Shake Hands With the Devil: The Journey of Romeo Dallaire

Shake Hands With The Devil:The Journey of Romeo Dallaire was a very insightful documentary, which showed Romeo Dallaire’s journey back to Rwanda for the 10th anniversary of the Genocide.  This documentary is very interesting to watch yet alone, although, if you are someone who had previously seen Shake Hands With the Devil you will enjoy watching this film even more. In the documentary you are not only introduced to the real Romeo Dallaire but the audience also gets introduced to Dallaire’s wife, as he brings her along to show her Kigali through his eyes.  

This documentary allows the audience into Dallaire’s past life as being the present commander of the United Nations for the peacekeepings in Rwanda.  While watching Dallaire reveals a lot of information on how he felt during the genocide, number one being the guilt he endured after feeling like he failed his mission.  During this time the audience see’s all of the flashbacks Dallaire is imagining in his head and at this time some of the most disturbing images are revealed, while seeing the Tutsi and Hutu moderates getting beaten to death.  Another very interesting part to this documentary were the number of people that were interviewed alongside with Dallaire, that were also at some point involved with the genocide.  This film leaves a tremendous emotional and depressing toll on several individuals, especially while learning about the toll this played on Dallaire’s life, especially his heath.  

The scene that really shocked me was when Dallaire and his wife walked into a tiny hut where hundreds of skulls were lined up across the table, outlining the numerous amounts of people that were killed in the genocide.  I think this was the scene that made the genocide seem so much more realistic for the viewers who had not heard about it before hand.  

Although this film is hard to watch at times I think everyone should watch it at some point in their life, while it outline a horrific time in history.  I would give it a 7 out of 10 for sure.  

Born On the Fourth Of July

Born on the fourth of July is a great movie which illustrates the effects of the Vietnam war on soldiers.  This movie in particular is about a young “All American boy”  from a small town who enjoyed playing sports, named Ron Kovic. Ever since Kovic was born he dreamed of joining the army and fighting for his country, something that he was very proud and fond of doing.  Although this dream of Kovic’s did not turn out exactly as planned, when he enlisted in the war and was sent to Vietnam he was served to live in horrible conditions, accidentally shot someone and was paralyzed from the waist down from a gunshot wound.    

An element of narrative that I found the most interesting in the film was the acting of Ron Kovic’s character, because he developed so much over the years.  When he returns back from Vietnam to his hometown you see how is character had developed. Turning into being a very depressed and guilty person, who is confused on how to conduct his daily life without being in the war and not having all of his body parts functioning.  Ron’s overall spirit runs out and in the middle of the film he seems like he has nothing else within him, as he makes his life look hopeless and pointless.  

A scene in the film that really caught my attention was the two scenes of the Fourth of July parades.  The first time this scene is shown Ron is a young All American boy who has big dreams for himself, as going to war and fighting for his country.  While seeing this parade Ron pictures himself as being one of the war veterans walking.  The second time this scene is shown Ron is actually in the parade as a veteran who is then paralyzed. Both of these shots show Ron’s character as a before and after shot, which is really quite interesting.  

Overall, I would definitely recommend this film to a lot of people, I would even say that I would watch this movie again.  Although it talks about a serious world issue, this film is quite simple to watch.     

From Hell

From Hell is quite an interesting film which takes place during the Victorian Era in London.  The film itself is about Jack the Ripper and the social issues that were caused from his insanity.  Initially, I did not know a lot about Jack the Ripper .  Although I have to admit this film was able to demonstrate some of the problems that Jack the Ripper caused and was able to give a general background about his character I still don’t think this film was very good.  Very often I was staring at my clock to see how much longer I had to watch this film, meaning it was very boring and even a little creepy and disturbing.   Unless, you are the type of individual who enjoys watching mysterious movies, I would not recommend this film for you.  It was not exactly the most relaxing film I have ever seen!

One of the characters that caught my attention while watching was Johnny Depp who played Inspector Frederick Abberline.  Johnny Depp did a great job capturing the audiences attention and added a lot to the film.  In the movie, his character was a police officer who was sent to investigate the murder scenes which Jack the Ripper caused.  During the film Abberline takes loads of pills because this allows him to dream about the scenes of the murders which then allows him to find answers behind each murder.  

This film was definitely different from anything I have seen before, yet in this case I wouldn’t necessarily say thats a good thing.  At times this film was interesting to watch, but I personally don’t think its for everyone.   

Forrest Gump

Forrest Gump

The film Forrest Gump is an excellent movie which takes place during the 1960’s and 70’s and which highlights the US involvement in the Vietnam War.  Forrest in the film is a less intelligent man than others, who travels charmingly and effortlessly through life; having great opportunities while being in the right places at the right time. 

