Jump to content

Hotel Rwanda: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Content deleted Content added
RM poorly-sourced section - See Wikipedia:Reliable sources.
m External links: Tagged cat.
 
Line 1: Line 1:
{{short description|2004 drama film}}
{{Infobox_Film |
{{EngvarB|date=September 2017}}
name = Hotel Rwanda |
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}}
image = Hotel Rwanda movie.jpg |
{{Infobox film
writer = [[Keir Pearson]],<br />[[Terry George]] |
| name = Hotel Rwanda
starring = [[Don Cheadle]]<br />[[Sophie Okonedo]]<br />[[Ahmed Panchbaya]]<br />[[Nick Nolte]]<br />[[Jean Reno]] |
| image = Hotel Rwanda movie.jpg
director = [[Terry George]] |
| caption = Theatrical release poster
producer = Terry George<br />[[A. Kitman Ho]] |
| based_on = [[Rwandan genocide|Rwandan Genocide]]
distributor = [[Lions Gate Films]]<br />[[United Artists]] |
| director = [[Terry George]]
released = [[September 11]], [[2004]] |
| producer = {{ubl|Terry George|[[A. Kitman Ho]]}}
runtime = 121 min.|
| writer = {{Plainlist|
language = English, French |
* [[Keir Pearson]]
budget = ~ [[United States dollar|US$]]17,500,000|
* Terry George
imdb_id = 0395169 |
}}
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* [[Don Cheadle]]
* [[Sophie Okonedo]]
* [[Joaquin Phoenix]]
* [[Nick Nolte]]
}}
| music = {{Plainlist|
* [[Afro Celt Sound System]]
* [[Rupert Gregson-Williams]]
* [[Andrea Guerra (composer)|Andrea Guerra]]
}}
| cinematography = [[Robert Fraisse (cinematographer)|Robert Fraisse]]
| editing = [[Naomi Geraghty]]
| studio = {{Plainlist|
* [[United Artists]]
* [[Lions Gate Films]]
* Miracle Pictures<ref name="afi">{{cite web |title=Hotel Rwanda (2004) |work=[[AFI Catalog of Feature Films]] |url=http://catalog.afi.com/Film/63109-HOTEL-RWANDA |access-date=6 March 2023 }}</ref>
* Seamus<ref name="afi"/>
* The Industrial Development Corporation<ref name="numbers" />
* Inside Track<ref name="numbers" />
* [[James D. Stern|Endgame Entertainment]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.endgameent.com/project/25/Hotel_Rwanda/ |title=Endgame |access-date=11 November 2021 |archive-date=24 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160824055943/http://www.endgameent.com/project/25/Hotel_Rwanda/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
}}
| distributor = [[MGM Distribution Co.]] (United States and Canada)<br>[[Entertainment Film Distributors]] (United Kingdom)<ref name="BoxOfficeMojo"/><br>Mikado Film (Italy)<ref name="BoxOfficeMojo"/><br>Lions Gate Films (International)
| released = {{Film date|2004|9|11|[[2004 Toronto International Film Festival|TIFF]]|2004|12|22|United States|2005|3|11|Italy|df=yes}}
| runtime = 121 minutes
| country = {{ubl|United States|United Kingdom|South Africa|Italy}}
| language = {{ubl|English|French|Kinyarwanda}}
| budget = $17.5 million<ref name="numbers">{{cite web |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/2004/RWNDA.php |title=Hotel Rwanda |website=The Numbers |access-date=19 September 2010}}</ref>
| gross = $33.9 million<ref name="BoxOfficeMojo" />
}}
}}


'''''Hotel Rwanda''''' is a 2004 [[docudrama]] film co-written and directed by [[Terry George]]. It was adapted from a screenplay by George and [[Keir Pearson]], and stars [[Don Cheadle]] and [[Sophie Okonedo]] as hotelier [[Paul Rusesabagina]] and his wife [[Tatiana Rusesabagina|Tatiana]]. Based on the [[Rwandan genocide]], which occurred during the spring of 1994, the film documents Rusesabagina's efforts to save the lives of his family and more than 1,000 other refugees by providing them with shelter in the besieged [[Hôtel des Mille Collines]].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Burr|first=Ty|date=7 January 2005|title=Hotel Rwanda Movie Review: Cheadle brings quiet power to 'Rwanda'|url=https://www.boston.com/movies/display?display=movie&id=7112|url-status=dead|journal=[[Boston Globe]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080430050749/http://www.boston.com/movies/display?display=movie&id=7112|archive-date=April 30, 2008|access-date=9 April 2007}}</ref> ''Hotel Rwanda'' explores [[genocide]], political corruption, and the repercussions of violence.<!--<ref name="film"/>-->
'''''Hotel Rwanda''''' is a [[historical drama film]] that shows the quiet heroism of one man, [[Paul Rusesabagina]] ([[Don Cheadle]]), during the [[Rwandan Genocide]]. Directed by [[Northern Ireland|Northern Irish]] filmmaker [[Terry George]], it was [[film production|co-produced]] in [[2004 in film|2004]] by [[USA|US]], [[United Kingdom|British]], [[Italy|Italian]], and [[South Africa]]n companies, and the first ever co-production between the rival [[independent film]] studios [[Lions Gate Films]] and [[United Artists]]. It was filmed mostly in South Africa, with some [[second unit]] filming in [[Kigali]], the capital of [[Rwanda]].


The film was a co-production between [[United Artists]] and [[Lions Gate Films]], and was commercially distributed by United Artists theatrically and by [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] for home media. ''Hotel Rwanda'' premiered in theaters in limited release in the United States on 22 December 2004 and in wide release on 4 February 2005, grossing more than $23 million in domestic ticket sales. It earned an additional $10 million in business through international release to top out at a combined total of nearly $34 million in gross revenue.
''Hotel Rwanda'' has been called an African ''[[Schindler's List]]''<ref name = "Burr"> {{cite journal | last = Burr | first = Ty | Date = Jan. 7, 2005 | title = Hotel Rwanda Movie Review: Cheadle brings quiet power to 'Rwanda' | url = http://www.boston.com/movies/display?display=movie&id=7112 | journal = Boston Globe | accessdate = 2007-04-09}}</ref>. Each movie portrays one imperfect man who uses his political position, social skills, and quick wit to rescue thousands of lives from a holocaust. Unlike its more famous cousin, ''Hotel Rwanda'' did not win any [[Oscars]], though it was nominated for three: Best Actor (Cheadle), Best Supporting Actress ([[Sophie Okonedo]]), and Best Original Screenplay.


The film was nominated for multiple awards, including Academy Award nominations for [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]] (Cheadle), [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]] (Okonedo), and [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]].
==Synopsis==
The film is based on true events that took place during the genocidal violence that erupted in Rwanda between the [[Hutu]] and [[Tutsi]] groups in [[1994]], when the Hutu military and [[Interahamwe]] militias killed roughly one million Tutsis in barely three months. There have been many controversies between the two groups over the years. The central character is [[Paul Rusesabagina]] ([[Don Cheadle]]), a Hutu who managed the [[Star (classification)|four-star]] [[Sabena]]-owned [[Hôtel des Mille Collines]] in Kigali. Amidst the rapidly degenerating chaos of the genocide, and fearing for the life of his Tutsi wife, friends, and others, he struggles to maintain his luxury hotel as an oasis from the violence, turning it into a safe haven for as many refugees as he can. All other political powers are shown turning their backs on Rwanda. A well-intended but under-resourced U.N. peace-keeping commander ([[Nick Nolte]]) is incapable of stopping the blood-shed, and frustrated at the absence of support or concern from abroad. The callousness and ineffectivity of the international community and the vociferous terror of the genocidal militias and generals, all contrast sharply with the humble, effective life-saving manipulations of Rusesabagina.


==Plot==
==Plot==
In April 1994, tensions between the [[Hutu]]-controlled government and [[Tutsi]] rebels led to [[Rwandan genocide|genocide in Rwanda]], where corruption and bribes between politicians were routine. [[Paul Rusesabagina]], manager of the Belgian-owned [[Hôtel des Mille Collines]], is Hutu, but his wife Tatiana is Tutsi. Their marriage is a source of friction with Hutu extremists, including [[Georges Rutaganda]], a goods supplier to the hotel who is also the local leader of [[Interahamwe]], a brutal Hutu militia.
Paul curries favor with [[Rwandan Army]] general [[Augustin Bizimungu]], who favors the Hutu. Following the [[Assassination of Juvénal Habyarimana and Cyprien Ntaryamira|assassination]] of the [[Juvénal Habyarimana|president]], a Hutu, Paul and his family observe neighbors being killed, initiating the early stages of the genocide. When [[Rwandan Civil War|civil war]] erupts and a [[Rwandan Army]] Captain threatens Paul and his neighbors, Paul barely negotiates their safety and brings them to the hotel. Upon returning with them, he finds his insolent receptionist Gregoire occupying the presidential suite and threatening to expose the Tutsi refugees, including Paul's wife, if he is made to work.


The UN peacekeeping forces, led by Canadian Colonel Oliver, are forbidden to intervene in the conflict and prevent the genocide. Paul's boss and owner of the hotel, who lives in Belgium, apologizes to him over the phone, saying there's nothing he can do to provide safe passage for him and his family. The foreign nationals are evacuated, but the Rwandans are left behind to fend for themselves.
The film opens with a radio being tuned in to [[RTLM]], playing an extremist anti-Tutsi broadcast (“They are [[cockroach]]es. They are murderers. Rwanda is our Hutu land”) to elaborate on the situation in Rwanda in 1994. Massive tensions existed between the [[Hutus]], the majority group and the [[Tutsis]], the minority group that had once had governmental control. The invasion by the predominantly Tutsi [[Rwandese Patriotic Front|RPF]] and the resulting civil war had increased these tensions.
More evacuees arrive at the hotel from the overburdened United Nations refugee camp, the [[Red Cross]], and various orphanages, totaling 800, both Tutsi and Hutu. Tatiana desperately searches for her brother, sister-in-law, and two nieces. As the situation becomes more violent, Paul must divert the Hutu soldiers, care for the refugees, protect his family, and maintain the appearance of a functioning 4-star hotel. Paul forces Gregoire to work with the help of General Bizimungu.


Low on supplies, Paul and Gregoire drive to collect hotel supplies from Georges Rutaganda and witness the Interahamwe militia raping Tutsi hostages. Georges explains to Paul that the "rich cockroaches" money will become worthless since all of the Tutsis will be killed. Paul expresses disbelief that the Hutu extremists will wipe out all of the Tutsis, but Georges replies: "Why not? We are halfway there already." They return to the hotel through the dark, thick fog, on the riverside road recommended by Georges, only to find it is carpeted with dead bodies.
Paul Rusesabagina ([[Don Cheadle]]) and his wife, Tatiana ([[Sophie Okonedo]]) make a good living in [[Rwanda]] with their three children, two girls and a son. As Paul is the hotel manager of the Belgian resort, the Hotel des Mille Collines - perhaps the most extravagant [[hotel]] in the country. As Paul continues his daily job of gladhanding high-ranking Rwandan officials and foreign visitors, he starts to become aware of a dangerous tension brewing in the city. Early in the film Paul goes to visit [[George Rutaganda]], deputy leader of the Hutu extremist [[Interahamwe]] militia, who encourages him to join the Interahamwe. Paul, a moderate Hutu, refuses. Paul begins to realize that something terrible is about to happen in the country, but his fears are eased because the [[United Nations]] and foreign press are in the city to cover the [[president]] signing a historic peace agreement.


When the UN forces attempt to evacuate a group of refugees, including Paul's family, Gregoire betrays them to the Interahamwe, who use radio broadcasts to accost them. After giving General Bizimungu the remaining valuables and Scotch from his office safe to protect the refugees, Paul then admonishes Bizimungu for genocide apathy and promises to testify on his behalf for his help.
Paul and the others at the hotel are informed that the president was killed when his [[plane]] was shot down, presumably by the Tutsi extremists (it has been alleged that Hutu extremists upset at the peace signing, shot down the president so as to have a motivating catalyst for the actions against the Tutsi.{{Fact|date=July 2007}}) Massive Hutu riots begin, as tens of thousands of Tutsis across the city and country are slaughtered by the Interahamwe, who are backed by the (predominantly Hutu) national army. Paul immediately looks after his family only, and hopes the uprising will be squashed because of the U.N. presence in the country, coupled with journalists openly documenting the slaughter. (One such journalist in the country is played by actor [[Joaquin Phoenix]].)
Soon afterward, Paul's family and the hotel refugees are finally able to leave the besieged hotel in a UN convoy. They travel through retreating masses of refugees and militia to reach safety behind [[Rwandan Patriotic Front|Tutsi rebel]] lines and are reunited with their nieces.


The end title cards explain that Paul saved at least 1,200 Tutsi and Hutu refugees. He and his family, who adopted the two nieces, moved to [[Belgium]], but Tatiana's brother Thomas and his wife were never found. The genocide came to an end in July 1994 when the Tutsi rebels drove the Hutu and the Interahamwe militia across the border into the Congo. At least 800,000 people died in the genocide. Georges and Bizimungu were tried and sentenced for war crimes, with Georges receiving a life sentence.
As conditions worsen, Paul starts to locate his friends and relatives, many of them (including his wife) are Tutsi, in an attempt to transport them to the hotel, as it is under the protection of U.N. soldiers, led by Colonel Oliver ([[Nick Nolte]]). Paul manages to [[bribe]] violent soldiers into letting his friends and family live, and gets them into the hotel. Hundreds more [[refugees]] flock to the hotel for safety and the staff becomes overwhelmed with feeding and helping all the children and injured. Ten Belgian U.N. soldiers are murdered while protecting Tutsi [[Prime Minister]] [[Agathe Uwilingiyimana]], who was also killed.


