Powerful, but wanting.
I became interested in the Rwanda genocide after viewing PBS's broadcast "Ghosts of Rwanda" (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/ghosts/) and reading Lt. Gen. Roméo Dallaire's book "Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda". Both (particularly Dallaire's work) effected me so deeply that I was pleased when first "Sometimes in April" and later "Hotel Rwanda" came to the screen, so that the Rwanda tragedy would achieve greater attention. But I am still waiting for a definitive screen presentation of the genocide, one that shows its full evil, one that allows no one responsible to escape, one that underlines heroism in a season in hell, and one that scars the viewer so greatly the the phrase "never again" has true meaning.
"Sometimes in April" is laudable in that the genocide is depicted in individual human terms. It allows us to know both victims and predators. But it fails in explaining how very human characters became murderers. And it glides over the complicity of the French, the failure of the UN to support its mission, and the failure of the West (not just the US) to intervene.
I recommend this movie as a starting point. I found it far more poignant than "Hotel Rwanda". But I am still waiting for movie justice to be done to this tragedy.
"Sometimes in April" is laudable in that the genocide is depicted in individual human terms. It allows us to know both victims and predators. But it fails in explaining how very human characters became murderers. And it glides over the complicity of the French, the failure of the UN to support its mission, and the failure of the West (not just the US) to intervene.
I recommend this movie as a starting point. I found it far more poignant than "Hotel Rwanda". But I am still waiting for movie justice to be done to this tragedy.
- Selkirk
- Mar 18, 2005