Hotel Rwanda

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Hotel Rwanda

Movie Poster
Directed by Terry George
Produced by Terry George
Written by Keir Pearson
Terry George
Starring Don Cheadle
Sophie Okonedo
Ahmed Panchbaya
Nick Nolte
Joaquin Phoenix
Jean Reno
Music by Afro Celt Sound System
Rupert Gregson-Williams
Andrea Guerra
Cinematography Robert Fraisse
Editing by Naomi Geraghty
Distributed by Lions Gate Entertainment
United Artists
Release date(s) September 11, 2004 (UK)
December 22, 2004 (US)
January 14, 2006 (JP)
Running time 121 min
Country  United Kingdom
 United States
 Italy
 South Africa
Language English
French
Budget US$17,500,000
Gross revenue $33,882,243

Hotel Rwanda is a 2004 historical drama film about the hotelier Paul Rusesabagina (played by Don Cheadle) during the Rwandan Genocide of 1994. The film, which has been called an African Schindler's List,[1] documents Rusesabagina's acts to save the lives of his family and more than a thousand other refugees, by granting them shelter in the besieged Hôtel des Mille Collines. Directed by Irish filmmaker Terry George, the film was co-produced by US, British, Italian, and South African companies, with filming done on location in Johannesburg, South Africa and Kigali, Rwanda.[2] As an independent film it had an initial limited release in theaters, but was nominated for multiple awards, including Academy Award nominations for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Original Screenplay. It continues to be one of the most-rented films on services such as Netflix, and is listed by the American Film Institute as one of the 100 most inspirational movies of all time.

Contents

[edit] Historical context

The film is set in 1994, during the Rwandan Genocide in which over 1,000,000 people, mainly Tutsi, were killed by extremist Hutu militias.[3] Paul Rusesabagina himself was consulted during the writing of the movie.

[edit] Plot

Tensions between the Hutu and Tutsi peoples lead to a war, in a country where corruption and bribes are routine. Paul Rusesabagina (Don Cheadle), the manager of Sabena Hôtel des Mille Collines, is Hutu but his wife, Tatiana (Sophie Okonedo), is Tutsi. His marriage is a source of friction with Hutu extremists, most prominently Georges Rutaganda, a friendly supplier to the hotel who also is the local leader of Interahamwe, a brutal anti-Tutsi militia.

As the political situation in the country deteriorates, Paul and his family observe neighbors being dragged from their homes and openly beaten in the streets. Paul curries favor with people of influence, bribing them with money and alcohol, seeking to maintain sufficient influence to keep his family safe. When civil war erupts and a Rwandan Army officer threatens Paul and his neighbors, Paul barely negotiates their safety, and brings everyone to the hotel. More refugees come to the hotel from the overburdened United Nations camp, the Red Cross, and orphanages. Paul must divert the Hutu soldiers, care for the refugees, be a source of strength to his family, and maintain the appearance of a functioning high-class hotel, as the situation becomes more and more violent, with mobs in the streets just outside the gates.

The UN Peacekeeping forces, led by Colonel Oliver (Nick Nolte), are unable to take assertive action against the Interahamwe since they are forbidden to intervene in the genocide. The foreign nationals are evacuated, but the Rwandans are left behind. When the UN forces attempt to evacuate a group of refugees, including Paul's family, they are ambushed and must turn back. In a last-ditch effort to save the refugees, Paul speaks to the Rwandan Army General, Augustin Bizimungu (Fana Mokoena) and when the bribes no longer work, he blackmails him with threats of being tried as a war criminal. The family and the hotel refugees finally leave the besieged hotel in a UN convoy, and they travel through retreating masses of refugees and militia to reach safety behind Tutsi rebel lines.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Release

The film opened in limited release. It has grossed $33 million to date, making it a success for an independent film. According to the December 3, 2006 edition of 60 Minutes, Hotel Rwanda was the fifth most-rented movie on Netflix at the time. It is currently the 14th most-rented movie on Netflix.[4]

[edit] Reception

The film has received a great deal of critical acclaim, with a 91% 'fresh' rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 177 reviews.[5] In the United States, the film was originally rated R, but is one of the few films that appealed the rating and won. It was re-rated PG-13 for violence, disturbing images and brief strong language. Hotel Rwanda was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Actor for Don Cheadle, Best Supporting Actress for Sophie Okonedo, and Best Original Screenplay for Keir Pearson and Terry George.

The film is also the subject of criticism from various groups, as it is seen that its successful box office return was not reflected in donations survival charities such as the Survivors Fund (SURF):

“For too long survivors have lived with broken promises, and the producers of Hotel Rwanda should learn from this lesson and fulfil their commitment to give back to the survivors profits made from the film. This is a sad and regretful case of people profiting from the tragedy of others.”

— Mary Kayitesi Blewitt, Director of SURF

The American Film Institute ranked Hotel Rwanda as #90 on its list of the 100 most inspirational movies of all time.[6] Film critic Richard Roeper said that it was one of the most inspirational films that he had ever seen and named the film the best of 2004.[7] Roger Ebert gave the film four-stars[8] and ranked Hotel Rwanda as the ninth best movie of 2004.[7] Ebert's website provides a summary of additional reviews of the film.[9]

[edit] Awards and nominations

Academy Awards
Category Performer Result
Best Actor Don Cheadle Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Sophie Okonedo Nominated
Best Original Screenplay Terry George & Keir Pearson Nominated
BAFTA Award
Category Performer Result
Best Original Screenplay Terry George & Keir Pearson Nominated
Black Reel Awards
Category Performer Result
Best Actor in a Drama Don Cheadle Winner
Best Actress in a Drama Sophie Okonedo Winner
Broadcast Film Critics Association
Category Performer Result
Best Actor in a Drama Don Cheadle Nominated
Best Picture N/A Nominated
Producers Guild of America
Category Performer Result
Stanley Kramer Award Winner

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Burr, Ty (January 7, 2005). "Hotel Rwanda Movie Review: Cheadle brings quiet power to 'Rwanda'". Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/movies/display?display=movie&id=7112. Retrieved on 2007-04-09. 
  2. ^ "IMDB: Hotel Rwanda Filming Locations". http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0395169/locations. 
  3. ^ "Rwanda: How the Genocide Happened". http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1288230.stm. Retrieved on 2008-04-07. 
  4. ^ "Netflix Top 100". http://www.netflix.com/Top100. Retrieved on 2008-04-07. 
  5. ^ "Review at Rotten Tomatoes". http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hotel_rwanda. Retrieved on 2008-10-07. 
  6. ^ "AFI's 100 years . . . 100 cheers". http://www.afi.com/tvevents/100years/cheers.aspx. Retrieved on 2007-04-09. 
  7. ^ a b "Ebert and Roeper's top ten movies of each year". http://www.innermind.com/misc/e_r_top.htm. Retrieved on 2007-04-09. 
  8. ^ "Roger Ebert reviews Hotel Rwanda. Dec. 22, 2004". http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041221/REVIEWS/41213001/1023. Retrieved on 2007-04-09. 
  9. ^ "Quotes from various reviews of Hotel Rwanda. Excerpted by Rogert Ebert". http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041010/CRITICALDEBATE/50124005. Retrieved on 2007-04-09. 

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_Rwanda"
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