==Cast==
A convoy from a French-led intervention force arrives, but only to evacuate foreign nationals, mostly whites and journalists who were guests there. Oliver leaves the hotel with only four U.N. guards and shamefully tells Paul that no foreign help is coming to stop the slaughter because no one cares enough to intervene, as troops from both the intervention force and from some of the [[UNAMIR]] nations withdraw. Paul telephones all his contacts and trades in favors he had built up as manager of the hotel. His phone calls buy him some time, as army men are told to stay away from the Hotel des Mille Collines. While Paul continues to bribe and beg for refugee lives, he has Rwandans call their political contacts outside the country to shame them into helping. The phone calls continue to work successfully, and a portion of the refugees are picked up by a U.N. convoy to be evacuated, but one of the hotel staff turns traitor and gives information to the Interahamwe, who then attack the convoy but are stopped by Bizimungu's soldiers. Oliver and his men turn the trucks around and make it back to the hotel.
{{multiple image
| align = right
| image1 = Don Cheadle UNEP 2011 (cropped).jpg
| width1 = 155
| alt1 =
| caption1 =
| image2 = Paul Rusesabagina.jpg
| width2 = 155
| alt2 =
| caption2 =
| footer = Actor Don Cheadle (L) portrayed Rwandan hotelier Paul Rusesabagina (R)
}}
{{div col}}
* [[Don Cheadle]] as [[Paul Rusesabagina]]
* [[Sophie Okonedo]] as [[Tatiana Rusesabagina]]
* [[Nick Nolte]] as Colonel Oliver, loosely based on General [[Roméo Dallaire]]
* [[Joaquin Phoenix]] as Jack Daglish, loosely based on peacekeeper [[Stefan Steć]]
* [[Desmond Dube]] as Dube
* [[David O'Hara]] as Dave Flemming
* [[Cara Seymour]] as Pat Archer
* [[Fana Mokoena]] as General [[Augustin Bizimungu]]
* [[Hakeem Kae-Kazim]] as [[Georges Rutaganda]]
* [[Tony Kgoroge]] as Gregoire
* Mosa Kaiser as Elys Rusesabagina
* Mathabo Pieterson as Diane Rusesabagina
* Ofentse Modiselle as Roger Rusesabagina
* Antonio Lyons as Thomas Mirama
* [[Leleti Khumalo]] as Fedens Mirama
* Kegomotso Seitshohlo as Anais Mirama
* Lerato Mokgotho as Carine Mirama
* [[Mduduzi Mabaso]] as a Hutu lieutenant
* [[Jean Reno]] as Mr. Tillens (uncredited)
* [[Eugene Wanangwa Khumbanyiwa]] as Hotel Staff (uncredited)
{{div col end}}


== Production and historical accuracy==
RTLM radio urges Hutus to storm the hotel and kill Paul as well as all the Tutsi "cockroaches". Paul, in a desperate attempt, manages to convince his contact in the Hutu army, [[General]] [[Augustin Bizimungu]], that he will be charged with [[war crimes]] unless he comes to the hotel and stops the Interahamwe from slaughtering refugees. Bizimungu attempts to convince Paul to retreat with him and the army to Gitarama, to escape the RPF rebel advance on Kigali, but eventually agrees with Paul. The plan works, and the refugees are saved. A large convoy of U.N. trucks finally arrives to save everyone, traveling away from the hotel. The convoy passes thousands of [[Great Lakes refugee crisis|fleeing Hutus]], attempting to escape from the RPF. The convoy is rescued from an Interahamwe attack by an RPF ambush and is able to reach the refugee camp. At the camp, Paul and Tatiana find their two missing nieces among other lost children as well as Pat Archer (a Red Cross member who brought several orphans to the hotel earlier in the story), and celebrate their survival and reunion.
In 1999, Rusesabagina received a phone call from an American [[screenwriter]] named [[Keir Pearson]].<ref>Rusesabagina (2007), 239.</ref> Pearson, along with his colleague [[Terry George]], went on to write the script for ''Hotel Rwanda'' in consultation with Rusesabagina. The script was made into a Hollywood film, starring [[Don Cheadle]] as Rusesabagina. The film was released in 2004 to much critical acclaim. It received three [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] nominations, including for [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]] and [[Best Actor]] for [[Don Cheadle]]'s portrayal of Rusesabagina.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 77th Academy Awards {{!}} 2005 |url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2005 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151001230127/http://oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2005 |archive-date=1 October 2015 |access-date=11 February 2021 |website=Oscars.org {{!}} Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences |date=5 October 2014 |language=en}}</ref> Sharing his thoughts about the lack of international intervention during the crisis, director Terry George commented, "It's simple ... African lives are not seen as valuable as the lives of Europeans or Americans."<ref name="geogra">{{Cite web |author=Stefan Lovgren |date=9 December 2004 |title='Hotel Rwanda' Portrays Hero Who Fought Genocide |url=https://www.troup.org/userfiles/929/My%20Files/Social%20Studies/World%20History/unit_13/Concept%202/Hotel%20Rwanda%20Article.doc?id=24940 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170908200850/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/1209_041209_hotel_rwanda.html |archive-date=September 8, 2017 |access-date=30 August 2013 |publisher=[[National Geographic News]]}}</ref>


Rusesabagina has since come under criticism from some survivors of the Genocide. In 2008, the book ''Hotel Rwanda, or, the Tutsi Genocide as seen by Hollywood'' by Alfred Ndahiro, who was a former advisor to [[Paul Kagame]], and journalist Privat Rutazibwa, was published.<ref>{{cite book | title=Hotel Rwanda or the tutsi genocide as seen by Hollywood. | publisher=L'Harmattan | publication-place=Paris | date=2012 | isbn=978-2-296-19180-8 | oclc=1100973151}}</ref> The authors conducted interviews with 74 people who had stayed in the Hotel during the Genocide. ''Inside the Hotel Rwanda: The Surprising True Story … And Why it Matters Today'', co-written by Hotel des Mille Collines Survivor Edouard Kayihura and American author Kerry Zukus, was published in 2011.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Kayihura |first1=Edouard |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KQs3EAAAQBAJ |title=Inside the Hotel Rwanda: The Surprising True Story ... and Why It Matters Today |last2=Zukus |first2=Kerry |date=2014-04-01 |publisher=BenBella Books, Inc. |isbn=978-1-937856-73-1 |language=en}}</ref>
The ending titles reveal that Paul managed to save 1,268 refugees and that the RPF invasion and the Hutu army/Interahamwe retreated into Zaire. It also explains that Rutaganda and General Bizimungu were tried for [[crimes against humanity]], but also reveals that almost 1,000,000 Rwandans lost their lives in the genocide.
Paul now lives in Belgium with his family, including his adopted nieces.


The books include allegations that during the Genocide, Rusesabagina extorted money from hotel guests for rooms and food.<ref name="guardian">{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/nov/17/hotel-rwanda-hollywood-ending|title=Hotel Rwanda – without the Hollywood ending|author=Linda Melvern|date=17 November 2011|access-date=22 June 2014|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> It was also reported that the UN headquarters in Kigali received information that Rusesabagina had provided a Rwandan army commander with a list of hotel guests and their room numbers. UN observers managed to change the room numbers of those most threatened.<ref name="guardian" /> The character of the Canadian Colonel is based on Senator [[Roméo Dallaire]], now retired Lieutenant-General from the Canadian Armed Forces. Dallaire was not pleased with the film's portrayal of the events that he witnessed, arguing he and his men did far more to help survivors.<ref>{{Cite web |title=June 2: Failure to Protect Session 3 – "Inside the UN Security Council, April – July 1994" |url=https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB508/docs/Rwanda%20Final%20Transcript%20Day%202.pdf |access-date=2024-08-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-09-14|title=Correcting the depiction of the "Hotel Rwanda hero"|url=https://africanarguments.org/2020/09/correcting-the-depiction-of-the-hotel-rwanda-hero/|access-date=2021-06-21|website=African Arguments|language=en-GB}}</ref> He recounted his own experiences in his biography, ''[[Shake Hands with the Devil (book)|Shake Hands with the Devil]]''. The book was later adapted into two feature films; a [[Shake Hands with the Devil: The Journey of Roméo Dallaire|documentary]], and a [[Shake Hands with the Devil (2007 film)|2007 dramatic motion picture]].
==Historical accuracy==
Several journalists and historians confirm the film's accuracy in portraying the fundamental sequence of events at the Hotel de Mille Collines and surrounding Kigali<ref name = "Gourevitch, 1999"> {{cite book | last = Gourevitch | first = Phillip | title = We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With our Families | publisher = Picador | location = | id = ISBN 0-31224-335-9}}</ref><ref name = ICP2000> {{cite web | title = Immortal Chaplains Prize, 2000: Paul Rusesabagina |url = http://www.immortalchaplains.org/Prize/Ceremony2000/Rusesabagina/rusesabagina.htm | accessdate = 2007-04-09}}</ref>.


In response to critics, [[Odette Nyiramilimo]], a prominent survivor who became a senator in the new government, pushed back against Paul Ruseabagina's suspected bad-faith intentions, saying: "I never saw him threaten to expel people from the hotel if they didn’t pay up — never."<ref name="hammer">{{Cite news |last=Hammer |first=Joshua |date=2 March 2021 |title=He Was the Hero of 'Hotel Rwanda.' Now He's Accused of Terrorism. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/02/magazine/he-was-the-hero-of-hotel-rwanda-now-hes-accused-of-terrorism.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210304042317/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/02/magazine/he-was-the-hero-of-hotel-rwanda-now-hes-accused-of-terrorism.html |archive-date=4 March 2021 |access-date=4 March 2021 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
The film contains some minor historical inaccuracies:
* Characters in the film refer to the "[[Democratic Republic of the Congo|Congo]]", instead of [[Zaire]], which was the name of the DRC at the time.<ref name="imdb">{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0395169/goofs|title= Goofs for Hotel Rwanda (2004) from imdb.com|accessdate=June 11, 2007}}</ref>
* Colonel Oliver in the film is Canadian but refers to his [[lieutenant]]s as "lū-tĕn'ənts" the [[American English|American]] pronunciation; however, the [[Canadian English|Canadian]] pronunciation is modeled after the [[British English|British]] where the rank is pronounced "lĕf-tĕn'ənts".
* The green [[Land Rover]] Defender used by the Hutus is UK-military spec, probably a 1980s-era ex-[[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|MoD]] surplus. The peacekeepers' trucks are South African-made [[SAMIL Trucks|SAMILs]].
* Because ''Hotel Rwanda'' was filmed mostly in South Africa, where one drives on the left-hand side of the road, many of the vehicles are [[right-hand drive]]. Rwandans drive on the right side of the road, so the use of right-hand drive cars is incorrect. The mistake is most obvious in the scenes involving buses, which have passenger doors on the wrong (left) side.


George stated that it was important to craft the film for a mass-market audience, using the question of whether the film is "going to [[Will it play in Peoria?|play in Peoria?]] Will it be understood? Is it mainstream enough?"<ref name="GeorgeIntMirrorSpec">{{cite news|url=https://mirrorspectator.com/2017/04/20/director-terry-george-speaks-about-the-promise/|title=Director Terry George Speaks about 'The Promise'|last=Paul T. Boghosian|date=2017-04-20|newspaper=[[Armenian Mirror-Spectator]]|access-date=2019-06-08}}</ref>
==Subtle or hidden references==
A magazine rack in the lobby of the hotel holds a copy of [[Time magazine]]'s [[1992]] [[Person of the Year|Man of the Year]] with [[Bill Clinton]] on the cover. This was likely a deliberate statement by the film-maker, calling attention to Clinton's admitted failure to prevent or stop the Rwandan genocide<ref name = "Clinton Global Initiative"> {{cite web | title = Clinton Global Initiative. Voice of America. August 1, 2005 | url = http://www.clintonglobalinitiative.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?&pid=504&srcid=406 | accessdate = 2007-04-09}}</ref>.


