The Film
If there was any lesson learned from the Holocaust (although I'm not entirely sure that all of its lessons were truly internalized), it was that mankind can no longer remain silent in the presence of genocide. The world was deadly silent during the Holocaust and not a finger was lifted to combat the genocides in Armenia, Cambodia, Liberia, Tibet, Syria, China, and many others.
The world showed a perplexing amount of interest in Bosnia, yet could have cared less when 800,000 people were slaughtered in Rwanda under the watchful eye of the United Nations. The massacre of Rwanda's Tutsi population was intentionally swept under the rug by France, the U.N., and the United States and it was only because of media pressure did the world act -- even though it was far too late. Hotel Rwanda (in a manner similar to Schindler's List) does not attempt to explain the Rwandan genocide, but instead how one man, Paul Rusesabagina, decided to save as many people as he could.
Don Cheadle has proven on more than one occasion that he's a very fine actor (Boogie Nights, Devil in a Blue Dress, Picket Fences), but a different side of him emerged in Hotel Rwanda. He became Paul Rusesabagina on many levels, and the film ultimately succeeds because Cheadle figures out how not to preach; his character simply reacts to the utter horror that surrounds him and his family and does something quite unnatural -- he gets involved even though he knows he's likely to pay the ultimate price. We would all like to think that there is a "Rusesabagina" or "Schindler" inside of us; as I walked through Schindler's former factory in Krakow in 1995, I wondered to myself "if only there had been 10,000 more Oskar Schindlers."
Rusesabagina's actions saved over 1,200 people (who he hid inside the hotel he managed) and it is a startling tale to watch unfold, but as I watched the film, it kept gnawing at me that something was amiss. The film is certainly powerful, but the story seems like it was toned down to not rattle the powers that be. I hate to use the term "whitewash", but director Terry George could have been even more explicit with the violence and I don't think it would have diluted the story one bit. Spielberg got away with it (although he also didn't go as far as he could -- based on my conversations with my grandparents who survived Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen) and George could have as well. An excellent film that could have been even more powerful and illuminating -- although watching the events in Libya, Syria, Afghanistan, and Darfur, it's obvious that mankind hasn't learned a damn thing.
The Picture
The Sound
For a film that is dialogue-heavy, I was quite surprised by the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix; it offers an intense use of the surround and LFE channels. Dialogue is strong and evenly balanced, and the entire mix is quite immersive. The surround channels are frequently called upon; gunfire, screaming crowds, and a lot of ambient effects. My subwoofer (which has been quiet of late with some of the MGM releases) erupted during some sequences and scared the hell out of my guests. The score which includes tracks from Wyclef Jean and the Afro Celt Music System is first-rate stuff and beautifully recorded. A very impressive surround experience to say the least.
The Extras
MGM has done a good job with the bonus material, but there really isn't anything on the Blu-ray that wasn't offered on the DVD release from 2005. The commentaries feature a mixture of guests; Don Cheadle, Wyclef Jean (who composed some of the music for the score), director Terry George, and the real-life Paul Rusesabagina. Rusesabagina is the most interesting as he's the only one who can really provide any first-hand knowledge of the events in Rwanda. He's an amazing man with a great story to tell.
The feaurette about the making of the film isn't a studio fluff piece, but a rather terrifying telling of the genocide from the real Paul Rusesabagina. The second featurette about his return to Rwanda is brief, but still quite fascinating as he has the chance to interact with some of the Hotel des Milles Collines employees.
Final Thoughts
Hotel Rwanda may not pack the same punch as The Killing Fields, but this tale of heroism in the face of untold barbarity and genocide was one of the best films of 2004 and was unfortunately lost in the shuffle of Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby and Scorsese's The Aviator. There is no excuse now to avoid this film because the Blu-ray transfer is exceptional on all levels and well worthy of a place in your film collection. And the price is right to boot. Highly recommended.
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