“I think if people see this footage they’ll say, “Oh my God that’s horrible,” and then go on eating their dinners.”

by Brenda Waldrop, Media Editor

Sadly, as chronicled in the epic film Hotel Rwanda, that’s precisely what most of the world did.  In April of 1994 they sat back, eating their dinners and living their lives, while they watched as a genocide claiming the lives of over 800,000 Rwandans raged in a country that most people had barely heard of.  Based on the true story of Paul Rusesabagina, expertly portrayed by Don Cheadle, who saved over 1,200 Tutsi’s during the 100 day genocide in 1994.

The original film was released in 2004, a decade after the initial events, and has now been re-released on Blu-ray.  There are a lot of older films I own on DVD that in my opinion don’t warrant the upgrade to Blu-ray, the improvement is simply not that dramatic.  Hotel Rwanda is an exception.  An already amazing film, Hotel Rwanda appears stunningly more realistic in Blu-ray, heightening the already visceral response to the film’s subject matter.

Don Cheadle gives an amazing performance that earned him a Best Actor nomination.  His calm portrayal of a man doing everything he can in the face of hopelessness, portrayed in an understated manner that brought the grim reality of the situation into sharp focus, elevated Cheadle to new heights in both acclaim and potential.  Nick Nolte and Joaquin Phoenix round out the cast of known actors, but the true soul of this film belongs to the many relatively unknown actors who’s passion and despair is palpable regardless of how briefly they are on screen.

Add to that special features like commentary from director Terry George and the real life Paul Rusesabagina, select scene commentary by Don Cheadle, and the special feature Return to Rwanda featuring Paul Rusesabagina and his wife Tatiana as they return to some of the main sites in Rwanda.

If you haven’t had a chance to see Hotel Rwanda yet, now is the time, and even if you’ve seen it before, this is one Blu-ray that is definitely worth the upgrade.

ComicsOnline gives Hotel Rwanda 4 out of 5 UN Peacekeepers. 

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