From pre-historic times to now, Africa has always remained a mysterious continent. The weather, the regime and the social customs have intrigued generations and helped shape the myriad realities of life in this vast expanse of land; besides crafting stories of survival and fight in the face of oppression and tyranny. Such factual accounts of the African life have been presented marvelously in 3 good movies which I would like to write about today. I prefer to call them my African Movie Trilogy. These movies were abundantly successful in capturing the essence of the African way of life both technically and in story-telling, the strife that plagues the region and the ideology behind the true struggle. The best part is that these movies educate the people in the facts behind the dissent in the corners of the dark continent. These are award winning and critically acclaimed movies which I hope you will see in the future.
Hotel Rwanda (2004)
Directed by – Terry George
Starring – Don Cheadle, Sophie Okonedo, Nick Nolte
I will begin with my first movie called Hotel Rwanda. It delves into the heroic exploits of man called Paul Rusesabagina who stood against the barbaric forces to save his people. The story takes you back to 1994 during the Rwandan civil war. The assassination of the Hutu Rwandan president Juvenal Habyarimana commences a bloody episode in the history of the continent, now known as the Rwandan Genocide which sources estimate killed around 800,000 people in a space of 100 days. The film narrates the brutal fighting between the 2 main ethnic groups – the Tutsis and Hutus and recounts the life of a messiah in those difficult times who saved the lives of many.
Paul, a Hutu is the manager of Hôtel des Mille Collines in the capital city Kigali and is under the protection of the United Nations forces. The atmosphere around the city is deteriorating with the incessant killing of civilians as the civil war breaks out again and Paul fears his wife might be targeted as she belonged to the rival Tutsi group. Amidst the growing chaos in the city and the shortening supply of basic items, he works tremendously hard to maintain the luxury of the guests in the hotel and turns it into a haven for the locals who are saved from the blood shed.
Hotel Rwanda did not win any of the 3 Academy Award nominations including Best Supporting Actress and Original Screenplay. Don Cheadle’s strong portrayal of the moderate Paul Rusesabagina won him a nomination for the OSCAR Best Actor but lost out.
Blood Diamond (2006)
Directed by – Edward Zwick
Starring – Leonardo Di Caprio, Jennifer Connelly, Djimon Hounsou
The second film in the list deals with a story set in Sierra Leone, where diamonds are found in abundance and traded in order to fund the war. Such diamonds are hence termed as ‘Conflict diamonds‘. Set in 1990s Sierra Leone civil war, the movie is called Blood Diamond.
The film shows gruesome atrocities perpetrated by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) which include chopping off the hands of people who disagree to work for the rebel army. The RUF employed brutal measures in its confrontation with the government which included recruiting child soldiers to fight the war. Daunting display of young boys holding automatic weapons, sometimes smoking and even subjected to drug abuse are plenty in the film. Must remind you here that there are few scenes in the movie which some individuals might find disturbing and offensive in nature.
On one fine day a fisherman called Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou) comes across his village being attacked by the RUF with sheer force. In the commotion that follows he gets separated from his family; his wife and 2 kids. Solomon is captured and forced to work for the RUF at a diamond field where he finds a rare pink diamond which is worth millions in dollars. He sneaks it past the watchful eyes of the rebels and hides it at a safer place just before the camp is raided by the government forces and Solomon is captured. Back in the prison, he meets Danny Archer (Leonardo Di Caprio) who is a close aide of the RUF forces and a mercenary from “Rhodesia” (present day Zimbabwe) who helps the rebel commanders with their supply of weapons and cash after selling the conflict diamonds. Oblivious about Danny’s dark credentials, Solomon strikes a deal to lead him to the hidden diamond in return for finding his lost family.
Always noticed for his acting and one of my favorite actors, Leo in this movie delivers his lines in a typical Zimbabwean accent which is quite noticeable. Blood Diamond managed 5 nominations at the OSCARs including Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor for Leonardo Di Caprio and Djimon Hounsou respectively.
The Last King of Scotland (2006)
Directed by – Kevin MacDonald
Starring – Forest Whitaker, James McAvoy, Gillian Anderson, Kerry Washington
Although not quite a reality-based film, ‘The Last King of Scotland’ is an account into the personal life of the dreaded dictator and president of Uganda General Idi Amin Dada, who ruled over this east African nation from 1971 to 1979. The movie is a cinematic version of the book by the same title which is written by Giles Foden.
Young and a fresh graduate, Scottish doctor Nicholas Garrigan resolves to work for the poor in the African continent and chooses Uganda. He joins Dr. Merrit and his wife Sarah (Gillian Anderson) where his job entails serving the poorest of the poor. On one such event, he’s summoned by the guards of president Idi Amin, who has met with a freak accident on the country road and needs some urgent treatment. The minor sprain in his arm is treated leaving Idi Amin quite impressed by the young man’s wit and charmed by his Scottish descent. Soon after much persuasion by the president himself, Garrigan accepts the invitation to become his personal physician sacrificing his objective of serving the impoverished and embraces an affluent lifestyle complete with cars, suits and women. Meanwhile as time passes the heroic and egalitarian image of Idi Amin is slowly replaced by a more brutal and oppressive human being, exposed by some incidents in life. It’s too late for Garrigan to go back to his native country though. The dictator certainly won’t allow him to leave Uganda now. Garrigan is turned into a virtual prisoner from an honoured and respected guest in no time and yet he must agree to work for the General to avoid being murdered or tortured brutally.
Though based on a book, ‘The Last King of Scotland’ is not a direct representation of the same and a lot of creative liberty has been taken to weave the final script. For his brilliant portrayal of the tyrannical dictator General Idi Amin, Forest Whitaker won the Best Actor OSCAR in 2007.
