The articles help give perspective and an image of everything going on. Wilkens even says that it was difficult for him to understand what was going on until he was basically out of his norm. It is interesting to think of how we are desensitized. Every day we hear on the news of people dying or being killed. Soldiers doing X and Y standing by and allowing it. It took for him, a shop teacher, to see it first hand in order to take it all in. It makes you think of how desensitized we truly are.
Hotel Rwanda is a very interesting film because it meets a lot of the topics that were discussed earlier in this semester. We see the hero, we see where the world’s priorities lie, and we see people who do nothing. Sadly and most importantly we see Genocide.
For some reason this film always is hard to watch and hard to imagine. It kind of shows the timeline, and development of the mass attacks. We see the planning in the background while people mostly act as if they do not know what is going on. We see the smuggling of machetes into a small camp. For some reason or another it appears that shooting someone is more humane than being attacked by a machete. It was difficult to see the weapons before the actions even began. We the idea of actually become desensitized to all the actions we have read and viewed. This one blows the rest out of the water. The military power there just sits back while everything is going on. Thousands upon thousands of people evacuating from their homes for safety, was extremely difficult.
When we see the military upon arrival or the United Nations, they first off do absolutely nothing. They stand back while people are suffering, and only pull out the wealthy. The UN showed how they valued people. There are thousands of people dying and they rush in to save certain individuals, while they pass up others. The problem is that it was difficult for me to understand how the UN could do nothing. I understand politics and so forth, but there seems to be know extreme consequence if the UN intervenes. Basically wealth is a major priority. It was seen in the previous film as the reporters kind of lived in luxury, but we do see the hero.
The hero on the other hand was Paul Rusesabagina, he was able to through his connections to do everything in his power to save the people around him. He was the iconic hero that stood up. His family was his main priority, but soon developed into something more than that. He begins to contact military leaders, and the people he has made connections with over the years to help him out. He was very similar in a sense to Schindler. He knew he wouldn’t have what he had today if it wasn’t for the people who surround him.
Hotel Rwanda is a very interesting film because it meets a lot of the topics that were discussed earlier in this semester. We see the hero, we see where the world’s priorities lie, and we see people who do nothing. Sadly and most importantly we see Genocide.
For some reason this film always is hard to watch and hard to imagine. It kind of shows the timeline, and development of the mass attacks. We see the planning in the background while people mostly act as if they do not know what is going on. We see the smuggling of machetes into a small camp. For some reason or another it appears that shooting someone is more humane than being attacked by a machete. It was difficult to see the weapons before the actions even began. We the idea of actually become desensitized to all the actions we have read and viewed. This one blows the rest out of the water. The military power there just sits back while everything is going on. Thousands upon thousands of people evacuating from their homes for safety, was extremely difficult.
When we see the military upon arrival or the United Nations, they first off do absolutely nothing. They stand back while people are suffering, and only pull out the wealthy. The UN showed how they valued people. There are thousands of people dying and they rush in to save certain individuals, while they pass up others. The problem is that it was difficult for me to understand how the UN could do nothing. I understand politics and so forth, but there seems to be know extreme consequence if the UN intervenes. Basically wealth is a major priority. It was seen in the previous film as the reporters kind of lived in luxury, but we do see the hero.
The hero on the other hand was Paul Rusesabagina, he was able to through his connections to do everything in his power to save the people around him. He was the iconic hero that stood up. His family was his main priority, but soon developed into something more than that. He begins to contact military leaders, and the people he has made connections with over the years to help him out. He was very similar in a sense to Schindler. He knew he wouldn’t have what he had today if it wasn’t for the people who surround him.
I agree with your point on Paul. He like Schindler and Wallenberg used what little influence and resources at his disposable for the greater good.In their cases they believed that saving inncocent lives is worth more than wealth when it most other cases it's the other way around. I agree too with your point on the priority of wealth as it seems almost any war like confict can be traced back to some kind of Monetary gain.Infact, Isn't that how the Tutsis and Hutus began hating each other? After the former was given preference during Belgian occupation, making them more financially secure than the former and thus generating resentment between the two?
ReplyDeleteI agree with you as well about how Paul is very similar to Schindler in the way that he did what he could with all the resources he had, like his hotel, and who he knew, people with power. Paul took in his family and fellow neighbors by putting them in his hotel and waiting for help to come along. He is a true hero just like Schindler. The only difference is unlike Schindler who just had to bribe the Nazi’s and create lies, Paul needed help from the United Nations. I also agree with you about how the United Nations did absolutely nothing. The United Nations decided to evacuate the wealthy people, who were not the target, first instead of the Rwandans. They did come back for them once, but gave up as soon as trouble came along. Politics play a huge part in genocide. I only wonder what would happen if politics played a smaller part.
ReplyDeleteMILLER-COMMENT ON WEED'S BLOG
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I really like the comparison you made between Schindler and Paul. Like I said in my other comment, I think both men underwent a journey during each of the respective genocides. At first, both of them seemed only interested in saving what was immediately around them or important to them. However, as the genocides progressed, we see each man deeply affected on a personal level. As a result, they both use their businesses and wealth to protect as many people as possible.
That being said, I have to disagree slightly when you say that Hotel Rwanda gave a true outsider’s perspective to what was going on. Did Hotel Rwanda raise awareness about what was actually going on? Absolutely. However, I disagree that a Hollywood-produced production using traditional actors is giving a true outsider’s perspective of what was really going on. Just my opinion, though.
Alex, What about Murambi, Book of Bones. What does it tell your about the genocide?
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