective to the film; it allows us to see the good in Rwanda, not just the killings.  

            As a whole, Shake Hands with the Devil was an informative film the showed us the good and bad in Rwanda. It also portrayed Dallaire as he actually was unlike in Hotel Rwanda. As well this film provided the audience with great scenery, but also showed us the struggles the derived during the Genocide. I would recommend this movie for anyone interested in the Rwanda Genocide and would rate the film 3/5 stars for its overall effectiveness and depiction of the Genocide.

Hotel Rwanda

                Hotel Rwanda is a passionate film about one mans struggle during the Rwandan Genocide. Paul Rusesabagina the hotel manager of the Milles Collines a prestigious hotel is faced with overwhelming pressure to save hundreds of Tutsi refugees. Throughout the film Paul risks his own life to save hundreds; these courageous actions provided shelter not only for Tutsi Refugees but white diplomats as well. The Milles Collines was a beacon of hope during these dark times; it raised the morale of the Tutsi’s and others struggling to survive. The UN played a small role in the safe keeping of these specific Tutsi Refugees due to there unreasonable terms of engagement. Paul plays a massive role in preventing the extermination of the Tutsi’s.

            The film portrays the UN extremely negatively throughout. They are seen as weak and powerless through the eyes of the Interhamwe. When an Interhamwe convoy drives past the Milles Collines entrance with guns blazing the UN can only sit and wait until they’re fired upon. Through the viewers eyes this is difficult to watch because we can all infer that the convoy is on there way to kill Tutsi’s. When the whites and the diplomats were evacuated I could see the terror and distress in the refugees eyes. The UN was only following orders and couldn’t transport any Rwandan refugees. This portrayed the UN in a powerless light. As well it lowered the hope and morale of the refugees because they believed they would be saved alongside the whites.

            Many film elements increased the effectiveness of the film. Acting played a huge role in the realistic aspect of the movie. Don Cheadle who played Paul Rusesabagina was incredible throughout. Don’s performance portrayed Paul as a heroic and smooth talking individual, he was able to connect with the audience and give a very convincing performance. In the film when Paul had to buy his family and friends to prevent their killing I felt Don made the scene genuine and emotional.  

            Overall “Hotel Rwanda” was a fantastic film. Though it only focussed on a small aspect of the Genocide, it provided a unique perspective on one man’s struggle to save hundreds of Tutsi refugees. A downside of the movie was that as viewers we were sheltered from the Genocide outside the Milles Collines, we didn’t see the horror and mass killing of the Tutsi’s. That being said I would still recommend the film to viewers who want to learn more about this specific story and I would rate the movie 3.5/5 stars.

Gojira Review

          Gojira was the original movie in the Godzilla franchise, where this fantastic series erupted. In 1954 after the United States performed nuclear testing off the coast of Japan a prehistoric creature named Gojira was awoken. It begins to wreak havoc on Japan and ultimately leads the Japanese government to silence this untamed beast. Serisawa, a Japanese scientist creates an Oxygen bomb that has the potential to kill Gojira. Although his creation has the potential to kill Gojira he wants to make sure that the Oxygen bomb is used only for this one instance. This is a wonderful premise for a film, especially for its time period. Japan had been hit 9 years earlier with two atomic bombs, so this is very relevant for all Japanese citizens at the time.

            Understandably this movie came with many downsides. It was released 57 years ago in an era with little to no special effects and corny acting. Unfortunately it was also in Japanese and not to mention black and white. I felt as though the acting pulled away from the message of the film because in every serious scene there was a form of acting that was either unbelievable or just plain crap. I can forgive the film for having lack lustre special effects, but the performances were terrible.

            I felt the film would have been more enjoyable without any voice acting. I would have personally been able to understand the premise of the film and the message it was trying to give. Not the entire film disappointed me though. I particularly enjoyed when Gojira went on his mad rampages and destroyed the city. That being said I also enjoyed the realism the film gave, I could really see the panic on their faces, the sheer terror that they felt. I felt that it was interesting when Serisawa gave his own life because he took Gojira’s life. That particular scene illustrated that he really was against the using of the Oxygen bomb but knew it had to be done.

            The physical appearance of the actors was believable for the time period and I felt as though the costumes added to the realism of the film. That is what the film had going for it, it was realistic and applied to the era. Though we cannot imagine a prehistoric creature wreaking havoc on Thornhill, it was believable because of the circumstances. The camera movement throughout the film also added to the panic and realism of the film. It illustrated what the Japanese must have been feeling the day the two bombs were dropped. It gave insight into the chaos that must have followed after Hiroshima and Nagasaki were hit.

            All in all I enjoyed the comical special effects and the corny acting. The film really brought insight into the time period and I would recommend it to all history buffs and anyone who enjoys good black and white film. I would rate Gojira 8/10 stars for its realism and the message it portrayed. May the Godzilla series continue for years to come.  