==Reviews==
== Filming ==
Principal filming was shot on location in [[Kigali]], Rwanda, and [[Johannesburg]], South Africa.<ref name="film">[[Terry George]]. (2004). ''Hotel Rwanda'' [Motion picture]. United States: [[United Artists]].</ref> Paul Rusesabagina was consulted during the writing of the film. Although the character of Colonel Oliver played by Nolte is fictional in nature, the role was inspired by the UN force commander for [[UNAMIR]], Roméo Dallaire.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/shake-hands-with-the-devil-the-journey-of-rom%c3%a9o-dallaire|title=Shake Hands With the Devil: The Journey of Roméo Dallaire|author=Gonzalez, Ed|date=6 May 2005|work=[[Slant Magazine]]|access-date=2 October 2014}}</ref> Ugandan president [[Yoweri Museveni]], then-Rwandan president [[Juvénal Habyarimana]], and Rwandan Patriotic Front leader (now president) [[Paul Kagame]] appear in archive television footage in the film.
The film has received a great deal of critical acclaim, with a 91% 'fresh' rating on [[RottenTomatoes]].<ref> {{cite web
| url = http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hotel_rwanda
| title = Review at [[RottenTomatoes]]
| accessdate = 2006-12-21 }} </ref>
As of April 2007, the film is ranked #63 in [[The Internet Movie Database]]'s ranking of the top 250 films<ref name = "IMDB top 250"> {{cite web | title = The Internet Movie Database's Top 250 Movies | url = http://www.imdb.com/chart/top | accessdate = 2007-04-09}}</ref>. In the United States, the film was originally rated [[Motion Picture Association of America film rating system|R]], but is one of the few films that appealed and won its appeal. It was re-rated [[Motion Picture Association of America film rating system|PG-13]] for violence, disturbing images and brief strong language. ''Hotel Rwanda'' was nominated for three [[Academy Awards]] including Best Actor for [[Don Cheadle]], Best Supporting Actress for [[Sophie Okonedo]], and Best Original Screenplay for [[Keir Pearson]] and [[Terry George]].


The producers of the film partnered with the [[United Nations Foundation]] to create the International Fund for Rwanda, which supported [[United Nations Development Programme]] initiatives assisting Rwandan survivors.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.un.org/press/en/2005/iha1031.doc.htm|title=United Nations welcomes establishment of international fund for Rwanda|date=4 April 2005|publisher=[[United Nations]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140317085510/http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2005/iha1031.doc.htm|archive-date=March 17, 2014|access-date=30 August 2013}}</ref> "The goal of the film is not only to engage audiences in this story of genocide but also to inspire them to help redress the terrible devastation," said George.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.globalproblems-globalsolutions-files.org/unf_website/PDF/unf_overview_2005.pdf|title=United Nations Foundation Overview|publisher=United Nations Foundation|access-date=18 June 2010}}</ref>
The [[American Film Institute]] ranked ''Hotel Rwanda'' as #90 on its list of the 100 most inspirational movies of all time<ref name = "AFI 100 cheers"> {{cite web | title = AFI's 100 years . . . 100 cheers | url = http://www.afi.com/tvevents/100years/cheers.aspx | accessdate = 2007-04-09}}</ref>. Film critic [[Richard Roeper]] said that it was one of the most inspirational films that he had ever seen and named the film the best of 2004 <ref name = "Ebert and Roeper"> {{cite web | title = Ebert and Roeper's top ten movies of each year | url = http://www.innermind.com/misc/e_r_top.htm | accessdate = 2007-04-09}} </ref>. [[Roger Ebert]] gave the film [[Star (classification)|four-stars]]<ref name = "Ebert 2007"> {{cite web | url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041221/REVIEWS/41213001/1023| title = Roger Ebert reviews Hotel Rwanda. Dec. 22, 2004 | accessdate = 2007-04-09}}</ref> and ranked Hotel Rwanda as the ninth best movie of 2004<ref name = "Ebert and Roeper" />. Ebert's website provides a summary of additional reviews <ref name = "Ebert 2007b"> {{cite web | url = http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041010/CRITICALDEBATE/50124005| title = Quotes from various reviews of Hotel Rwanda. Excerpted by Rogert Ebert | accessdate = 2007-04-09}}</ref>


=== Soundtrack ===
According to the December 3, 2006 edition of ''[[60 Minutes]]'', ''Hotel Rwanda'' was the fifth most-rented movie on [[Netflix]] at the time. It was number four most rented in June 2007 <ref name = "Netflix"> {{cite web | title = Netflix Top 100 | url = http://www.netflix.com/Top100 | accessdate = 2007-06-03}}</ref>.
The original motion picture soundtrack for ''Hotel Rwanda'' was released by the Commotion label on 11 January 2005. It features songs written by [[Wyclef Jean]], [[Deborah Cox]], and others. The music for the film was composed by [[Rupert Gregson-Williams]], [[Andrea Guerra (composer)|Andrea Guerra]], and the [[Afro Celt Sound System]], while being edited by Michael Connell.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/movies/film/hotel-rwanda|title=Hotel Rwanda (2004)|publisher=Yahoo! Movies|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006070413/https://www.yahoo.com/movies/film/hotel-rwanda|archive-date=October 6, 2014|access-date=2 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/hotel-rwanda-mw0000142740/credits|title=Original Soundtrack Hotel Rwanda|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=2 October 2014}}</ref>
{{external media
| float = right
| headerimage= via [[File:YouTube 2024.svg|alt=YouTube logo|x20px|center]]
| audio1 = [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNIZLONHCE4 Million Voices (2005)] – Played throughout the movie and the credits.
| audio2 = [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUrPy6wG-i4 Umqombothi] – Played in the introduction of the movie
}}
{{Infobox album
| name = ''Hotel Rwanda: Music from the Film''
| type = Film score
| artist = Afro Celt Sound System and Rupert Gregson-Williams
| cover =
| caption =
| alt =
| released = {{film date|2005|11|1|df=y}}
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio =
| genre =
| length = 49:25
| label = Commotion
| producer =
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title =
| next_year =
}}


{{Track listing
==Awards/Nominations==
| headline = ''Hotel Rwanda: Music from the Film''
{| class="wikitable"
| total_length = 49:25
! colspan="3"|Academy Awards
| title1 = Mama Ararira Pt. 1/Mama Ararira We!, Pt. 2
|-
| length1 = 3:41
| title2 = Mwali We!
| length2 = 1:09
| title3 = Million Voices
| length3 = 4:23
| title4 = Interahamwe Attack
| length4 = 2:48
| title5 = Nobody Cares
| length5 = 4:12
| title6 = [[Umqombothi (song)|Umqombothi (African Beer)]]
| length6 = 4:53
| title7 = The Road to Exile
| length7 = 4:47
| title8 = Whispered Song
| length8 = 3:06
| title9 = Finale
| length9 = 3:02
| title10 = Ambush
| length10 = 2:49
| title11 = Ne Me Laisse Pas Seule Ici
| length11 = 3:33
| title12 = Mwari Sigaramahoro
| length12 = 2:22
| title13 = Olugendo Lw'e Bulaya
| length13 = 5:54
| title14 = Children Found
| length14 = 1:57
| title15 = Icyibo
| length15 = 0:49
}}

==Marketing==
===Novel===
Hotelier Paul Rusesabagina's experience encouraged director George to produce the film. A paperback novel published by [[Newmarket Press]], titled ''Hotel Rwanda: Bringing the True Story of an African Hero to Film'', released on 7 February 2005, dramatizes the events of the Rwandan Genocide in 1994, as depicted in the film, and expands on the ideas of how Rusesabagina sheltered and saved more than 1,200 people in the hotel he managed in Kigali by summarizing three years of research, articles that chronicle the historical events, and the ensuing aftermath. A brief history and timeline, the making of the film, and the complete screenplay written by Keir Pearson and Terry George are covered in thorough detail.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://www.newmarketpress.com/title.asp?pid=575|title=Hotel Rwanda Bringing the True Story of An African Hero to Film|date=7 February 2005|publisher=[[Newmarket Press]]|isbn=978-1-55704-670-3|access-date=17 June 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305211518/http://www.newmarketpress.com/title.asp?pid=575|archive-date=March 5, 2012|url-status=dead}}.</ref>

==Release==
===Home media===
Following its cinematic release in theaters, the film was released in VHS video format on 12 April 2005,<ref name="Amazon">{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007R4TRQ |title=Hotel Rwanda VHS Format |website=Amazon |date=12 April 2005 |access-date=6 June 2010}}</ref> marking the final [[United Artists]] film released on the format. The Region 1 Code widescreen edition of the film was also released on DVD in the United States on 12 April 2005. Special features for the DVD include; "A Message for Peace: Making Hotel Rwanda" documentary, "Return to Rwanda" documentary, Selected scenes commentary by Don Cheadle, Audio commentary by director Terry George and the real-life subject of the film–Paul Rusesabagina, along with select commentary by musician Wyclef Jean.<ref name="BarnesAndNoble">{{cite web |url=http://video.barnesandnoble.com/DVD/Hotel-Rwanda/Don-Cheadle/e/27616925121/?itm=1&USRI=hotel+rwanda#TABS |title=Hotel Rwanda Widescreen DVD |publisher=[[Barnes & Noble]] |access-date=6 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301214212/http://video.barnesandnoble.com/DVD/Hotel-Rwanda/Don-Cheadle/e/27616925121/?itm=1&USRI=hotel+rwanda#TABS |archive-date=1 March 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Supplementally, the Blu-ray Disc edition of the film, featuring special documentaries along with selected scenes and audio commentary, was released in the United States on 10 May 2011.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.barnesandnoble.com/enwiki/w/dvd-hotel-rwanda-don-cheadle/8564234?ean=883904232117 |title=Hotel Rwanda: Blu-ray |publisher=BarnesandNoble.com |access-date=1 May 2013}}</ref> The film is available in other media formats such as video on demand as well.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002BVOY7G |title=Hotel Rwanda: VOD Format |website=Amazon |access-date=15 November 2010}}</ref>

==Reception==
===Box office===
The film premiered in cinemas on 22 December 2004 in limited release throughout the US During its limited opening weekend, the film grossed $100,091 in business showing at seven locations. Its official wide release was screened in theaters on 4 February 2005.<ref name="BoxOfficeMojo">{{cite web |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=hotelrwanda.htm |title=Hotel Rwanda |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=4 June 2010}}</ref> Opening in a distant 14th place, the film earned $2,316,416 showing at 823 cinemas. The film ''[[Boogeyman (film)|Boogeyman]]'' beat its competition during that weekend opening in first place with $19,020,655.<ref name="BoxOfficeResults">{{cite web |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=hotelrwanda.htm |title=February 4–6, 2005 Weekend |website=Box Office Mojo |access-date=6 June 2010}}</ref> The film's revenue dropped by 11.8% in its second week of release, earning $2,043,249. For this particular weekend, the romantic comedy ''[[Hitch (film)|Hitch]]'' unseated ''Boogeyman'' to open in first place with $43,142,214 in revenue, while ''Hotel Rwanda'' remained in 14th place not challenging a top 10 position.<ref name="BoxOfficeResults2">{{cite web |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?view=&yr=2005&wknd=06&p=.htm |title=February 11–13, 2005 Weekend |website=Box Office Mojo |access-date=6 June 2010}}</ref> During its final weekend in release, the film opened in 62nd place grossing $23,176 in business.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=hotelrwanda.htm |title=Hotel Rwanda Weekend Summary |website=Box Office Mojo |access-date=21 January 2011}}</ref> The film went on to top out domestically at $23,530,892 in total ticket sales through an 18-week theatrical run. Internationally, the film took in an additional $10,351,351 in box office business for a combined worldwide total of $33,882,243.<ref name="BoxOfficeMojo"/> For 2004 as a whole, the film would cumulatively rank at a box-office performance position of 99.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=hotelrwanda.htm |title=Domestic Total Gross |website=Box Office Mojo |access-date=5 August 2010}}</ref>

===Critical response===
Among mainstream critics in the U.S., the film received largely positive reviews.<ref name="meta">{{Cite web | url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/hotel-rwanda/ |title=Hotel Rwanda |website=[[Metacritic]] |publisher=[[CNET Networks]] |access-date=1 January 2024}} </ref> On [[Rotten Tomatoes]] 91% of 191 critics gave the film a positive review, with an average score of 8/10 and the consensus calling it a "sobering and heartfelt tale about the massacre that took place in Rwanda while most of the world looked away."<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hotel_rwanda/ |title=Hotel Rwanda (2004) |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |publisher=[[Fandango Media]] |access-date=January 1, 2024 }}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film received a weighted average score of 79 out of 100, based on 40 reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.<ref name="meta" />

{{quote box|quote=As Rusesabagina, Cheadle is simply terrific. Not only does he assume a totally believable African accent and manner, he also convinces us with every move and gesture that he's a resourceful Everyman elevated to genuine heroism by a struggle to do the right thing.|source=—William Arnold, writing in the ''[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]]''<ref>Arnold, William (6 January 2005). [http://www.seattlepi.com/ae/movies/article/An-unforgettable-tale-of-heroism-and-hope-1163527.php An unforgettable Tale of Heroism and Hope]. ''[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]]''. Retrieved 6 February 2014.</ref>|salign=right|align=left|width=35em}}

