The Curse of Genocides: A Review of the Film Hotel Rwanda

Genocides have occurred through out history in even the most “civilized” of countries. Those of which include the Black War in Australia, the War of Three Kingdoms in English territory, the Greek Genocide by the Ottomans, the Holocaust in Germany, and the Rwandan Genocide in Africa. Each time genocides occur the people of the world vow never again. But those are just words, words that are worthless. Everyone likes feeling safe. By saying that no more genocides will occur is a way to shelter the thought of ever being victim to these mass killings. By watching the film Hotel Rwanda, I have come to agree with Hobbes’s theory of people naturally being evil. Everybody truly only cares about themselves. While the Hutu’s were literally slaughtering the Tutsi’s by the masses, the world didn’t care. That to me is true iniquity. Hotel Rwanda captivates the Rwandan genocide between the two rivaling peoples, the Hutu which account for the majority of the population, and the Tutsi. The civil war began because of the hatred the Hutu felt towards the Tutsi who used the rule over them. The film is seen through the eyes of Paul Rusesabagina, who is manager at the Sabena Hotel. Paul is seen as a traitor by the people of his Hutu culture for marrying a Tutsi. At the beginning of the movie, Paul shows his love for his neighbors and family by buying their freedom from the Hutu militia when they were just about to be killed. As the war drags on Paul provides shelter for more and more people at his hotel. The United Nations forces attempt to help the situation but as their refugee camps become crowded they begin the direct people to the hotel for safety. As the war goes on, the UN forces gradually leave Rwanda. The support of foreign world powers is unseen. This leaves the Tutsi powers without strength and loss of hope. In an attempt to save Paul’s family and several other refugees, the UN tries to transport them from the now unsafe hotel to refugee camps outside