Darfur: Deserto de Sangue

I would have never expected Uwe Boll to pull this off. This is an important movie that uses similar methods like Stoic to transport a dark subject into the viewers minds. I always considered Bolls takes on serious matters as a cash off (like the despicable PETA reference in Seed) but with Darfur I think the motivation came from the heart. I am all for showing things like they are and not sugarcoating reality... you really have to hit people with a sledgehammer to make them look at issues they'd rather not look at. Hats off to Uwe Boll for Darfur and the massively underrated Stoic. There is still too many haters around (and believe me I used to be one too) but with so many good movies lately (um... except the ridiculous Final Storm of course) I hope people start accepting Bolls output for what it is and not put a tag on it. This is a well done movie, so don't bitch about the shaky cam style... its in there for a reason and along with the improvised style adds to the realism of it. Both movies Darfur and Stoic managed taking extreme subjects and making people take decisions in these situations in a way that anyone can relate to, no matter how distant these situations are to his real life... and I think this is quite an achievement.

I'm 18 years old. And I'm the type of person who doesn't get emotional during a sad movie/tv/video game scene. I mean I did cry during Bambi and the lion king, but it was a short amount of time before I composed myself. This movie though. This movie was a challenge to compose myself while watching.

This movie is emotionally powerful. From the story, to the many scenes where I couldn't compose myself, and the fact that this is a story set around an actual genocide made me overwhelmed with emotion.

The only reason why I rated this an 8/10 is that while the film was good, it's very disturbing, given the subject matter. As well as the enemy soldiers kinda acting generic and a bit like stormtroopers.

With depressing regularity, the behavior of humans on this planet devolves into something so far removed from those qualities which are supposed to set us apart from the other species that it truly boggles the mind. This movie is an attempt to portray one of those instances of inexplicable behavior, the Darfur Genocide, and it does an excellent job of it.

The cover art on the Video release is deceiving, you will not see Billy Zane as an action hero, ala Bruce Willis in Tears of the Sun or Leonardo DiCaprio in Blood Diamond - there is more than enough "action" in the second half, however.

This is also not The Killing Fields or Hotel Rwanda; it is somewhat more creative and poignant than those classics because it relies on unscripted dialogue, many actual survivors as actors and because this occurrence in the Sudan is still underway at the present time, unlike the Cambodian and Rwandan instances which were brought to the screen 10 years afterwords.

What you have here instead is a somewhat raw microcosm of genocide and the confusion of the world to deal with it; brought to you in a manner which is both immersive and which raises many legitimate questions. You could close your eyes for some parts or leave it out of your DVD player altogether - but you'll be somewhat less of a human for having done so.

This is my first Uwe Boll film. I have only ever heard of his movies, which mostly flop and are derided by critics and audiences. Recently, I heard about this movie, and I saw familiar faces in the cast. I wondered if this might be the film that convinces audiences that Boll has ability to make a good movie. I watched the trailer and researched production information behind the project, and all of it seemed to point towards a great film in the making. Boll appeared a calm, reflecting instructor in front of the camera. He spoke about the issues of Darfur and expressed hope that the UN and NATO would finally get involved somehow. All this added to my eagerness to see the movie for myself.

I finally got the chance today. One night in my city, special screening in the cinema, with the assistance of STAND Canada. All the profits this movie makes on this tour will help fund STAND Canada and its attempts to raise awareness of Darfur's genocide.

Let me just say, the film is shocking. The film is ghastly in its realism, and many a time came where my hand flew up in horror and I struggled to continue watching the film. Boll does not tone down anything for the audiences, and gives us a vicious film that is simple in showing us what happens in Sudan.

In the midst of this are six Western journalists, being led by a small group of military units from UA. They take the journalists to a small village where they see for themselves what is happening here in this region of the world. Darfuri speak to them in hushed voices, restraining tears or speaking with quiet resentment towards these people who promise to show the world what is happening.

Much of the dialogue was improvised, and most of the people playing the villagers are themselves survivors of Darfur. The knowledge of this lends an eerie sense of realism to the film, and it is fascinating to see how the American and British actors prepared and developed their characters in the film.

Most prominent are Malin (Kristanna Loken) and Freddie (David O'Hara). Malin is moved by the plight of the people as she asks them questions with terrible answers. Freddie observes the village and the attitude with some hint of disgust at this endless cycle of violence, where both blacks and Arabs are guilty of killing each other. As a journalist, he is relentless, bombarding the captain who is supervising them with questions on why nothing is being done, though he is himself reluctant to put himself on the line for the people. This leads to a revelation in his character that leads to perhaps the strongest performance of the journalists. O'Hara's gravelly voice and his grim face dominate the scene where he is present, and his character develops well as he is exposed to this world.

Also present are Billy Zane, Matt Frewer, Edward Furlong, and Noah Danby. They all give their characters specific quirks and opinions on the topic of Darfur. Zane is emotionally moved by the answers he gets from the villagers. Furlong's character remains aloof and tries to escape the horror of it all emotionally. Danby stares at all around him with a determination to tell this story to the world, while Frewer's character is most concerned with the safety of his camera and taking pictures for his daughter.

What happens next is evident in the synopsis; a group of Janjaweed arrive with an intent to massacre the village. The journalists must decide whether they stay and attempt to protect the villagers with their status as foreigners, or flee to tell the world of what is going on. In two of the strongest performances in the movie, we are given the Captain (Hakeem Kae-Kazim) who is ultimately responsible for the safety of the journalists, and the leader of the Janjaweed band (Sammy Sheik) who has no need for subtlety when dealing with those who oppose him.

The film is brutal, violent, and graphic. The issues it tries to show are real and the film is very effective in giving us this scene of terror and carnage. It is certainly not for all to see; do not come in expecting to feel fine walking out.

Uwe Boll gives us a mighty film about the issue of Darfur, and relating to his previous filmography, I don't care if he made ten times as many flops as he has. All that is forgotten while watching this film, at least for me.

If a movie can raise awareness of any issue that should concern us, that is to be applauded. No matter who made the film and if you didn't like what he did previously (especially concerning the game to movie franchise overall). Familiar faces/actors who surely were driven to do this not just because of the money, but because they wanted to help in showing people what went on in Darfur.

The beginning makes you wonder though, because it could've been done as a documentary as well. You have survivors and real people being interviewed by our actors pretending to be journalists. But that question goes away once it goes into action territory, where it gets a bit fantastical. You may criticize that part, but that is what excuses this not being a documentary. So in trying to make people listen we go back to the action movie blueprint. I don't think it defies the purpose and all is shot well. You may argue about a couple of writing, editing and character decisions, but you could also say that it's nitpicking ... One of the better Boll movies, though still not the masterpiece he would like you to believe this is