Michael Rechtshaffen, writing in ''The Hollywood Reporter'', stated actor "Cheadle impressively carries the entire picture, delivering the kind of note-perfect performance that's absolutely deserving of Oscar consideration."<ref>Rechtshaffen, Michael (22 December 2004). "Hotel Rwanda". ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]''. Retrieved 6 June 2010.</ref> Roger Ebert in the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' called it a "riveting drama", while exclaiming "The film works not because the screen is filled with meaningless special effects, formless action and vast digital armies, but because Cheadle, Nolte and the filmmakers are interested in how two men choose to function in an impossible situation. Because we sympathize with these men, we are moved by the film."<ref>{{Cite news | last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |date=21 December 2004 |title=A hotel 'diplomat' offers sanctuary from genocide |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/hotel-rwanda-2004 |newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |access-date=1 January 2024 }}</ref> In the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'', [[Mick LaSalle]] wrote that the film was a "harrowing experience", and that "it documents for a mass audience what it was like. It's useful, in that it shows how it can happen. It's even hopeful, in that it shows that it's possible—not guaranteed, but possible—for people to maintain their humanity in the face of unhinged barbarism."<ref>Lasalle, Mick (7 January 2005). [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/01/07/DDGIBALKFH1.DTL&type=movies Amid a massacre, an ordinary man stands tall to protect others]. ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]''. Retrieved 6 June 2010.</ref> Claudia Puig of ''USA Today'' stated the film was "one of the year's most moving and powerful films, anchored by a magnificent performance by Don Cheadle." She declared, "''Hotel Rwanda'' emerges as an African version of ''[[Schindler's List]]''."<ref>Puig, Claudia (21 December 2004). [https://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/reviews/2004-12-21-hotel-rwanda_x.htm Haunting 'Hotel Rwanda'].{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051218114045/https://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/reviews/2004-12-21-hotel-rwanda_x.htm |archive-date=18 December 2005}} ''[[USA Today]]''. Retrieved 6 June 2010.</ref> The film was not without detractors, Dave Sterrit of ''[[The Christian Science Monitor]]'' felt that, although the subject matter was crucially important, "the movie dilutes its impact with by-the-numbers filmmaking, and Cheadle's one-note performance displays few of his acting gifts."<ref>Sterrit, David (14 January 2005). [http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0114/p14s01-almo.html/(page)/2 Hotel Rwanda (PG-13)]. ''[[The Christian Science Monitor]]''. Retrieved 6 June 2010.</ref> Lisa Schwarzbaum of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' commented on the character significance of the U.N. personnel, she stated it was "a bad day for narrative, if not for diplomacy, when there is only one 3-D character among the entire U.N. lot, clad in their blue helmets, and that role is rasped by Nick Nolte with moral remorse rather than his more usual hint of dissolution." In her overall summation, she wrote "''Hotel Rwanda'' is a strange history lesson that leaves us more overlectured than properly overwhelmed."<ref>Schwarzbaum, Lisa (1 February 2005). [https://web.archive.org/web/20140413142921/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1014175,00.html Hotel Rwanda (2004)]. ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''. Retrieved 6 June 2010.</ref> Michael Atkinson of ''The Village Voice'', added to the negativity by stating the film was "told to us secondhand, or glimpsed in distant scuffles" and "Like the majority of movies about the last century of holocausts, ''Hotel Rwanda'' is as earnest and tasteful as its creators. To capture the white-hot terror of social calamity, someone a little more lawless and fierce might be called for."<ref>Atkinson, Michael (14 December 2004). [http://www.villagevoice.com/2004-12-14/film/cheadle-survives-a-timid-account-of-the-rwandan-genocide/1 Cheadle survives a timid account of the Rwandan genocide].{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080927063129/http://www.villagevoice.com/2004-12-14/film/cheadle-survives-a-timid-account-of-the-rwandan-genocide/1 |archive-date=27 September 2008}} ''[[The Village Voice]]''. Retrieved 6 June 2010.</ref>

Writing for ''The New York Times'', Stephen Holden wrote the film was "a political thriller based on fact that hammers every button on the emotional console."<ref name="holden" /> He commended how the film "offers a devastating picture of media-driven mass murder left unchecked" while also praising "Mr. Cheadle's magnificent, understated portrayal".<ref name="holden">Holden, Stephen (22 December 2004). [https://movies.nytimes.com/2004/12/22/movies/22hote.html Holding a Moral Center as Civilization Fell]. ''The New York Times''. Retrieved 6 June 2010.</ref> James Berardinelli, writing for ''ReelViews'', called the film "powerful" and noted that it didn't "pull as many punches as its detractors would have us believe."<ref name="reelview" /> Berardinelli also wrote the film was "brutal and shocking when it needs to be, but it also has great emotional scope and power. We find ourselves enmeshed in Paul's struggle, sharing his despair at the warfare tearing apart his country, his frustration and anger at the U.N.'s inability to act, and, eventually, his hope for a better tomorrow."<ref name="reelview">Berardinelli, James (December 2004). [http://preview.reelviews.net/movies/h/hotel_rwanda.html Hotel Rwanda]. ''[[ReelViews]]''. Retrieved 6 June 2020.</ref> Describing some pitfalls, Jeff Vice of the ''[[Deseret News]]'' stated the "decision by the filmmakers to show things from that limited viewpoint—to show how isolated and fearful the characters were of the chaos going on around them—the film feels a little dishonest and diminished. It's never quite as effective as ''[[The Killing Fields (film)|The Killing Fields]]'' or ''Schindler's List'' in that the film's overall impact is not as great and it doesn't linger in the memory."<ref name="vice" /> Vice was quick to admit "''Hotel Rwanda'' does have its share of powerful moments; in particular, a scene in which Paul and another hotel employee unknowingly—due to fog—drive into a mass grave." He also expressed satisfaction with the acting, stating "Cheadle brings a needed intensity to the film; his character's fear and compassion are quite vivid. Nolte is also good in his limited screen time, as is Joaquin Phoenix, who plays a news cameraman."<ref name="vice">Vice, Jeff (10 February 2005). [https://web.archive.org/web/20121020185606/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700003743/Hotel-Rwanda.html Hotel Rwanda]. ''[[Deseret News]]''. Retrieved 6 June 2010.</ref>

{{quote box|quote=[A] flat, cramped staging which, combined with d.p. Robert Fraisse's harsh overlighting, gives the film the feel of a cheap backlot production, even though it was shot on location.|source=—Scott Foundas, writing for ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]''<ref>{{cite web | last=Foundas |first=Scott |author-link=Scott Foundas |date=15 September 2004 |title=Hotel Rwanda |url=https://variety.com/2004/film/awards/hotel-rwanda-3-1200531037/ |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |access-date=1 January 2024 }}</ref>|salign=right|align=right|width=30em}}

Eleanor R. Gillespie of ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' stated that ''Hotel Rwanda'' was an "unforgettable film" as well as "a doubly unforgettable performance by Don Cheadle."<ref name="gillespie" /> Although mentioning "The parallels with Steven Spielberg's ''Schindler's List'' are obvious", she praised individual cinematic elements that made the film unique, such as "the revelation of a dark, bumpy road paved with thousands of corpses. Or in a little girl's heartwrenching plea, 'Please don't let them kill me. I promise I won't be Tutsi anymore'."<ref name="gillespie" /> She concluded her review with Cheadle's noteworthy performance, stating he gave "one of the best performances (if not the best) of last year—an Oscar-worthy portrait of a man who kept his head clear and his humanity intact in the midst of a man-made hell."<ref name="gillespie">Gillespie R. Eleanor, (December 2004). [http://www.accessatlanta.com/movies/content/shared/movies/reviews/H/hotelrwanda.html Hotel Rwanda] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120224074317/http://www.accessatlanta.com/movies/content/shared/movies/reviews/H/hotelrwanda.html |date=24 February 2012 }}. ''[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]]''. Retrieved 6 June 2010.</ref> Similarly, David Ansen wrote in ''Newsweek'' that "two performances carry the film. Cheadle, in his richest role since ''[[Devil in a Blue Dress (film)|Devil in a Blue Dress]]'', burrows deep inside this complex man, who discovers in himself a strength he never knew he possessed, as he faces the disillusionment of all the "civilized" notions he believes in. As his strong, committed wife, Tatiana, Sophie Okonedo, barely resembling the saucy hooker she played in ''[[Dirty Pretty Things (film)|Dirty Pretty Things]]'', is a revelation."<ref>Ansen, David (20 December 2004). [http://www.newsweek.com/2004/12/19/hotel-rwanda-a-hero-will-rise.html Hotel Rwanda: A Hero Will Rise]. ''[[Newsweek]]''. Retrieved 6 June 2010.</ref> However, in the ''Arizona Daily Star'', Phil Villarreal was not moved by the lead acting of Cheadle or Nolte. He thought the characters were "cardboardish" and stated the "uplifting moments of rescue seem antiseptic and set up."<ref>Villarreal, Phil (19 January 2005). Hotel Rwanda. ''[[Arizona Daily Star]]''. Retrieved 6 June 2010.</ref> Critic [[Leonard Maltin]] wrote that ''Hotel Rwanda'' was a "powerful film" that he thought avoided being "overly didactic by focusing on one compelling character, believably brought to life by Cheadle."<ref>Maltin, Leonard (5 August 2008). ''Leonard Maltin's 2009 Movie Guide''. Signet. p. 632. {{ISBN|978-0-452-28978-9}}.</ref> In ''[[Reel Power: Hollywood Cinema and American Supremacy]]'', drawing on the work of journalist Keith Harmon Snow and writer [[Edward S. Herman]], author [[Matthew Alford]] called the film "sensitive, humane and powerful" but noted that it was "striking how the history of bloodshed has been spun in line with Western interests".<ref>Alford, Reel Power, p. 158</ref>

===Top 10 lists===
''Hotel Rwanda'' was listed on many critics' top ten lists for 2004.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/film/awards/2004/toptens.shtml |title=Metacritic: 2004 Film Critic Top Ten Lists |website=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=December 25, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071225093317/http://www.metacritic.com/film/awards/2004/toptens.shtml |archive-date=December 25, 2007 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
{{Div col|colwidth=50em}}
* 1st&nbsp;– Richard Roeper, ''Ebert & Roeper''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.innermind.com/misc/e_r_top.htm|title=Ebert and Roeper Top Ten Lists – Inner Mind}}</ref>
* 3rd&nbsp;– Claudia Puig, ''USA Today''
* 3rd&nbsp;– Stephanie Zacharek, ''Salon.com''
* 6th&nbsp;– Ruthie Stein, ''San Francisco Chronicle''
* 8th&nbsp;– Lawrence Toppman, ''Salon.com''
* 8th&nbsp;– Mick LaSalle & Carla Meyer, ''San Francisco Chronicle''
* 9th&nbsp;– Roger Ebert, ''Chicago Sun-Times''
* 10th&nbsp;– Desson Thomson, ''Washington Post''
* 10th&nbsp;– Lawrence Toppman, ''Charlotte Observer''
* Top 10 (listed alphabetically)&nbsp;– Carrie Rickey, ''Philadelphia Inquirer''
* Top 10 (listed alphabetically)&nbsp;– Carina Chocano, ''Los Angeles Times''
{{div col end}}