Forrest fights in the Vietnam War, teaches Elvis Presley how to dance, becomes a football star and meets the president of the United States who at the time was John F. Kennedy.  These are only a few of the memorable moments which are thrown into Forrest’s life, although through these times Forrest never forgets the love of his life Jenny. 

Jenny grew up with Forrest and was abused by her father. While growing up Jenny comes in and out of Forrest’s life, while dealing with her own problems with drug abuse.  Forrest Gump is a must see movie, although it is quite old as it came out in theatres in 1994, it is a movie that will capture the audience.  

Watching this film several elements stood out, one of which was Tom Hank's stellar performance as Forrest.  Forrest is a simple-minded man who achieves greatness.  No matter on the situation Forrest was always a good friend and could be relied on.  Throughout Forrest’s childhood he was belittled and bullied, but with the unending support of his mother, he has the Midas Touch.  Tom Hanks is able to carry his performance throughout the film - staying in character consistently. Tom Hanks deservedly won several awards for playing Forrest’s character in the film.

The use of film music was also very effective for this film.  The music included a lot of old classics from the 60’s and 70‘s for example, the songs of the Beatles and Bob Dylan, all very well known artists from that specific time period.  This use of music was able to set the mood for the film, because all of these songs symbolized the events which were taking place during the film.  For example, during the Vietnam War protests, the Beatles were playing in the background. This music was able to symbolize what the nation wanted, peace and love.  

Overall, I would recommend this film to almost anyone over the age of 13.  This would allow the viewers to have some background information about specific events which take place during the movie.  As well, the film included a little bit of violence and substance abuse, which those under the age of 13 should not see.  

Apocalypse Now

Apocalypse Now is a very strange, but interesting story about the Vietnam War and the effects the war had on the American soldiers who fought in the war which took place from the mid-sixties to the early seventies.  
     Honestly, after watching I have still not decided if I like or dislike this movie. So many different events took place and personally it was a little too much for me to handle.  If you're the type of person who enjoys watching a movie that has tons of action, history and thinking involved, then this movie is right for you.  If not, then I am not so sure.  
     Something that stood out to me in this movie was the music.  An interesting fact about this film is that originally the producer wanted to include songs only sung by The Doors who were popular during the time of the Vietnam War and because their lyrics were political in nature. Another reason why the film music played such an important role during the film, in my eyes, was because for parts of the movie the music was used by the American soldiers to inform the Vietnamese that they were coming, to kill their population.  Although most would think it would be a nice gesture it was not used for that purpose; the soldiers intentionally did this because they knew it scared the Vietnamese people, which amused them.  

     The thing that I disliked the most about the film overall was the ending.  Although I guess it concluded the story, it just didn’t seem like a proper ending.  It was neither sad nor happy; it just left the audience with no emotion.  The main purpose here I suppose was to keep the audience thinking after watching.  

     Overall, rating this movie I would give it a 6 out of 10.  It really just wasn’t a movie for me, although I would still recommend it to some.    

Ghosts of Rwanda

Ghosts of Rwanda was a very informative yet difficult film to watch.  In this documentary, individuals are exposed to the after affects of the Rwandan genocide.  Ghosts of Rwanda included several different perspectives throughout the documentary including Rwandan citizens, their government, our government and several others.  Although very informative to watch, providing people with the advantage of hearing everyones side of the story, I would never watch this film for a second time.  The images displayed are very graphic and leave people with a horrible feeling.  In order to watch the entire documentary viewers must have a true passion and interest for learning more about the Rwandan Genocide.  

My recommendation for this film is that people watch Hotel Rwanda and Shake Hands With the Devil beforehand, because these two films will provide viewers with the correct information that they need in order to watch Ghosts of Rwanda.

Overall, I would give this movie a 7 out of 10, and would recommend it to individuals who already know background info about the genocide in Rwanda.  

Shake Hands With the Devil

Shake Hands With The Devil is a fantastic must see movie. It tells the true story of the struggle of Canadian General Romeo Dallaire, head of UN troops, to stop the Rwandan genocide.  Dallaire attempts to negotiate with various agencies as the rest of the nation simply ignores the events that are occurring in Rwanda.  While watching this film the audience will be in such disbelief at how inhumane Hutu moderates and Tutsi were treated.  While seeing this film so many components stood out to me; the most important being the setting.  Something very interesting about this film was that it was actually filmed in part on location in Kigali, Rwanda from mid June to the beginning of August 2006.  This feature was able to add a large dramatic effect to the film and make it so much easier to visualise. 

