SF Movie Report 1: Hotel Rwanda

[Hotel Rwanda]

"When the world closed its eyes, he opened his arms."



Director: Terry George

Casts: Don Cheadle, Sophie Okonedo, Nick Nolte, Joaquin Phoenix

Release Date in Japan: not decided



Story:　In 1994, when Rwanda descended into madness, one man made a promise to protect his family and helped over 1200 people. Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager in Rwanda, he used his position secretly just to shelter over a thousand refugees during the genocide. While the rest of the world shut the door, Paul opened his heart to prove the human spirit to overcome all the reality.



Basically I don’t like to watch war or massacre movie just because after watching it, it usually doesn’t leave good feeling to me. However, this, Hotel Rwanda, is not just a movie about real documentary of the worst genocide in our history. It reminded me what a real guy has to be. Of course Don Cheadle’s efforts is worth to be a nominee for Academy because in this movie he turned himself into a hero with two different faces. Two scenes really struck me. First scene is about his love for his wife. Even he was suffered from the terrible disasters; he prepared beers and candles on the roof of hotel secretly to share a moment of happiness with his wife. Another scene is about his courage to help his folks. When the truck of United Nation came to the hotel to rescue some people away from there, he made a brave decision as a man. From my point of view, Paul showed two characters proudly, love as a husband and courage as a manager. What this movie realized to me is not just about the same history never repeated again but also some important human nature as a man.

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ストーリー：　ルワンダが血にまみれた1994年、ある男は家族と1200人以上の命を守ることを心に誓った。ルワンダのホテルのマネージャー、ポールは彼の地位を巧みに利用し、大量虐殺から千人以上もの難民をかくまった。世界が助けの扉を閉ざすなか、彼は人間として現実を乗り越えようとその心を開いた。

基本的に戦争、虐殺物の映画は好きじゃないです。だって見終わった後いやーな余韻が残ることがほとんどだから。。ところがこの「ホテル・ルワンダ」は単なる歴史上最も悲惨だった虐殺劇のドキュメンタリーではなく、男とは何たるものかを教えてくれる映画です。ポールを演じるドン・チードルは2つの異なる顔を巧く混在させアカデミーに価する好演を見せてくれます。印象に残る場面が2つあります。1つは妻に対する愛の場面。過酷な状況下にもかかわらず、彼は妻のためにひそかにホテルの屋根にビールとろうそくを用意しつかの間の安らぎを彼女と分かち合うのです。もう1つの場面。難民の一部を非難させるため、国連のトラックが彼らを連れ去るとき、彼は男としての意を決します。ポールは、夫としての愛、そしてマネージャーとしての勇気を示してくれます。この映画は単に歴史は繰り返してはいけないと言うことを教えるだけでなく、男としての何か大切なものを訴える映画です。