===Accolades===
The film was nominated and won several awards in 2004–2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://movies.msn.com/movies/movie-awards-and-nominations/hotel-rwanda/?ipp=45|title=Hotel Rwanda: Awards & Nominations|publisher=[[MSN Movies]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140406083001/http://movies.msn.com/movies/movie-awards-and-nominations/hotel-rwanda/?ipp=45|archive-date=April 6, 2014|access-date=4 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808592826/awards|title=Hotel Rwanda (2004)|publisher=[[Yahoo! Movies]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110622002335/http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808592826/awards|archive-date=June 22, 2011|access-date=4 June 2010}}</ref> Various critics included the film on their lists of the top 10 best films of 2004. Roger Ebert of the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' named it ninth best, Mick LaSalle of the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' named it eighth best, and Desson Thomson of ''The Washington Post'' named it tenth best.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://apps.metacritic.com/film/awards/2004/toptens.shtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720094537/http://apps.metacritic.com/film/awards/2004/toptens.shtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 July 2011|title=Metacritic: 2004 Film Critic Top Ten Lists|website=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=4 June 2010}}</ref> The film is also listed by the [[American Film Institute]] as one of the [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers|100 most inspirational movies of all time]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/rogers-journal/afis-100-most-inspirational-movies|title=AFI's 100 years 100 cheers: America's Most Inspiring Movies|publisher=American Film Institute|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716072359/http://connect.afi.com/site/DocServer/cheers100.pdf|archive-date=16 July 2011|access-date=27 September 2010|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Award
! Category
! Category
! Nominee
! Performer
! Result
! Result
|-
|-
|rowspan=3|[[77th Academy Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/oscarlegacy/2000-present/77nominees.html |title=Nominees & Winners for the 77th Academy Awards |access-date=4 June 2010 |publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100309201631/https://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/oscarlegacy/2000-present/77nominees.html|archive-date=March 9, 2010}}</ref>
| Best Actor
|align="center" |Best Actor
| Don Cheadle
|align="center" |Don Cheadle
| ''Nominated''
|{{nom}}
|-
|-
| Best Supporting Actress
|align="center" |Best Supporting Actress
| Sophie Okonedo
|align="center" |Sophie Okonedo
|{{nom}}
| ''Nominated''
|-
|-
| Best Original Screenplay
|align="center" |[[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]]
| Terry George & Keir Pearson
|align="center" |Keir Pearson, Terry George
|{{nom}}
| ''Nominated''
|-
|-
|[[American Film Institute Awards 2004]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.afi.com/afifest/2004/ |title=AFI Fest 2004 November 4–14 |access-date=17 February 2013 |publisher=AFI.com}}</ref>
! colspan="3"|[[BAFTA Award]]
|align="center" |Top Audience Award
|align="center" |————
|{{won}}
|-
|-
|[[Discover Screenwriting Award 2004]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://americanscreenwriters.com/ |title=4th Discover Screenwriting Award |access-date=17 February 2013 |publisher=American Screenwriters Association}}</ref>
! Category
|align="center" |Discover Screenwriting Award
! Performer
|align="center" |Keir Pearson, Terry George
! Result
|{{nom}}
|-
|-
|2005 [[Berlin International Film Festival]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/2005/02_programm_2005/02_Filmdatenblatt_2005_20050461.php |title=Hotel Rwanda |access-date=4 June 2010 |publisher=Berlin International Film Festival}}</ref>
| Best Original Screenplay
|align="center" |Out of Competition
| Terry George & Keir Pearson
|align="center" |————
| ''Nominated''
|{{won}}
|-
|-
|2005 [[BET Award for Best Actor & Actress|Bet Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bet.com/shows/bet-awards/2012/my-bet-awards/bet-awards-2005.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102032742/http://www.bet.com/shows/bet-awards/2012/my-bet-awards/bet-awards-2005.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2 November 2012 |title=BET Awards 2005 |access-date=17 February 2013 |publisher=BET.com}}</ref>
! colspan="3"|[[Black Reel Awards]]
|align="center" |Best Actor
|align="center" |Don Cheadle
|{{nom}}
|-
|-
|rowspan=2|[[Black Reel Awards of 2005]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blackreelawards.wordpress.com/winners/ |title=Hotel Rwanda |date=12 February 2009 |access-date=4 June 2010 |publisher=Black Reel Awards}}</ref>
! Category
|align="center" |Best Actor in a Drama
! Performer
|align="center" |Don Cheadle
! Result
|{{nom}}
|-
|-
| Best Actor in a Drama
|align="center" |Best Actress in a Drama
|align="center" |Sophie Okonedo
| Don Cheadle
|{{won}}
| ''Nominated''
|-
|-
||[[59th British Academy Film Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bafta.org/awards-database.html?year=2005&category=Film&award=Original+Screenplay |title=British Academy of Film and Television Arts |access-date=4 June 2010 |publisher=BAFTA.org}}</ref>
| '''Best Actress in a Drama'''
|align="center" |Best Original Screenplay
| '''Sophie Okonedo '''
|align="center" |Keir Pearson, Terry George
| '''Winner'''
|{{nom}}
|-
|-
|rowspan=2|[[10th Critics' Choice Awards|Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards 2004]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bfca.org/ccawards/2004.php |title=The 10th Critics' Choice Awards Winners And Nominees |access-date=4 June 2010 |publisher=BFCA.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120719072204/http://www.bfca.org/ccawards/2004.php |archive-date=19 July 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
! colspan="3"|[[Broadcast Film Critics]]
|align="center" |Best Picture
|align="center" |————
|{{nom}}
|-
|-
|align="center" |Best Actor
! Category
|align="center" |Don Cheadle
! Performer
|{{nom}}
! Result
|-
|rowspan=2|[[Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards 2005]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dfwfilmcritics.net/awards |title=Awards |access-date=17 February 2013 |publisher=dfwfilmcritics.net |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130127151457/http://dfwfilmcritics.net/awards |archive-date=27 January 2013 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
|align="center" |Best Actor
|align="center" |Don Cheadle
|{{nom}}
|-
|align="center" |Best Picture
|align="center" |————
|{{nom}}
|-
|2005 [[David di Donatello for Best Foreign Film|David Di Donatello Awards]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.daviddidonatello.it/candidati.php |title=Nominees – Candidates |access-date=17 February 2013 |publisher=daviddidonatello.it |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725063531/http://www.daviddidonatello.it/candidati.php |archive-date=25 July 2011 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
|align="center" |Best Foreign Film
|align="center" |————
|{{nom}}
|-
|2005 18th [[European Film Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.europeanfilmawards.eu/en_EN/archive |title=European Film Awards 2005 |access-date=17 February 2013 |publisher=europeanfilmawards.eu}}</ref>
|align="center" |Best Composer
|align="center" |Rupert Gregson-Williams, Andrea Guerra
|{{won}}
|-
|rowspan=3|[[62nd Golden Globe Awards]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.goldenglobes.org/browse/film/25931 |title=Hotel Rwanda |access-date=4 June 2010 |publisher=GoldenGlobes.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120804054554/http://www.goldenglobes.org/browse/film/25931 |archive-date=4 August 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
|align="center" |Best Picture – Drama
|align="center" |————
|{{nom}}
|-
|align="center" |Best Actor – Drama
|align="center" |Don Cheadle
|{{nom}}
|-
|align="center" |[[Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song|Best Original Song]]
|align="center" |Jerry Duplessis, Andrea Guerra, Wyclef Jean
|{{nom}}
|-
|rowspan=4|[[Golden Satellite Awards 2004]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pressacademy.com/award_cat/2005-january/ |title=2005 (January) |access-date=17 February 2013 |publisher=International Press Academy}}</ref>
|align="center" |[[Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama|Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama]]
|align="center" |Don Cheadle
|{{won}}
|-
|align="center" |Best Motion Picture Drama
|align="center" |————
|{{won}}
|-
|align="center" |Best Original Song
|align="center" |Jerry Duplessis, Andrea Guerra, Wyclef Jean
|{{won}}
|-
|align="center" |Best Original Screenplay
|align="center" |Keir Pearson, Terry George
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[2006 Grammy Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.grammy.com/nominees/search?artist=&title=&year=2005&genre=All |title=2005 48th Annual Grammy Awards |access-date=17 February 2013 |publisher=National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences}}</ref>
|align="center" |Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
|align="center" |Jerry Duplessis, Andrea Guerra, Wyclef Jean
|{{nom}}
|-
|2005 [[Humanitas Prize]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.humanitasprize.org/Prize_PastWinners.html |title=Past Winners |access-date=17 February 2013 |publisher=humanitasprize.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100406055244/http://www.humanitasprize.org/Prize_PastWinners.html |archive-date=6 April 2010 }}</ref>
|align="center" |Humanitas Prize
|align="center" |Keir Pearson, Terry George
|{{won}}
|-
|rowspan=2|2005 [[3rd Irish Film & Television Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ifta.ie/winners/iftawinners2005.html |title=Winners 2005 |access-date=17 February 2013 |publisher=The Irish Film & Television Academy}}</ref>
|align="center" |Best Director
|align="center" |Terry George
|{{won}}
|-
|align="center" |Best Script for Film
|align="center" |Keir Pearson, Terry George
|{{won}}
|-
|31st [[Japan Academy Prize (film)|Japan Academy Prize Ceremony]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.japan-academy-prize.jp/prizes/?t=31 |title=Japan Academy Prize – Nominees and Winners |access-date=17 February 2013 |publisher=japan-academy-prize.jp}}</ref>
|align="center" |Best Foreign Language Film
|align="center" |————
|{{nom}}
|-
|rowspan=3|[[London Film Critics Circle Awards 2005]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://criticscircle.org.uk/film/ |title=Hotel Rwanda |access-date=4 June 2010 |publisher=The Critics' Circle}}</ref>
|align="center" |Best British Director
|align="center" |Terry George
|{{nom}}
|-
|align="center" |Best Actor
|align="center" |Don Cheadle
|{{nom}}
|-
|align="center" |Best British Supporting Actress
|align="center" |Sophie Okonedo
|{{nom}}
|-
|2005 [[Movieguide Awards]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://movieguideawards.com/awards.html |title=Awards |access-date=17 February 2013 |publisher=MovieguideAwards.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130227221724/http://www.movieguideawards.com/awards.html |archive-date=27 February 2013 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
|align="center" |Most Inspiring Movie Acting
|align="center" |Don Cheadle
|{{nom}}
|-
|rowspan=3|2005 [[36th NAACP Image Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.com/shows/36th-naacp-image-awards |title=36th NAACP Image Awards |access-date=17 February 2013 |publisher=Emmys.com}}</ref>
|align="center" |Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
|align="center" |Don Cheadle
|{{nom}}
|-
|align="center" |Outstanding Motion Picture
|align="center" |————
|{{nom}}
|-
|align="center" |Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
|align="center" |Sophie Okonedo
|{{nom}}
|-
|2006 [[Nastro d'Argento]] Silver Ribbon Award
|align="center" |Best Score
|align="center" |Andrea Guerra
|{{nom}}
|-
|2004 [[National Board of Review of Motion Pictures]] Awards<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nbrmp.org/awards/past.cfm?year=2004 |title=Awards for 2004 |access-date=4 June 2010 |publisher=National Board of Review |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100813145503/http://www.nbrmp.org/awards/past.cfm?year=2004 |archive-date=13 August 2010 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
|align="center" |Top Ten Films
|align="center" |————
|{{won}}
|-
|[[Online Film Critics Society Awards 2004]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.altfg.com/blog/awards/online-film-critics-awards-2004/ |title=2005 Online Film Critics Society Awards |date=9 January 2005 |access-date=17 September 2010 |publisher=Alt Film Guide}}</ref>
|align="center" |Best Actor
|align="center" |Don Cheadle
|{{nom}}
|-
|rowspan=3|2004 [[Political Film Society Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.polfilms.com/previous.html |title=Previous Political Film Society Award Winners |access-date=17 February 2013 |publisher=Political Film Society}}</ref>
|align="center" |Exposé
|align="center" |————
|{{nom}}
|-
|align="center" |Human Rights
|align="center" |————
|{{nom}}
|-
|align="center" |Peace
|align="center" |————
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[Producers Guild of America Awards 2004]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.producersguild.org/news/news.asp?id=34896&hhSearchTerms=hotel+and+rwanda |title=Precious to Be Honored with 2010 Stanley Kramer Award |access-date=4 June 2010 |publisher=National Board of Review |archive-date=18 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190518060729/https://www.producersguild.org/news/news.asp?id=34896&hhSearchTerms=hotel+and+rwanda |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|align="center" |[[Stanley Kramer Award]]
|align="center" |————
|{{won}}
|-
|2006 [[Robert Award]]s<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.scope.dk/pris/2-robert?vispris=&visaar=2006 |title=Robert Awards History |access-date=17 February 2013 |publisher=Scope.dk |archive-date=2 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150602172203/http://www.scope.dk/pris/2-robert?vispris=&visaar=2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|align="center" |Best Non-American Film
|align="center" |Terry George
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[San Diego Film Critics Society Awards 2004]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sdfcs.org/ |title=Pages |access-date=17 February 2013 |publisher=San Diego Film Critics Society |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131207094324/http://www.sdfcs.org/ |archive-date=7 December 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|align="center" |Body of Work
|align="center" |Don Cheadle
|{{won}}
|-
|rowspan=3|[[11th Screen Actors Guild Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sagawards.org/awards/nominees-and-recipients/11th-annual-screen-actors-guild-awards |title=11th Annual SAG Awards Nominees |access-date=4 June 2010 |publisher=Screen Actors Guild Awards}}</ref>
|align="center" |Best Ensemble Acting
|align="center" |————
|{{nom}}
|-
|align="center" |Best Actor
|align="center" |Don Cheadle
|{{nom}}
|-
|align="center" |Best Supporting Actress
|align="center" |Sophie Okonedo
|{{nom}}
|-
|Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards 2004<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sefca.org/a2004.html |title=Top Ten Films of 2004 |access-date=17 February 2013 |publisher=Southeastern Film Critics Association |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130730163043/http://sefca.org/a2004.html |archive-date=30 July 2013 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
|align="center" |Best Picture
|align="center" |————
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[2004 Toronto International Film Festival]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.torontointernationalfilmfestival.ca/thefestival/about/awards/awards2004 |title=Awards 2004 |access-date=24 June 2010 |publisher=Toronto International Film Festival |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706210211/http://www.torontointernationalfilmfestival.ca/thefestival/about/awards/awards2004 |archive-date=6 July 2011 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
|align="center" |People's Choice Award
|align="center" |Terry George
|{{won}}
|-
|[[Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards 2004]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wafca.com/awards/2004.htm |title=2004 WAFCA Awards |access-date=17 February 2013 |publisher=Washington DC Area Film Critics Association |archive-date=9 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150709175042/http://www.wafca.com/awards/2004.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|align="center" |Best Actor
|align="center" |Don Cheadle
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[World Soundtrack Awards 2005]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldsoundtrackawards.com/awards2.cgi?go=history&category=&year=2005&type= |title=History – 2005 |access-date=17 February 2013 |publisher=World Soundtrack Academy |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718114530/http://www.worldsoundtrackawards.com/awards2.cgi?go=history&category=&year=2005&type= |archive-date=18 July 2011 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
|align="center" |Best Original Song Written for a Film
|align="center" |Jerry Duplessis, Andrea Guerra, Wyclef Jean
|{{nom}}
|-
|-
|[[Writers Guild of America Awards 2004]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1517 |title=Awards Winners |access-date=4 June 2010 |publisher=Writers Guild Awards |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120525050852/http://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1517 |archive-date=25 May 2012 }}</ref>
| Best Actor in a Drama
|align="center" |Best Original Screenplay
| Don Cheadle
|align="center" |Keir Pearson, Terry George
| ''Nominated''
|{{nom}}
|-
|-
| Best Picture
| N/A
| ''Nominated''
|}
|}

==Cast==
* [[Don Cheadle]] as [[Paul Rusesabagina]]
* [[Sophie Okonedo]] as [[Tatiana Rusesabagina]]
* [[Nick Nolte]] as Colonel Oliver
* [[Fana Mokoena]] as [[General]] [[Augustin Bizimungu]]
* [[Joaquin Phoenix]] as Jack Daglish (the journalist)
* [[Jean Reno]] as [[Sabena]] Airlines President, [[Mr. Tillens]]
* [[Desmond Dube]] as [[Dube]]
* Hakeem Kae-Kazim as [[George Rutaganda]]

