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19 out of 20 people found the following review useful: An emotional and eye-opening film, 4 March 2005 Author: ianferraro from Toronto, Canada
This film reaffirms why documentary film making is so important. Documentaries don't simply tell a story; they tell a real story, a human story. Documentaries help to shed light on human triumphs and human tragedies, both of which are evident in this gripping film directed by Peter Raymont.The tragedy, of course, was that nearly 1 million Rwandans were killed and slaughtered in a senseless act of genocide. What adds to the tragedy is that the "civilized" world could have easily stopped this from happening, if they only cared. The film displays how the U.N. and individual countries alike not only failed to help the innocent Rwandan people, but in many ways they contributed to the genocide that happened by creating some of the ethnic stigmas that existed in the country.Yet amongst all of this carnage and horror there did remain some good people who tried to help the Rwandan's. General Romeo Dallaire, commander of the UN forces in Rwanda, was one of these people. Perhaps no one else in Rwanda did as much to save people as did Mr. Dallaire. Even though he was betrayed by the UN and ignored by the rest of the world, he emerged from this terrible situation as a hero.I believe the ultimate message of this film is that the leading countries of the world and their citizens must learn from human tragedies like Rwanda so that we can take action to prevent such atrocities from happening again. Unfourtunately, with situations such as the one in Darfur, it seems like this message is not being heard. An important film that must be seen by all and a shining example of documentary film making. 10/10.
16 out of 17 people found the following review useful: Very well edited, 4 March 2005 Author: akiveverkova from United States
I have seen a few movies re: Dallaire, read his book and have seen him speak. I think what puts this film above all of the other background information that I have is the editing. Yes, some of the footage is stock (stock as in seen in other documentaries re: Rwanda) IT IS ALL REAL. THIS IS A VERY GRAPHIC FILM. The editing is amazing. The photography gives the beauty of the landscape and the stock footage is placed in very well. Overall, it is an amazing movie. I give most of that credit to the editor. It is important to put this film in context. I don't expect most people to understand this context, but if you are interested (which I hope you are) there are many wonderful books that can get you started. Not only is this an important film in the documenting of Dallaire and Rwanda, but it is a VERY honest look at the affects of war. If you watch him as he speaks (on film and in person) this is a man whose very core has been horribly affected. Can he ever overcome those scares? I don't think so. Should he? No. He should do what he is doing now...show them to the world. The sad part is that some parts of the world will never listen to him, but that can not distract him. He has to keep going....I hope this makes some amount of sense. Please, see the film. Understand the history. Teach your children so this isn't again our future.
17 out of 19 people found the following review useful: What is the value of a human life?, 31 January 2005 Author: dmbhutch from Salem, Oregon
I just returned from the Sundance film Festival where I saw Shake Hands with the Devil. This documentary must be seen for many reasons. It is a history lesson for those who missed the tragedy of the Rowandan genocide. It asks the question: why do we value one human life above another? It tells the story of the courage and conviction of Romeo Dallaire; qualities he possesses to an extent that surpasses what most of us can only imagine. After the screening I attended, the audience was left speechless and was slow to applaud. We all sat in our seats numbed by what we just seen - that human life can have no value on a world wide basis. Please see this outstanding documentary.
16 out of 18 people found the following review useful: What a moving film., 26 September 2004 Author: Dan Revill (scatterbrain@shaw.ca)
It's not often that I get to review documentaries (and I'm not sure that Michael Moore counts) but I was fortunate enough to see the excellent film 'Shake Hands with the Devil: The Journey of Roméo Dallaire' this afternoon. Daillaire was picked from the Canadian Army to lead the UN Peacekeeping mission in Rwanda as the genocide of Tutsis (by another tribe the Hutu) was about to begin. The film goes into the history of how the hatreds began, and how there was a real failure from the world to intervene in time. At every turn Daillaire was thwarted by his so-called superiors to do anything. For the most part his men were left to watch as the country destroyed itself. As this was all happening in the spring of 1994, the world was obsessed with one OJ Simpson and his bloody glove. Watching the film I was sickened by the first world's apathy toward Africa. Bono once said that this generation will be remembered for standing by with water while Africa burned. This film only reinforced the statement. Afterwards the director, Peter Raymont, had a Q&A with the audience (there was also Dallaire's assistant from that period in Rwanda - his name escapes me), and he said that in Canada it will be playing on the CBC in the new year. I saw it as part of the Vancouver International Film Fest, and it's played at Toronto already, and will be at Berlin and Sundance next year. Please check this film out! It deserves to be seen by one and all.