The acting in the movie was amazing. Every character played their role so well. It felt as if one was watching the genocide actually occurring.  Roy Dupris was able to capture the role of Romeo Dallaire perfectly.  He both looked similar and was able to portray Dallaire’s heroic personality. Throughout the film the audience was able to understand the difficulty that Dallaire had to undergo while living through the genocide; seeing shots of him trying to commit suicide by cutting himself.  This showed everyone watching that it was not just the Rwandans who were affected by this horrible event, but others trying to help as well.   

Shake Hands With the Devil is definitely the best movie of its kind. It captured almost every event that took place during the 100 day genocide, incorporated the worldly effects of the genocide, and lastly spoke about every important person who was involved.  I would give this movie an 8 out of 10 and would recommend it to someone who is over the age of 14, who has some background knowledge about the Rwandan genocide.  Before watching this film be prepared. It is not the kind of movie that incorporates no violence or death, and it absolutely does not incorporate a happy ending.   

Hotel Rwanda

Hotel Rwanda

The film Hotel Rwanda explains the true story of a Hutu named Paul Rusesabagina, a man who put his own life in danger while trying to save the lives of Rwandan Tutsis, who were battling a Hutu genocide massacre against them.  While watching this movie, one line by Joaquin Phoenix a European journalist in the film stood out to me, “If people see this footage they will say oh my god this is horrible, and then continue eating their dinners.” After hearing this quote I thought to myself for a couple of minutes, because I know this is what I, and millions of others who weren’t personally going through this tragic event would say.  It is horrible to think that individuals in the world would let something like this go by so easily just because we think that it would be too hard to stop it, without even trying. 

One of the elements of narrative which stood out to me while watching was the different sizes of shots that were used to portray the event which was happening.  An example of this was the scene when it was poring rain outside, and Paul Rusesabagina was outside telling several Tutsi’s to go inside the Mille Collines hotel.  This medium size shot was very useful, as it was able to show how many individuals were involved, and affected by the Hutu genocide.  While watching this scene in particular, I felt as if I was standing in front of all of these individuals, face to face, while seeing their emotions and facial expressions.  

In addition, another element of narrative which was used in the film was film music. Several individuals say that Hotel Rwanda is a very “Hollywood” movie, because they sugar-code a lot of the events depicted in the film.  Although personally I feel that the film music took away from the “Hollywood” feel, because instead of using “Hollywood” music they used African music of children singing.  This was able to make the movie a lot more realistic, as well, it set the tone of the film.  

Hotel Rwanda is a must see movie for everyone, while it incorporates and teacher individuals about the lives that were affected by the Hutu genocide against the Tutsi in 1994.  I would absolutely give this movie an 8 out of 10.   

Godzilla

The movie Godzilla was something very different from anything I have seen before.  Initially I thought I might actually like the movie, but while watching I began to dislike it more and more! I personally don’t enjoy watching movie’s that are unrealistic from anything I would see during my life today, as well I didn’t love having to read the english subtitles at the bottom of the screen.  I do have to say that although I didn’t exactly enjoy the story line of the movie, I can understand and appreciate why it is as famous as it is. The producer Tomoyuki Tanaka and director Ishiro Honda, did a wonderful job making this film, as it was not only a worldwide hit at the time with a series of movies behind it, but a movie that was recreated years later that was just as famous.
Although this movie discussed serious Japanese problems I couldn’t help myself from laughing while watching, the acting was so exaggerated! Even though the acting was a little strange it made me understand the film more, especially because the movie was in a different language and I wasn’t always able to read the english subtitles fast enough.  Of course the monster Godzilla did an excellent job acting in this movie along with Momoko Kochi who played Emiko Yamane.  Emiko didn’t even need to use dialogue in the film, you could tell exactly how she was feeling from all of the facial expressions she made! It was very interesting to watch.
The music in this movie by Akira lfukube was a very important factor for the film.  I mention it because from the specific tone of the music and instruments played the audience was able to acknowledge when Godzilla was entering the scene.  The music was very loud, harsh, and disturbing, this was able to symbolize how all of the other individuals living in Japan were feeling at the time from this strange animal. 

V for Vendetta

V for Vendetta is a very interesting and intriguing film about a woman named Evey Hammond, and an unknown man named V who is thought of as a terrorist to some in the movie. V has an idea in the movie and one idea only, to try and destroy the fascist governmental system in Great Britain, so that civilians have a proper voice.  Before watching this movie I was unaware of what it was about, and thought it would be completely different from what it turned out to be.  After watching this movie I would definitely say that I enjoyed watching it and would recommend it to some, because it incorporates so much detail into one story, exploring love, relationships, history, and politics.  I would definitely give this film an 8 out of 10.    