==Similar films==
* ''[[Schindler's List]]''
* ''[[Shooting Dogs]]''
* ''[[Sometimes in April]]''


==See also==
==See also==
* [[Paul Rusesabagina]] – Main character, and source of information, for ''Hotel Rwanda''
* [[Rwandan Genocide]]
* [[Roméo Dallaire]] – A UNAMIR Force Commander in ''Hotel Rwanda,'' and noted critic of the movie
* [[Paul Rusesabagina]]
* [[2004 in film]]
* [[Georges Ruggiu]] (the radio announcer)
* [[Hutu Power]] – a racist and ethnic supremacist ideology propounded by Hutu extremists in Rwanda
* [[Million Voices]] - song from the film
* [[Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines]] – a Rwandan radio station which played a significant role during the Genocide against the Tutsi


==Notes==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
<references />

==Further reading==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book | last=Barnett | first=Michael | title=Eyewitness to a Genocide: The United Nations and Rwanda | year=2003 | publisher=Cornell University Press | isbn=978-0-8014-8867-2 }}
* {{cite book | last=Chishugi | first=Leah | title=A Long Way from Paradise: Surviving the Rwandan Genocide | year=2010 | publisher=Virago Press | isbn=978-1-84408-657-3 | url-access=registration | url=https://archive.org/details/longwayfromparad0000chis }}
* {{cite book | last=Cruden | first=Alex | title=Rwandan Genocide (Perspectives on Modern World History) | year=2010 | publisher=Greenhaven Press | isbn=978-0-7377-5007-2 }}
* {{cite book | last=Destexhe | first=Alain | title=Rwanda and Genocide in the Twentieth Century | year=1995 | publisher=New York University Press | isbn=978-0-8147-1873-5 | url=https://archive.org/details/rwandagenocidein00dest }}
* {{cite book | last=Gourevitch | first=Philip | title=We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda | year=1999 | publisher=Picador | isbn=978-0-312-24335-7 | url-access=registration | url=https://archive.org/details/wewishtoinformyo00gour }}
* {{cite book | last=Ilibagiza | first=Immaculee | title=Led By Faith: Rising from the Ashes of the Rwandan Genocide | url=https://archive.org/details/ledbyfaithrising00ilib | url-access=registration | year=2009 | publisher=Hay House | isbn=978-1-4019-1888-0 }}
* {{cite book | last=Keane | first=Fergal | title=Season of Blood: A Rwandan Journey | url=https://archive.org/details/seasonofbloodrwa00kean | url-access=registration | year=1997 | publisher=Penguin | isbn=978-0-14-024760-2 }}
* {{cite book | last=Kroslak | first=Daniela | title=The Role of France in the Rwandan Genocide | year=2007 | publisher=Hurst & Company | isbn=978-1-85065-882-5 }}
* {{cite book | last=Laband | first=John | title=Daily Lives of Civilians in Wartime Africa: From Slavery Days to Rwandan Genocide | year=2006 | publisher=Greenwood | isbn=978-0-313-33540-2 }}
* {{cite book | last=Lawrence | first=Tracey | title=My Father, Maker of the Trees: How I Survived the Rwandan Genocide | year=2009 | publisher=Baker Books | isbn=978-0-8010-1320-1 }}
* {{cite book | last=Melvern | first=Linda | title=Conspiracy to Murder: The Rwandan Genocide | url=https://archive.org/details/conspiracytomurd00melv | url-access=registration | year=2006 | publisher=Verso | isbn=978-1-84467-542-5 }}
* {{cite book | last=O'Halloran | first=Kevin | title=Pure Massacre: Aussie Soldiers Reflect on the Rwandan Genocide | year=2010 | publisher=Big Sky Publishing | isbn=978-0-9803251-8-8 }}
* {{cite book | last=Prunier | first=Gerard | title=Africa's World War: Congo, the Rwandan Genocide, and the Making of a Continental Catastrophe | url=https://archive.org/details/africasworldwarc0000prun | url-access=registration | year=2008 | publisher=Oxford University Press | isbn=978-0-19-537420-9 }}
* {{cite book | last=Taylor | first=Christopher | title=Sacrifice as Terror: The Rwandan Genocide of 1994 | year=2001 | publisher=Berg Publishers | isbn=978-1-85973-278-6 }}
* {{cite book | last=Twagilimana | first=Aimable | title=The Debris of Ham: Ethnicity, Regionalism, and the 1994 Rwandan Genocide | year=2003 | publisher=University Press of America | isbn=978-0-7618-2585-2 }}
* {{cite book | last=Wallis | first=Andrew | title=Silent Accomplice: The Untold Story of France's Role in the Rwandan Genocide | year=2007 | publisher=I.B. Tauris | isbn=978-1-84511-247-9 }}
* {{cite book | last=Waugh | first=Colin | title=Paul Kagame and Rwanda: Power, Genocide and the Rwandan Patriotic Front | year=2004 | publisher=McFarland & Company | isbn=978-0-7864-1941-8 }}
* {{cite book | last=Willoquet-Maricondi | first=Paula | title=Framing the World: Explorations in Ecocriticism and Film (Under the Sign of Nature) | year=2010 | publisher=University of Virginia Press | isbn=978-0-8139-3005-3 }}
{{Refend}}


==External links==
==External links==
* [http://www.mgm.com/ua/hotelrwanda/ Official site]
* {{imdb title|id=0395169|title=Hotel Rwanda}}
* [http://www.cbc.ca/arts/film/genocide.html Filming the Unfilmable - The challenge of the genocide movie]
* ''[http://artsandfaith.com/t100/2005/entry.php?film=162 Hotel Rwanda]'' at the [http://artsandfaith.com/top100/ Arts & Faith Top100 Spiritually Significant Films] list
* [http://www.moviehole.net/news/20041224_4761.html Don Cheadle interview for Hotel Rwanda]
* [http://www.immortalchaplains.org/Prize/Ceremony2000/Rusesabagina/rusesabagina.htm Immortal Chaplains Foundation honors Rusesibagina, and affirms the movie's version of events]


{{Wikiquote|Hotel Rwanda}}
<!-- Don Cheadle -->
* {{Official website}}
<!-- Sophie Okonedo -->
* {{IMDb title|0395169|Hotel Rwanda}}
* {{TCMDb title|id=581095}}
* {{AFI film|63109}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|hotel_rwanda|Hotel Rwanda}}
* {{Metacritic film|title=Hotel Rwanda}}
* {{Mojo title|hotelrwanda|Hotel Rwanda}}

{{Terry George}}
{{Producers Guild Stanley Kramer Award}}
{{Satellite Award Best Motion Picture}}
{{TIFF People's Choice Award}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:2004 films]]
[[Category:2004 films]]
[[Category:American films]]
[[Category:2004 drama films]]
[[Category:British films]]
[[Category:2000s American films]]
[[Category:Drama films]]
[[Category:2000s English-language films]]
[[Category:English-language films]]
[[Category:2000s French-language films]]
[[Category:Films based on actual events]]
[[Category:Epic films based on actual events]]
[[Category:Films set in Africa]]
[[Category:Films about the Rwandan genocide]]
[[Category:Films shot in Super 35]]
[[Category:Films directed by Terry George]]
[[Category:French-language films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Rupert Gregson-Williams]]
[[Category:Italian films]]
[[Category:Films set in 1994]]
[[Category:Lions Gate films]]
[[Category:Films set in hotels]]
[[Category:Rwandan Genocide media]]
[[Category:Films shot in Gauteng]]
[[Category:South African films]]
[[Category:Films shot in Rwanda]]
[[Category:Lionsgate films]]
[[Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films]]
[[Category:Political films based on actual events]]
[[Category:Satellite Award–winning films]]
[[Category:Toronto International Film Festival People's Choice Award winners]]
[[Category:United Artists films]]
[[Category:United Artists films]]

[[de:Hotel Ruanda]]
[[es:Hotel Rwanda]]
[[fr:Hotel Rwanda]]
[[it:Hotel Rwanda]]
[[nl:Hotel Rwanda]]
[[ja:ホテル・ルワンダ]]
[[pl:Hotel Ruanda]]
[[pt:Hotel Rwanda]]
[[sq:Hotel Rwanda]]
[[fi:Hotelli Ruanda]]
[[sv:Hotell Rwanda]]
[[tr:Hotel Ruanda]]
[[zh:卢旺达饭店]]

Latest revision as of 16:49, 25 December 2024

Hotel Rwanda
Theatrical release poster
Directed byTerry George
Written by
Based onRwandan Genocide
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyRobert Fraisse
Edited byNaomi Geraghty
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed byMGM Distribution Co. (United States and Canada)
Entertainment Film Distributors (United Kingdom)[4]
Mikado Film (Italy)[4]
Lions Gate Films (International)
Release dates
  • 11 September 2004 (2004-09-11) (TIFF)
  • 22 December 2004 (2004-12-22) (United States)
  • 11 March 2005 (2005-03-11) (Italy)
Running time
121 minutes
Countries
  • United States
  • United Kingdom
  • South Africa
  • Italy
Languages
  • English
  • French
  • Kinyarwanda
Budget$17.5 million[2]
Box office$33.9 million[4]

Hotel Rwanda is a 2004 docudrama film co-written and directed by Terry George. It was adapted from a screenplay by George and Keir Pearson, and stars Don Cheadle and Sophie Okonedo as hotelier Paul Rusesabagina and his wife Tatiana. Based on the Rwandan genocide, which occurred during the spring of 1994, the film documents Rusesabagina's efforts to save the lives of his family and more than 1,000 other refugees by providing them with shelter in the besieged Hôtel des Mille Collines.[5] Hotel Rwanda explores genocide, political corruption, and the repercussions of violence.

The film was a co-production between United Artists and Lions Gate Films, and was commercially distributed by United Artists theatrically and by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for home media. Hotel Rwanda premiered in theaters in limited release in the United States on 22 December 2004 and in wide release on 4 February 2005, grossing more than $23 million in domestic ticket sales. It earned an additional $10 million in business through international release to top out at a combined total of nearly $34 million in gross revenue.

The film was nominated for multiple awards, including Academy Award nominations for Best Actor (Cheadle), Best Supporting Actress (Okonedo), and Best Original Screenplay.

Plot

[edit]

In April 1994, tensions between the Hutu-controlled government and Tutsi rebels led to genocide in Rwanda, where corruption and bribes between politicians were routine. Paul Rusesabagina, manager of the Belgian-owned Hôtel des Mille Collines, is Hutu, but his wife Tatiana is Tutsi. Their marriage is a source of friction with Hutu extremists, including Georges Rutaganda, a goods supplier to the hotel who is also the local leader of Interahamwe, a brutal Hutu militia. Paul curries favor with Rwandan Army general Augustin Bizimungu, who favors the Hutu. Following the assassination of the president, a Hutu, Paul and his family observe neighbors being killed, initiating the early stages of the genocide. When civil war erupts and a Rwandan Army Captain threatens Paul and his neighbors, Paul barely negotiates their safety and brings them to the hotel. Upon returning with them, he finds his insolent receptionist Gregoire occupying the presidential suite and threatening to expose the Tutsi refugees, including Paul's wife, if he is made to work.

The UN peacekeeping forces, led by Canadian Colonel Oliver, are forbidden to intervene in the conflict and prevent the genocide. Paul's boss and owner of the hotel, who lives in Belgium, apologizes to him over the phone, saying there's nothing he can do to provide safe passage for him and his family. The foreign nationals are evacuated, but the Rwandans are left behind to fend for themselves. More evacuees arrive at the hotel from the overburdened United Nations refugee camp, the Red Cross, and various orphanages, totaling 800, both Tutsi and Hutu. Tatiana desperately searches for her brother, sister-in-law, and two nieces. As the situation becomes more violent, Paul must divert the Hutu soldiers, care for the refugees, protect his family, and maintain the appearance of a functioning 4-star hotel. Paul forces Gregoire to work with the help of General Bizimungu.

Low on supplies, Paul and Gregoire drive to collect hotel supplies from Georges Rutaganda and witness the Interahamwe militia raping Tutsi hostages. Georges explains to Paul that the "rich cockroaches" money will become worthless since all of the Tutsis will be killed. Paul expresses disbelief that the Hutu extremists will wipe out all of the Tutsis, but Georges replies: "Why not? We are halfway there already." They return to the hotel through the dark, thick fog, on the riverside road recommended by Georges, only to find it is carpeted with dead bodies.

When the UN forces attempt to evacuate a group of refugees, including Paul's family, Gregoire betrays them to the Interahamwe, who use radio broadcasts to accost them. After giving General Bizimungu the remaining valuables and Scotch from his office safe to protect the refugees, Paul then admonishes Bizimungu for genocide apathy and promises to testify on his behalf for his help. Soon afterward, Paul's family and the hotel refugees are finally able to leave the besieged hotel in a UN convoy. They travel through retreating masses of refugees and militia to reach safety behind Tutsi rebel lines and are reunited with their nieces.

The end title cards explain that Paul saved at least 1,200 Tutsi and Hutu refugees. He and his family, who adopted the two nieces, moved to Belgium, but Tatiana's brother Thomas and his wife were never found. The genocide came to an end in July 1994 when the Tutsi rebels drove the Hutu and the Interahamwe militia across the border into the Congo. At least 800,000 people died in the genocide. Georges and Bizimungu were tried and sentenced for war crimes, with Georges receiving a life sentence.

