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.
No comments:
Post a Comment