While watching this film a couple of elements stood out at me such as, costume and make-up, as well as dialogue.  In the film, V’s character wears a mask which covers his face, as well as a long cape and black leather gloves which resulted in making him look very mysterious from the start. V’s dialogue in the movie was another very important feature which the audience counted on in order to interpret all of his thoughts and emotions because there were no facial expressions being shown. Through speeches which V made in the movie people around him were able to understand that his intensions were good, and civilians began to believe that they could count on him to mend their society back together. 

I personally believe that V was a hero in the film, because his idea was not only to benefit his life, but to also benefit the lives of hundreds of other British people around him.  Through V’s love and care for Evey I was able to look more into his character and see behind his mask and brainwashes.  Although he killed a numerous amount of people involved in the governmental system the movie was mostly shown from his side and point of view. Which also made it very difficult to think that he was a villain to others in the movie, though if I saw the movie from another characters perspectives my thoughts on his characters behavior may be different. 

     

Children of Men Review

Children of men was a very interesting movie which keeps the audience thinking the entire time.  The film was set in the future in Britain, which was at the time dealing with several important issues such as terrorism, illegal immigrants, and infertility. 

When the movie first started I was very confused as to what was going on, and why everyone was so upset about this person Baby Diego dying? I understand his parents and close family members feeling upset, but the whole nation being affected confused me. A question I was left asking myself was about the infertility issues.  I still can’t understand why people would be killing other citizens due to this problem. If anything, this seemed stupid to me because more individuals would end up dying faster?

The colour and setting depicted so many emotions for this film.  The whole movie was full of depressing colours, especially black and grey, and you could see why the film maker did this.  Although this movie was set in 2027 - the future- the shots shown of the city did not depict how I would have imagined the future.  The streets were very run down and polluted and the people on them were not happy. In fact,  they seemed hopeless because everyone knew sooner or later everything would be destroyed and the whole population would be defeated. 

Clive Owen’s character Theo, was a very consistent character who we were able to come to know well while watching.  Initially, Theo was a very calm character who lived his daily life and was not bothered by many things. The death of baby Diego was not upsetting to him at all.  In addition, Theo was not easily disturbed with bombs going off on the street. If anything Theo seemed to understand the society in which he in, and the type of events that occur in that soicety.  In the movie we also learn that Theo was once married to a woman and had a child, both of whom had died.  When Theo met Kee, a young  pregnant African woman who he had to find safe transit for because of the immigration laws against refugees we see a fatherly side of his character arouse. 

From the moment Theo met Kee his character changed quickly transforming into an individual who was very protective, hopeful, and intelligent.  His character seemed very relatable. I say this because I believe that most people who were thrown in his position would have acted the same way, especially if they also went through a loss similar to his. 

Review V for Vendetta

V For Vendetta

            V for Vendetta is a very interesting and intriguing film about a woman named Evey Hammond, and an unknown man named V who is thought of as a terrorist to some in the movie. V has an idea in the movie and one idea only, to try and destroy the fascist governmental system in Great Britain, so that civilians have a proper voice.  Before watching this movie I was unaware of what it was about, and thought it would be completely different from what it turned out to be.  After watching this movie I would definitely say that I enjoyed watching it and would recommend it to some, because it incorporates so much detail into one story, exploring love, relationships, history, and politics.  I would definitely give this film 8 out of 10.   

            While watching this film a couple of elements stood out to me such as, costume and make-up, as well as dialogue.  In the film, V’s character wears a mask which covers his face, as well as a long cape and black leather gloves which resulted in making him look very mysterious from the start. V’s dialogue in the movie was another very important feature which the audience counted on in order to interpret all of his thoughts and emotions because there were no facial expressions being shown. Through speeches which V made in the movie people around him were able to understand that his intensions were good, and civilians began to believe that they could count on him to mend their society.

            I personally believe that V was a hero in the film, because his idea was not only to benefit his life, but to also benefit the lives of hundreds of other British people around him.  Through V’s love and care for Evey I was able to look more into his character and see behind his mask and manipulations.  Although he killed numerous individuals involved in the governmental system the movie was mostly shown from his side and point of view. This made it very difficult to think that he was a villain to others in the movie, though if I saw the movie from another characters perspective my thoughts on his character's behaviour could change. Hugo Weaving did an excellent job playing V in the film; he really made his character look real while playing the role, which was able to make the entire movie come to life.