Cast

[edit]
Actor Don Cheadle (L) portrayed Rwandan hotelier Paul Rusesabagina (R)

Production and historical accuracy

[edit]

In 1999, Rusesabagina received a phone call from an American screenwriter named Keir Pearson.[6] Pearson, along with his colleague Terry George, went on to write the script for Hotel Rwanda in consultation with Rusesabagina. The script was made into a Hollywood film, starring Don Cheadle as Rusesabagina. The film was released in 2004 to much critical acclaim. It received three Academy Award nominations, including for Best Original Screenplay and Best Actor for Don Cheadle's portrayal of Rusesabagina.[7] Sharing his thoughts about the lack of international intervention during the crisis, director Terry George commented, "It's simple ... African lives are not seen as valuable as the lives of Europeans or Americans."[8]

Rusesabagina has since come under criticism from some survivors of the Genocide. In 2008, the book Hotel Rwanda, or, the Tutsi Genocide as seen by Hollywood by Alfred Ndahiro, who was a former advisor to Paul Kagame, and journalist Privat Rutazibwa, was published.[9] The authors conducted interviews with 74 people who had stayed in the Hotel during the Genocide. Inside the Hotel Rwanda: The Surprising True Story … And Why it Matters Today, co-written by Hotel des Mille Collines Survivor Edouard Kayihura and American author Kerry Zukus, was published in 2011.[10]

The books include allegations that during the Genocide, Rusesabagina extorted money from hotel guests for rooms and food.[11] It was also reported that the UN headquarters in Kigali received information that Rusesabagina had provided a Rwandan army commander with a list of hotel guests and their room numbers. UN observers managed to change the room numbers of those most threatened.[11] The character of the Canadian Colonel is based on Senator Roméo Dallaire, now retired Lieutenant-General from the Canadian Armed Forces. Dallaire was not pleased with the film's portrayal of the events that he witnessed, arguing he and his men did far more to help survivors.[12][13] He recounted his own experiences in his biography, Shake Hands with the Devil. The book was later adapted into two feature films; a documentary, and a 2007 dramatic motion picture.

In response to critics, Odette Nyiramilimo, a prominent survivor who became a senator in the new government, pushed back against Paul Ruseabagina's suspected bad-faith intentions, saying: "I never saw him threaten to expel people from the hotel if they didn’t pay up — never."[14]

George stated that it was important to craft the film for a mass-market audience, using the question of whether the film is "going to play in Peoria? Will it be understood? Is it mainstream enough?"[15]

Filming

[edit]

Principal filming was shot on location in Kigali, Rwanda, and Johannesburg, South Africa.[16] Paul Rusesabagina was consulted during the writing of the film. Although the character of Colonel Oliver played by Nolte is fictional in nature, the role was inspired by the UN force commander for UNAMIR, Roméo Dallaire.[17] Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni, then-Rwandan president Juvénal Habyarimana, and Rwandan Patriotic Front leader (now president) Paul Kagame appear in archive television footage in the film.

The producers of the film partnered with the United Nations Foundation to create the International Fund for Rwanda, which supported United Nations Development Programme initiatives assisting Rwandan survivors.[18] "The goal of the film is not only to engage audiences in this story of genocide but also to inspire them to help redress the terrible devastation," said George.[19]

Soundtrack

[edit]

The original motion picture soundtrack for Hotel Rwanda was released by the Commotion label on 11 January 2005. It features songs written by Wyclef Jean, Deborah Cox, and others. The music for the film was composed by Rupert Gregson-Williams, Andrea Guerra, and the Afro Celt Sound System, while being edited by Michael Connell.[20][21]

External audio
via
YouTube logo
audio icon Million Voices (2005) – Played throughout the movie and the credits.
audio icon Umqombothi – Played in the introduction of the movie
Hotel Rwanda: Music from the Film
Film score by
Afro Celt Sound System and Rupert Gregson-Williams
Released
  • 1 November 2005 (2005-11-01)
Length49:25
LabelCommotion
Hotel Rwanda: Music from the Film
No.TitleLength
1."Mama Ararira Pt. 1/Mama Ararira We!, Pt. 2"3:41
2."Mwali We!"1:09
3."Million Voices"4:23
4."Interahamwe Attack"2:48
5."Nobody Cares"4:12
6."Umqombothi (African Beer)"4:53
7."The Road to Exile"4:47
8."Whispered Song"3:06
9."Finale"3:02
10."Ambush"2:49
11."Ne Me Laisse Pas Seule Ici"3:33
12."Mwari Sigaramahoro"2:22
13."Olugendo Lw'e Bulaya"5:54
14."Children Found"1:57
15."Icyibo"0:49
Total length:49:25

Marketing

[edit]

Novel

[edit]

Hotelier Paul Rusesabagina's experience encouraged director George to produce the film. A paperback novel published by Newmarket Press, titled Hotel Rwanda: Bringing the True Story of an African Hero to Film, released on 7 February 2005, dramatizes the events of the Rwandan Genocide in 1994, as depicted in the film, and expands on the ideas of how Rusesabagina sheltered and saved more than 1,200 people in the hotel he managed in Kigali by summarizing three years of research, articles that chronicle the historical events, and the ensuing aftermath. A brief history and timeline, the making of the film, and the complete screenplay written by Keir Pearson and Terry George are covered in thorough detail.[22]

Release

[edit]

Home media

[edit]

Following its cinematic release in theaters, the film was released in VHS video format on 12 April 2005,[23] marking the final United Artists film released on the format. The Region 1 Code widescreen edition of the film was also released on DVD in the United States on 12 April 2005. Special features for the DVD include; "A Message for Peace: Making Hotel Rwanda" documentary, "Return to Rwanda" documentary, Selected scenes commentary by Don Cheadle, Audio commentary by director Terry George and the real-life subject of the film–Paul Rusesabagina, along with select commentary by musician Wyclef Jean.[24]

Supplementally, the Blu-ray Disc edition of the film, featuring special documentaries along with selected scenes and audio commentary, was released in the United States on 10 May 2011.[25] The film is available in other media formats such as video on demand as well.[26]

Reception

[edit]

Box office

[edit]

The film premiered in cinemas on 22 December 2004 in limited release throughout the US During its limited opening weekend, the film grossed $100,091 in business showing at seven locations. Its official wide release was screened in theaters on 4 February 2005.[4] Opening in a distant 14th place, the film earned $2,316,416 showing at 823 cinemas. The film Boogeyman beat its competition during that weekend opening in first place with $19,020,655.[27] The film's revenue dropped by 11.8% in its second week of release, earning $2,043,249. For this particular weekend, the romantic comedy Hitch unseated Boogeyman to open in first place with $43,142,214 in revenue, while Hotel Rwanda remained in 14th place not challenging a top 10 position.[28] During its final weekend in release, the film opened in 62nd place grossing $23,176 in business.[29] The film went on to top out domestically at $23,530,892 in total ticket sales through an 18-week theatrical run. Internationally, the film took in an additional $10,351,351 in box office business for a combined worldwide total of $33,882,243.[4] For 2004 as a whole, the film would cumulatively rank at a box-office performance position of 99.[30]

Critical response

[edit]

Among mainstream critics in the U.S., the film received largely positive reviews.[31] On Rotten Tomatoes 91% of 191 critics gave the film a positive review, with an average score of 8/10 and the consensus calling it a "sobering and heartfelt tale about the massacre that took place in Rwanda while most of the world looked away."[32] On Metacritic, the film received a weighted average score of 79 out of 100, based on 40 reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[31]

As Rusesabagina, Cheadle is simply terrific. Not only does he assume a totally believable African accent and manner, he also convinces us with every move and gesture that he's a resourceful Everyman elevated to genuine heroism by a struggle to do the right thing.

—William Arnold, writing in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer[33]

Michael Rechtshaffen, writing in The Hollywood Reporter, stated actor "Cheadle impressively carries the entire picture, delivering the kind of note-perfect performance that's absolutely deserving of Oscar consideration."[34] Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times called it a "riveting drama", while exclaiming "The film works not because the screen is filled with meaningless special effects, formless action and vast digital armies, but because Cheadle, Nolte and the filmmakers are interested in how two men choose to function in an impossible situation. Because we sympathize with these men, we are moved by the film."[35] In the San Francisco Chronicle, Mick LaSalle wrote that the film was a "harrowing experience", and that "it documents for a mass audience what it was like. It's useful, in that it shows how it can happen. It's even hopeful, in that it shows that it's possible—not guaranteed, but possible—for people to maintain their humanity in the face of unhinged barbarism."[36] Claudia Puig of USA Today stated the film was "one of the year's most moving and powerful films, anchored by a magnificent performance by Don Cheadle." She declared, "Hotel Rwanda emerges as an African version of Schindler's List."[37] The film was not without detractors, Dave Sterrit of The Christian Science Monitor felt that, although the subject matter was crucially important, "the movie dilutes its impact with by-the-numbers filmmaking, and Cheadle's one-note performance displays few of his acting gifts."[38] Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly commented on the character significance of the U.N. personnel, she stated it was "a bad day for narrative, if not for diplomacy, when there is only one 3-D character among the entire U.N. lot, clad in their blue helmets, and that role is rasped by Nick Nolte with moral remorse rather than his more usual hint of dissolution." In her overall summation, she wrote "Hotel Rwanda is a strange history lesson that leaves us more overlectured than properly overwhelmed."[39] Michael Atkinson of The Village Voice, added to the negativity by stating the film was "told to us secondhand, or glimpsed in distant scuffles" and "Like the majority of movies about the last century of holocausts, Hotel Rwanda is as earnest and tasteful as its creators. To capture the white-hot terror of social calamity, someone a little more lawless and fierce might be called for."[40]

Writing for The New York Times, Stephen Holden wrote the film was "a political thriller based on fact that hammers every button on the emotional console."[41] He commended how the film "offers a devastating picture of media-driven mass murder left unchecked" while also praising "Mr. Cheadle's magnificent, understated portrayal".[41] James Berardinelli, writing for ReelViews, called the film "powerful" and noted that it didn't "pull as many punches as its detractors would have us believe."[42] Berardinelli also wrote the film was "brutal and shocking when it needs to be, but it also has great emotional scope and power. We find ourselves enmeshed in Paul's struggle, sharing his despair at the warfare tearing apart his country, his frustration and anger at the U.N.'s inability to act, and, eventually, his hope for a better tomorrow."[42] Describing some pitfalls, Jeff Vice of the Deseret News stated the "decision by the filmmakers to show things from that limited viewpoint—to show how isolated and fearful the characters were of the chaos going on around them—the film feels a little dishonest and diminished. It's never quite as effective as The Killing Fields or Schindler's List in that the film's overall impact is not as great and it doesn't linger in the memory."[43] Vice was quick to admit "Hotel Rwanda does have its share of powerful moments; in particular, a scene in which Paul and another hotel employee unknowingly—due to fog—drive into a mass grave." He also expressed satisfaction with the acting, stating "Cheadle brings a needed intensity to the film; his character's fear and compassion are quite vivid. Nolte is also good in his limited screen time, as is Joaquin Phoenix, who plays a news cameraman."[43]

[A] flat, cramped staging which, combined with d.p. Robert Fraisse's harsh overlighting, gives the film the feel of a cheap backlot production, even though it was shot on location.

