During last Monday’s film, we discussed Violence when we were talking about Hiroshima mon Amour. The point was brought up that violence often evokes a purely emotional response before bringing about logical thought. I agree with this statement. We also discussed how bringing a massive tragedy into the perspective of a few people can have an interesting effect on the viewer.
As we were talking about this, I thought of the film Hotel Rwanda. I believe it is a great example of both of these topics. Hotel Rwanda drew attention to an event that wasn’t extremely well known and didn’t gain a lot of it previously. It does this by establishing a connection with individuals, mainly Don Cheadle’s character and his family. It continues by showing the horrible events of the Rwandan genocide. It shows scenes of mass violence, and how it effects this family. I think one of the most emotionally grabbing scenes was the one in which they are driving in the van and hit some bumps on a foggy day. They step out of the van and there are bodies everywhere.
I believe much of the film’s success comes in the story telling from the point of view of the hotel owner, who took in the oppressed people and protected them in his hotel. It helps the viewer relate to how such a huge tragedy could effect themselves, which I believe really puts it into perspective. If you haven’t seen Hotel Rwanda, I would highly recommend it.
RSD
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