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.