Shake Hands with the Devil (2007)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Roger Spottiswoode

Writers:

Roméo Dallaire (book)
Michael Donovan (writer)

Release Date:

28 September 2007 (Canada)

Genre:

History

Tagline:

A true story of compassion, courage and hope

Plot:

A film adaptation of the Romeo Dallaire autobiography Shake Hands with the Devil.

Plot Keywords:

United Nations | Rwanda | Genocide | Violence | Cnn Reporter

Awards:

6 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Roy Dupuis	...	General Romeo Dallaire
Owen Sejake	...	Ghanian General Henry Anyidoho (as Owen Lebakeng Sejake)
James Gallanders	...	Major Brent Beardsley
Michel Mongeau	...	Luc Marchal
Robert Lalonde	...	Général Maurice Baril
John Sibi-Okumu	...	Booh-Booh
Akin Omotoso	...	Paul Kagame
Tom McCamus	...	Phil Lancaster
John Matshikiza	...	President Habyarimana
Jean-Hugues Anglade	...	Bernard Kouchner
Strini Pillai	...	Bangladeshi Commander
Craig Hourqueble	...	Willem
Kenneth Khambula	...	Major Kamenzi
Patrice Faye	...	Colonel Poncet
Chris Thorne	...	American Ambassador

MPAA:

Rated R for some disturbing violent images and brief strong language.

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:18A | Singapore:NC-16 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Company:

Barna-Alper Productions

Trivia:

Roy Dupuis collaborated significantly with Roméo Dallaire while researching this film and the two became friends.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: At the international news report on the massacres, the modern Rwandan flag is depicted on the screen, which wasn't introduced until 2001, whereas the news report was from 1993, during the massacre.

Quotes:

General Romeo Dallaire: We're going to stay to bear witness to what the rest of the world doesn't want to see.

Very Good movie about a tragic event

This docudrama covers similar territory and the same event as Hotel Rwanda, being the Rwandan genocide that took place in 1993. The movie focuses on Canadian Lieutenant-General Roméo Dallaire (briefly portrayed by Nick Nolte in Hotel Rwanda), sent to Kigali, Rwanada to command a U.N peacekeeping mission. The U.N was overseeing a tenuous cease-fire between two feuding Rwandan ethnic groups, the Hutu majority and the Tusti minority. Ultimately the situation ends up failing and breaking out into violence under his watch.

The movie documents Roméo Dallaire's frustration with the U.N and subsequent guilt by refusing to get involved with what was going on and failing to stop the Rwandan genocide that he was witnessing.

I never heard of the the lead actor, Roy Dupuis, before watching the movie. He's very good in the lead role.

The docudrama took the time to explain what was happening on screen point by point in great detail which helped minimize confusion and clarify a lot of things.