The One where the World Looked the Other Way

Hotel Rwanda
Rating: 10/10
Oscar Chances: Don Cheadle, Actor; Sophie Okonedo, Supporting Actress; Terry George, Director; “Million Voices” (Wyclef Jean), Original Song; Best Picture

The year was 1994. Try remembering what you were doing that year. I was still in grade school then, probably worrying about the science or math quiz that I didn’t study for (come to think of it, I never really gave a *bleep* about my grades anyway). Checking on the significant events of that year, I see that it was the year O.J Simpson lost his mind, Ayrton Senna lost his life, and Kurt Cobain lost both (Sorry y’all Cobain fans, I apologize already even before I receive hate messages). However, none of them compares to the loss of thousands of lives in Rwanda that year. If you asked me 11 years ago what I knew about Rwanda, I would’ve shrugged my shoulders. The sad thing is this: apparently, the whole world also did, and looked the other way.

Based on a true story, Hotel Rwanda is an account of how hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina (Don Cheadle) sheltered hundreds of refugees from ethnic cleansing. For years, the two major ethnic groups of Rwanda – the Hutus and the Tutsis – have been at odds with each other. Just as the two groups were about to sign a peace accord to end decades of animosity, the plane of the Rwandan president (a Hutu) is gunned down, sending the country into a state of anarchy. Military and militia groups began rounding up and killing as many Tutsis they could find, as well as Hutus sympathetic to the Tutsis. (Click this link for more information on the Rwandan Genocide)

The brilliance of director Terry George’s work is that he doesn’t concentrate on the gruesome aspect of the situation. He doesn’t try to do a Michael Moore-esque impression of the horrors of war, nor does he make the film a political statement on who-is-to-blame-for-what. There are no fancy camera tricks here, no special effects, no horrid and violent pictures of people killed with bolos and machetes. Instead, he centers his film on Cheadle’s character, and how he reacts to the atrociousness that is unraveling around him. The film is hinged on its subject matter, and delivers its message strongly and convincingly. George masterfully builds up the pace of the story just as you’d expect in real life situations. At first, the tone of the film is more subdued and indifferent to the escalating tension that surrounds the hotel. He gradually changes the pace, giving the viewers a real sense of panic as violence slowly approaches the hotel and its occupants. I kid you not; it’s story-telling at its finest.

George also uses a faceless voice as the film’s antagonist – the Hutu radio station announcer who incites the militia to seek Tutsi blood. With words of hatred and calls for bloodshed, the voice can be compared to the evil whisper that we hear in our heads. As the hate-mongering voice bombards the airwaves with messages like “Kill the cockroaches,” we are reminded by the ugliness that humans are capable of.

Don Cheadle gives the performance of a lifetime as hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina, the unwitting hero. He worries for his family’s welfare first and foremost; his heroism is not really borne out of bravery or a sense of righteousness. But as the war is brought closer and closer to his hotel, we see Paul coming to terms with his role as the protector and father figure not only of his immediate family, but also of 1200 people. Cheadle delivers a passionate and powerful performance as Paul. Consistent with the film’s style, there are no big speeches or fist-wagging calls for courage ala-Braveheart here, but Cheadle manages to convey the sentiments of hopelessness and valor in a compelling fashion. His portrayal is not as high-profile as Jamie Foxx in Ray, but I truly believe he deserves the Oscar more than anybody else.

The underlying love story between Paul and his wife Tatiana is held together by Sophie Okonedo, making her an underdog for a supporting role award this year. Nick Nolte and Joaquin Phoenix play lesser roles as a UN Colonel and American journalist, respectively. Given minimal screen time, Phoenix makes do with what he has, and by the time he delivers the film’s most important message, he does so in a way that hits you in the gut.

"I think if people see this footage they'll say, ‘Oh my God, that's horrible,’ and go on eating their dinners."

Hotel Rwanda is inspiring and disturbing at the same time. It has drawn comparisons to Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List, and it’s a pity the film is not getting the same buzz as Spielberg’s work. Be that as it may, Hotel Rwanda is a must-see, and may well be the most important film of the year.

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This was originally posted in PinoyExchange, at the Hotel Rwanda thread. My bet is it will be snubbed at the Oscars. Natural, hindi bida ang mga Kano eh. :p

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Yey! San Miguel won against Sta. Lucia, 98-84. I wasn't able to watch it (darned work), but from the final score alone, looks like that was some ass-whoopin' that they did. San Miguel's form has been disappointing as of late (and that's an understatement). Now that the PBA is in its important stages, I hope they can get their acts together. Ang tagal-tagal kong hinintay makumpleto yung team, 9-9 lang record nila?! #*&@#)@!#^$@^!!!

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Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt announced that they were splitting after four years or so of marriage. Normally, I wouldn't care about Hollywood news like this because everybody hooks up and splits after 1 minute anyways (think Melrose Place multiplied a million times), so why bother? Worth noting lang ito, kasi Friends cast member ang involved. :p

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In other Hollywood news, the opening sequence of the first Star Wars movie has just been named as having the best special effects in cinema history. I have no problems with the other choices (some of 'em I have yet to see), but Spiderman 2's train fight at number 10?! WTF?! There wasn't anything special about it. In fact, I believe both Spiderman films are MASSIVELY overhyped. Sure, they're both good films, but I'm just not drawn into the whole Spidey hoopla. I'm more of a Superman kind of guy. :p