Children of Men Review

In the film Children of Men the audience is thrust into the movie right from the start. The film takes place in a dystopian Britain where all women have been unable to procreate for 18 years. Chaos instils and Britain is the last beacon of hope for humankind. The youngest human has just been killed by an overzealous fan which is soon followed by a horrific explosion which involved Theo the main charcter. This was an effective start to the film because it draws you in and sets a very solemn mood which would be held throughout. Theo is thrown back into a world he once knew when he is kidnapped by Julian, an old friend. Julian is the leader of the Fishers, a terrorist group who like every other terrorist organization is opposed to the government. Theo is asked by Julian to obtain documents that would allow an 18 year-old refugee to travel to the Human Project, a sanctuary premised around saving humankind. Theo soon finds out the Fishers are corrupt to the bone when they kill their own leader Julian, Theo makes a drastic but much needed decision to flee and take Kee to the Human Project himself. Later in the film Kee delivers the baby without any complications but soon after the newborn is taken by the Fishers and Theo must chase them down through a warzone. Following this chaotic portion of the movie Theo is wounded but successfully gets Kee to the human project. The film had a very lacklustre ending with Theo dying from a gunshot wound and the audience having to infer if Kee gets picked up by the ship Tomorrow.  

This film bares the what if question, what if we couldn’t procreate? What would happen to humankind? Because of that what if question I feel the film had a very interesting take on the future. I felt that it kept me interested because this could be very possible since unfortunately some women don’t have the ability to give birth. The main problem I had with this film was the fact it was tremendously predictable. I could especially see that Kee was pregnant because there was really nothing else the film could have done to keep the plot running. As well I didn’t like how the first women pregnant in 18 years was in laymen terms a prostitute who didn’t even know who the father was. It almost sends the message that the human race is worthless, that the new beginning for humankind will be of a baby with no father.

I found it interesting how animals would be attracted to Theo. I feel it sends a deeper message other than he probably smells of bacon. In my opinion it reminded me a little bit of Noah’s Ark because in order to start a new humankind Noah has to build a massive boat that will attract two of every animal. In this case all the animals levitated toward Theo who in this case was Noah’s Ark, but he had to get Kee the last hope for civilization to the boat Tomorrow. I liked that message and felt it added to the overall likability of the film.

Theo wasn’t the typical hero, he lacked the confidence of one and ended up dying. That being said I felt like I could relate to him more because he was an average guy who was trying with all his heart to do the right thing. Even though Julian and Jasper his best friends were killed he pushed on until the end. Not only did this film have a different take on a dystopian future but also had a more average hero. I would rate this movie 4 stars out of 5 because though I enjoyed the underlying messages and explosions I didn’t feel like the execution of the film was there. It was one of those movies you would rent and not see it in the theatres. That being said I would recommend it to all Science fiction lovers and anyone who enjoys a good dystopian film. All in all a very enjoyable and interesting film. 

V for Vendetta Review

V for Vendetta was tremendously intriguing right from the start. The movie began with a wonderful poem which set the mood for the rest of the film. Soon after, V the main character performed an act of terrorism by exploding a prominent building on November 5th. Not only did this scene build V’s character it also kept the audience interested. Throughout the film we see the treacherous actions of the government, but also those of V. In order to get elected and stay in power Sutler created a virus that killed 100,000 people, since he had the only cure, he began his dictatorship. For 10 years V planned a brilliant plan to dethrone Sutler and show the people that even Sutler can fall. The creation killed the creator.

                Another reason why this film intrigued me from the start was the fact Britain was no longer democratically run rather ruled by a Dictator, the High Chancellor. This especially was difficult to wrap my head around because I personally cannot view England any other way.     

Most of the movies released these days have a romance plot to attract more of a female audience and V for Vendetta did not disappoint on that front. In no way am I saying romance plots are bad, just poorly placed in a movie like V for Vendetta. My only objection with this film would have to be the romance between Evey and V because I felt like it pulled away from the message of the film. The message in my opinion being “People should not be afraid of their government, government should be afraid of their people”. There romance almost reminded me of Sammy and Ron’s from Jersey shore because throughout the movie Evey confessed her hate for V and she had all right to since he tortured her. But in the end right before V dies they both confess their love for each other even after all they had been through. This romance ultimately would cost V for Vendetta half a star.

The acting was superb throughout the film, the themes and messages were clearly displayed through all the characters. The high Chancellor especially fit the mould of a dictator, resembling Hitler with his speeches and demeanour. In various parts of the moving V killed in cold blood in order to display his resentment for the government and to avenge the death of Valarie. These scenes added to the overall movement of the film and really captured my interest. Throughout the film V cited dialogue from books and movies, which built up his own character, but also added to the overall theme of the movie. 

                Would I recommend this movie? In many cases I wouldn’t recommend this movie to people who primarily enjoy viewing comedies, but this movie has it all. It has a romance plot, historical facts, and corruption not to mention fighting . I would have an age restriction though, but ultimately recommend this movie to all people.

                If I had to rate this movie I would give it 4 out of 5 starts. I took a star off because I really felt like the romance plot took away from the message of the movie and I also felt like the movie should have gone more in-depth into Larkhill facility. In my opinion this would have justified V’s actions and he would have solely been seen as a hero not a villain.

                 

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