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.
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