—Scott Foundas, writing for Variety[44]

Eleanor R. Gillespie of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution stated that Hotel Rwanda was an "unforgettable film" as well as "a doubly unforgettable performance by Don Cheadle."[45] Although mentioning "The parallels with Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List are obvious", she praised individual cinematic elements that made the film unique, such as "the revelation of a dark, bumpy road paved with thousands of corpses. Or in a little girl's heartwrenching plea, 'Please don't let them kill me. I promise I won't be Tutsi anymore'."[45] She concluded her review with Cheadle's noteworthy performance, stating he gave "one of the best performances (if not the best) of last year—an Oscar-worthy portrait of a man who kept his head clear and his humanity intact in the midst of a man-made hell."[45] Similarly, David Ansen wrote in Newsweek that "two performances carry the film. Cheadle, in his richest role since Devil in a Blue Dress, burrows deep inside this complex man, who discovers in himself a strength he never knew he possessed, as he faces the disillusionment of all the "civilized" notions he believes in. As his strong, committed wife, Tatiana, Sophie Okonedo, barely resembling the saucy hooker she played in Dirty Pretty Things, is a revelation."[46] However, in the Arizona Daily Star, Phil Villarreal was not moved by the lead acting of Cheadle or Nolte. He thought the characters were "cardboardish" and stated the "uplifting moments of rescue seem antiseptic and set up."[47] Critic Leonard Maltin wrote that Hotel Rwanda was a "powerful film" that he thought avoided being "overly didactic by focusing on one compelling character, believably brought to life by Cheadle."[48] In Reel Power: Hollywood Cinema and American Supremacy, drawing on the work of journalist Keith Harmon Snow and writer Edward S. Herman, author Matthew Alford called the film "sensitive, humane and powerful" but noted that it was "striking how the history of bloodshed has been spun in line with Western interests".[49]

Top 10 lists

[edit]

Hotel Rwanda was listed on many critics' top ten lists for 2004.[50]

  • 1st – Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper[51]
  • 3rd – Claudia Puig, USA Today
  • 3rd – Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com
  • 6th – Ruthie Stein, San Francisco Chronicle
  • 8th – Lawrence Toppman, Salon.com
  • 8th – Mick LaSalle & Carla Meyer, San Francisco Chronicle
  • 9th – Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
  • 10th – Desson Thomson, Washington Post
  • 10th – Lawrence Toppman, Charlotte Observer
  • Top 10 (listed alphabetically) – Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer
  • Top 10 (listed alphabetically) – Carina Chocano, Los Angeles Times

Accolades

[edit]

The film was nominated and won several awards in 2004–2006.[52][53] Various critics included the film on their lists of the top 10 best films of 2004. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times named it ninth best, Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle named it eighth best, and Desson Thomson of The Washington Post named it tenth best.[54] The film is also listed by the American Film Institute as one of the 100 most inspirational movies of all time.[55]

Award Category Nominee Result
77th Academy Awards[56] Best Actor Don Cheadle Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Sophie Okonedo Nominated
Best Original Screenplay Keir Pearson, Terry George Nominated
American Film Institute Awards 2004[57] Top Audience Award ———— Won
Discover Screenwriting Award 2004[58] Discover Screenwriting Award Keir Pearson, Terry George Nominated
2005 Berlin International Film Festival[59] Out of Competition ———— Won
2005 Bet Awards[60] Best Actor Don Cheadle Nominated
Black Reel Awards of 2005[61] Best Actor in a Drama Don Cheadle Nominated
Best Actress in a Drama Sophie Okonedo Won
59th British Academy Film Awards[62] Best Original Screenplay Keir Pearson, Terry George Nominated
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards 2004[63] Best Picture ———— Nominated
Best Actor Don Cheadle Nominated
Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards 2005[64] Best Actor Don Cheadle Nominated
Best Picture ———— Nominated
2005 David Di Donatello Awards[65] Best Foreign Film ———— Nominated
2005 18th European Film Awards[66] Best Composer Rupert Gregson-Williams, Andrea Guerra Won
62nd Golden Globe Awards[67] Best Picture – Drama ———— Nominated
Best Actor – Drama Don Cheadle Nominated
Best Original Song Jerry Duplessis, Andrea Guerra, Wyclef Jean Nominated
Golden Satellite Awards 2004[68] Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama Don Cheadle Won
Best Motion Picture Drama ———— Won
Best Original Song Jerry Duplessis, Andrea Guerra, Wyclef Jean Won
Best Original Screenplay Keir Pearson, Terry George Nominated
2006 Grammy Awards[69] Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media Jerry Duplessis, Andrea Guerra, Wyclef Jean Nominated
2005 Humanitas Prize[70] Humanitas Prize Keir Pearson, Terry George Won
2005 3rd Irish Film & Television Awards[71] Best Director Terry George Won
Best Script for Film Keir Pearson, Terry George Won
31st Japan Academy Prize Ceremony[72] Best Foreign Language Film ———— Nominated
London Film Critics Circle Awards 2005[73] Best British Director Terry George Nominated
Best Actor Don Cheadle Nominated
Best British Supporting Actress Sophie Okonedo Nominated
2005 Movieguide Awards[74] Most Inspiring Movie Acting Don Cheadle Nominated
2005 36th NAACP Image Awards[75] Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture Don Cheadle Nominated
Outstanding Motion Picture ———— Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Sophie Okonedo Nominated
2006 Nastro d'Argento Silver Ribbon Award Best Score Andrea Guerra Nominated
2004 National Board of Review of Motion Pictures Awards[76] Top Ten Films ———— Won
Online Film Critics Society Awards 2004[77] Best Actor Don Cheadle Nominated
2004 Political Film Society Awards[78] Exposé ———— Nominated
Human Rights ———— Nominated
Peace ———— Nominated
Producers Guild of America Awards 2004[79] Stanley Kramer Award ———— Won
2006 Robert Awards[80] Best Non-American Film Terry George Nominated
San Diego Film Critics Society Awards 2004[81] Body of Work Don Cheadle Won
11th Screen Actors Guild Awards[82] Best Ensemble Acting ———— Nominated
Best Actor Don Cheadle Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Sophie Okonedo Nominated
Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards 2004[83] Best Picture ———— Nominated
2004 Toronto International Film Festival[84] People's Choice Award Terry George Won
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards 2004[85] Best Actor Don Cheadle Nominated
World Soundtrack Awards 2005[86] Best Original Song Written for a Film Jerry Duplessis, Andrea Guerra, Wyclef Jean Nominated
Writers Guild of America Awards 2004[87] Best Original Screenplay Keir Pearson, Terry George Nominated

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Hotel Rwanda (2004)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "Hotel Rwanda". The Numbers. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
  3. ^ "Endgame". Archived from the original on 24 August 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Hotel Rwanda". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  5. ^ Burr, Ty (7 January 2005). "Hotel Rwanda Movie Review: Cheadle brings quiet power to 'Rwanda'". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on 30 April 2008. Retrieved 9 April 2007.
  6. ^ Rusesabagina (2007), 239.
  7. ^ "The 77th Academy Awards | 2005". Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 5 October 2014. Archived from the original on 1 October 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  8. ^ Stefan Lovgren (9 December 2004). "'Hotel Rwanda' Portrays Hero Who Fought Genocide". National Geographic News. Archived from the original on 8 September 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
  9. ^ Hotel Rwanda or the tutsi genocide as seen by Hollywood. Paris: L'Harmattan. 2012. ISBN 978-2-296-19180-8. OCLC 1100973151.
  10. ^ Kayihura, Edouard; Zukus, Kerry (1 April 2014). Inside the Hotel Rwanda: The Surprising True Story ... and Why It Matters Today. BenBella Books, Inc. ISBN 978-1-937856-73-1.
  11. ^ a b Linda Melvern (17 November 2011). "Hotel Rwanda – without the Hollywood ending". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
  12. ^ "June 2: Failure to Protect Session 3 – "Inside the UN Security Council, April – July 1994"" (PDF). Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  13. ^ "Correcting the depiction of the "Hotel Rwanda hero"". African Arguments. 14 September 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  14. ^ Hammer, Joshua (2 March 2021). "He Was the Hero of 'Hotel Rwanda.' Now He's Accused of Terrorism". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 4 March 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  15. ^ Paul T. Boghosian (20 April 2017). "Director Terry George Speaks about 'The Promise'". Armenian Mirror-Spectator. Retrieved 8 June 2019.
  16. ^ Terry George. (2004). Hotel Rwanda [Motion picture]. United States: United Artists.
  17. ^ Gonzalez, Ed (6 May 2005). "Shake Hands With the Devil: The Journey of Roméo Dallaire". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  18. ^ "United Nations welcomes establishment of international fund for Rwanda". United Nations. 4 April 2005. Archived from the original on 17 March 2014. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
  19. ^ "United Nations Foundation Overview" (PDF). United Nations Foundation. Retrieved 18 June 2010.
  20. ^ "Hotel Rwanda (2004)". Yahoo! Movies. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  21. ^ "Original Soundtrack Hotel Rwanda". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  22. ^ Hotel Rwanda Bringing the True Story of An African Hero to Film. Newmarket Press. 7 February 2005. ISBN 978-1-55704-670-3. Archived from the original on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 17 June 2010..
  23. ^ "Hotel Rwanda VHS Format". Amazon. 12 April 2005. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
  24. ^ "Hotel Rwanda Widescreen DVD". Barnes & Noble. Archived from the original on 1 March 2012. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
  25. ^ "Hotel Rwanda: Blu-ray". BarnesandNoble.com. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  26. ^ "Hotel Rwanda: VOD Format". Amazon. Retrieved 15 November 2010.
  27. ^ "February 4–6, 2005 Weekend". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
  28. ^ "February 11–13, 2005 Weekend". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
  29. ^ "Hotel Rwanda Weekend Summary". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 21 January 2011.
  30. ^ "Domestic Total Gross". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  31. ^ a b "Hotel Rwanda". Metacritic. CNET Networks. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  32. ^ "Hotel Rwanda (2004)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  33. ^ Arnold, William (6 January 2005). An unforgettable Tale of Heroism and Hope. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
  34. ^ Rechtshaffen, Michael (22 December 2004). "Hotel Rwanda". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
  35. ^ Ebert, Roger (21 December 2004). "A hotel 'diplomat' offers sanctuary from genocide". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  36. ^ Lasalle, Mick (7 January 2005). Amid a massacre, an ordinary man stands tall to protect others. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
  37. ^ Puig, Claudia (21 December 2004). Haunting 'Hotel Rwanda'.Archived 2005-12-18 at the Wayback Machine USA Today. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
  38. ^ Sterrit, David (14 January 2005). Hotel Rwanda (PG-13). The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
  39. ^ Schwarzbaum, Lisa (1 February 2005). Hotel Rwanda (2004). Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
  40. ^ Atkinson, Michael (14 December 2004). Cheadle survives a timid account of the Rwandan genocide.Archived 2008-09-27 at the Wayback Machine The Village Voice. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
  41. ^ a b Holden, Stephen (22 December 2004). Holding a Moral Center as Civilization Fell. The New York Times. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
  42. ^ a b Berardinelli, James (December 2004). Hotel Rwanda. ReelViews. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  43. ^ a b Vice, Jeff (10 February 2005). Hotel Rwanda. Deseret News. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
  44. ^ Foundas, Scott (15 September 2004). "Hotel Rwanda". Variety. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  45. ^ a b c Gillespie R. Eleanor, (December 2004). Hotel Rwanda Archived 24 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
  46. ^ Ansen, David (20 December 2004). Hotel Rwanda: A Hero Will Rise. Newsweek. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
  47. ^ Villarreal, Phil (19 January 2005). Hotel Rwanda. Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
  48. ^ Maltin, Leonard (5 August 2008). Leonard Maltin's 2009 Movie Guide. Signet. p. 632. ISBN 978-0-452-28978-9.
  49. ^ Alford, Reel Power, p. 158
  50. ^ "Metacritic: 2004 Film Critic Top Ten Lists". Metacritic. Archived from the original on December 25, 2007. Retrieved December 25, 2007.
  51. ^ "Ebert and Roeper Top Ten Lists – Inner Mind".
  52. ^ "Hotel Rwanda: Awards & Nominations". MSN Movies. Archived from the original on 6 April 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  53. ^ "Hotel Rwanda (2004)". Yahoo! Movies. Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  54. ^ "Metacritic: 2004 Film Critic Top Ten Lists". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  55. ^ "AFI's 100 years 100 cheers: America's Most Inspiring Movies". American Film Institute. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
  56. ^ "Nominees & Winners for the 77th Academy Awards". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on 9 March 2010. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  57. ^ "AFI Fest 2004 November 4–14". AFI.com. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  58. ^ "4th Discover Screenwriting Award". American Screenwriters Association. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  59. ^ "Hotel Rwanda". Berlin International Film Festival. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  60. ^ "BET Awards 2005". BET.com. Archived from the original on 2 November 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  61. ^ "Hotel Rwanda". Black Reel Awards. 12 February 2009. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  62. ^ "British Academy of Film and Television Arts". BAFTA.org. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  63. ^ "The 10th Critics' Choice Awards Winners And Nominees". BFCA.org. Archived from the original on 19 July 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  64. ^ "Awards". dfwfilmcritics.net. Archived from the original on 27 January 2013. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  65. ^ "Nominees – Candidates". daviddidonatello.it. Archived from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  66. ^ "European Film Awards 2005". europeanfilmawards.eu. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  67. ^ "Hotel Rwanda". GoldenGlobes.org. Archived from the original on 4 August 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  68. ^ "2005 (January)". International Press Academy. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  69. ^ "2005 48th Annual Grammy Awards". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  70. ^ "Past Winners". humanitasprize.org. Archived from the original on 6 April 2010. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  71. ^ "Winners 2005". The Irish Film & Television Academy. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  72. ^ "Japan Academy Prize – Nominees and Winners". japan-academy-prize.jp. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  73. ^ "Hotel Rwanda". The Critics' Circle. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  74. ^ "Awards". MovieguideAwards.com. Archived from the original on 27 February 2013. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  75. ^ "36th NAACP Image Awards". Emmys.com. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  76. ^ "Awards for 2004". National Board of Review. Archived from the original on 13 August 2010. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  77. ^ "2005 Online Film Critics Society Awards". Alt Film Guide. 9 January 2005. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
  78. ^ "Previous Political Film Society Award Winners". Political Film Society. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  79. ^ "Precious to Be Honored with 2010 Stanley Kramer Award". National Board of Review. Archived from the original on 18 May 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  80. ^ "Robert Awards History". Scope.dk. Archived from the original on 2 June 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  81. ^ "Pages". San Diego Film Critics Society. Archived from the original on 7 December 2013. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  82. ^ "11th Annual SAG Awards Nominees". Screen Actors Guild Awards. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  83. ^ "Top Ten Films of 2004". Southeastern Film Critics Association. Archived from the original on 30 July 2013. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  84. ^ "Awards 2004". Toronto International Film Festival. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
  85. ^ "2004 WAFCA Awards". Washington DC Area Film Critics Association. Archived from the original on 9 July 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  86. ^ "History – 2005". World Soundtrack Academy. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  87. ^ "Awards Winners". Writers Guild Awards. Archived from the original on 25 May 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2010.

Further reading

[edit]
[edit]