Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager, houses over a thousand Tutsi refugees during their struggle against the Hutu militia in Rwanda, Africa.Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager, houses over a thousand Tutsi refugees during their struggle against the Hutu militia in Rwanda, Africa.Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager, houses over a thousand Tutsi refugees during their struggle against the Hutu militia in Rwanda, Africa.
- Nominated for 3 Oscars
- 16 wins & 49 nominations total
- Head Chef
- (as Kid Sithole)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe screenwriter spent one year writing the first draft of the script. During the process, he called the Rwandan embassy in DC. The woman who picked up the phone was a survivor who stayed at the Milles Collines Hotel.
- GoofsThe land now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo is called "Congo" in the movie. From 1971 until 1997, the country was officially called Zaire and would have been named as such in formal references. However, this area was known as Congo from 1877 to 1971. It would not be unusual for a character to refer to it as "Congo" out of habit or custom.
- Quotes
Paul Rusesabagina: I am glad that you have shot this footage and that the world will see it. It is the only way we have a chance that people might intervene.
Jack: Yeah and if no one intervenes, is it still a good thing to show?
Paul Rusesabagina: How can they not intervene when they witness such atrocities?
Jack: I think if people see this footage they'll say, "oh my God that's horrible," and then go on eating their dinners.
[pause]
Jack: What the hell do I know?
- Crazy creditsPart of the profits from this film shall go to The Rwandese Survivors Fund.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Siskel & Ebert: The Best Films of 2004 (2005)
- SoundtracksUmqombothi
Written by Attie Van Wyk & Chicco Twala
Performed by Yvonne Chaka Chaka
Published by Universal Music Publishing Ltd. on behalf of Tela Music
Courtesy of Universal Records
From about fifteen minutes into "Hotel Rwanda", I was pretty upset, and that feeling didn't go away once. Don Cheadle is incredibly good as a conflicted hero. Many comparisons have been made between this film and "Schindler's List", but if there is a way to rate levels of heroship, Paul Rusesabagina as portrayed in the film is pretty high up there. He is repeatedly given the chance to escape unharmed, but never gives in, a big turnaround from the beginning of the film when he first turned a blind eye, then became a reluctant hero. Cheadle captures this complicated figure brilliantly. It's not just the superficial coups that he achieves (flawless accent, etc.) it is the subtle strength he gives the character. His character may not be a beloved singer or a good impersonation of someone, but the strength of his performance should have given him an Oscar, not just a nomination. (Though I am glad that he at least got that much.) This is the first film that I have seen Sophie Okonedo act in, and she also extremely good. She quickly shows that she is more than a pretty face, and her strength and mettle are admirable, while experiencing the worst atrocities first hand.
As a film, "Hotel Rwanda" was not manipulative emotional. Under Terry George's direction, it felt at times like a documentary because it was truly an unblinking look at a terrible and shameful time in history. Though I had heard about the genocide, I was not fully aware of the "reasons" for the war, and as completely ridiculous as they were, the film is excellent at providing us a lesson in recent history without commentary. As far as I can tell, this is a pretty level look at the conflict and while it was incredibly emotional, it was not preachy. While I mention that it had an almost documentary feel to it, which is not to say that there were dramatic moments. One moment in particular where I literally felt like I was going to be sick was when Paul (in what was probably his defining moment) encounters literally hundreds of dead bodies on a road that he and one of his hotel employees are traveling. Having said that, however, even a moment like this one was managed with care and subtlety by George.
I was telling some co-workers about the film and its emotional impact and a couple of them who hadn't seen it went, "Gee that sounds too depressing for me". "Hotel Rwanda" is certainly not a cheerful film, it is a film about a conflict that ended the lives of one million people in a matter of months while most of the world turned a blind eye. But it amazingly ends on a note that did not make me want to find the nearest closed garage and turn on the car, and left me with a newly found understanding of something I had only heard about and until Saturday night, knew nothing about. "Hotel Rwanda" is not an easy film to watch, but it is really and truly an excellent film that should be seen, both for its impactful storytelling and for its command performances. 8/10 --Shelly
- FilmOtaku
- Feb 28, 2005
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Languages
- Also known as
- Khách Sạn Rwanda
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $17,500,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $23,530,892
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $100,091
- Dec 26, 2004
- Gross worldwide
- $33,882,243
- Runtime2 hours 1 minute
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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![Don Cheadle, Nick Nolte, Joaquin Phoenix, Mosa Kaiser, Sophie Okonedo, Ofentse Modiselle, and Mathabo Pieterson in Hotel Rwanda (2004)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZGJjYmIzZmQtNWE4Yy00ZGVmLWJkZGEtMzUzNmQ4ZWFlMjRhXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTMxODk2OTU@._V1_QL75_UY133_CR0,0,90,133_.jpg)