15 out of 17 people found the following review useful: "when humans aren't enough", 24 January 2005 Author: joojiep from United States
This incredible documentary must be seen. The irony that Romeo Dallaire, the only man who actually stayed in Rwanda during the genocide, would feel the most guilt over the mass slaughter is incredible. This film needs to be seen in the context of current African tragedies. Not simply Sudan, but the LRA's child soldiers of Uganda, the gruesome and pervasive civil wars in Burundi, DRC, and the Cote d'Ivoire. These conflicts are complex and ignored by the world. See this film and become more informed on African politics which are destroying the lives of tens of thousands of human beings. There are possibilities to help, seek out large NGOs such as Oxfam, Medecins Sans Frontieres, and the Heifer Organization; or smaller, more specialized NGOs such as Care For Life. This film helps us all to realize we cannot ignore the realities of developing nations' violence and poverty. In another fantastic documentary, "Born into Brothels," one of the children says something to the effect of "I like this picture, though it is sad, we have to look at it because that is the way she lives and it is truth." If an impoverished 10-year-old can come to that realization, so must the rest of the world.
13 out of 15 people found the following review useful: The Devil in our Backyard, 27 March 2005 Author: kergillian (kergillian@hotmail.com) from Montreal, Canada
I saw Shake Hands with the Devil not long ago, on Radio-Canada, and it was a very strong counter to Hotel Rwanda, which I had seen just days earlier. It amazes how countries that stand up and decry the Holocaust, that call Iraq and Afghanistan centers of evil that must be invaded and liberated, seem to sit quietly and allow genocide to occur repeatedly throughout Africa. Whatever the reason may be - no resources or interests, an attempt to pacify mutual allies, or simple apathy because it's 'not a Western problem', it fills me with anguish to see the results. And to see CNN and the media giving Iraq and the Asian tsunami 24/7 coverage while making Rwanda and Darfur a footnote on the back pages is nothing short of horrendous.One scene in particular really stuck with me - it's the scene during the Rwandan inquest, where a Belgian senator starts to harangue Dallaire over the deaths of a couple of Belgian peacekeepers, who he claimed could have been saved. It absolutely astounded me to see this self-righteous and self-centered man thinking about the loss of two men while nearly a million were butchered. And to blame Dallaire, who was handicapped by the UN who refused to give him support or a mandate...it boggles the mind. I didn't see the Belgian government pleading for the UN to intervene...In Darfur it's the same situation - the UN doesn't want to intervene, so they swamp their investigation and reports in red tape, mainly because China has oil contracts with the Sudanese government and Russia has sold arms to them. It looks like the only lesson that the previous genocides of the last century has taught us, is that if there's going to be genocide, get on the side that is committing it and make sure that your interests are secured...Bravo to Dallaire for having the courage and cojones to return to Rwanda and to give us his outstanding and this astonishing and important documentary. 9/10.
11 out of 12 people found the following review useful: Never fails to engage, 8 September 2005 Author: bob the moo from Birmingham, UK
In 1994 General Dallaire was given command of a small peacekeeping operation from the UN in the central African country of Rwanda. When the Hutus started killing the Tutsis population the UN evacuated the westerners but essentially left the country to take care of itself – with only Dallaire's small and underfunded group of men left against a tidal wave of violence that left about 800,000 dead. As the west sat transfixed by the OJ trial, Dallaire struggled to get the word out and get the world to respond. Ten years later, he returns to Rwanda to remember.Having been gutted by Hotel Rwanda I felt ashamed that I knew very little about the genocide and decided to watch this documentary to provide more insight than HR did. Although this film is more interested in Dallaire than in the actual genocides it still is educational, interesting and impacting. We follow Dallaire as he returns to the country and recollects the events of a decade ago, memories that are backed up with some sickening archive footage of bodies and murder. It doesn't really shock or emotionally involve that well in that regard though – compared to the narrative structure of HR this seems a bit distant, a fact not helped by the "looking back" delivery. However the film is still impacting because it focuses more on the west and the failure to act, with Dallaire lost in the middle of the chaos. The film does this well and it is very clear where the blame lies and how insincere the world was and still is – Clinton's visit and assurances that he didn't appreciate how bad things were at the time made me angry and frustrated.As our eyes Dallaire is very interesting. He is long past tears so he doesn't move us by breaking down but by being honest and talking. The things he recalls seeing are horrific, although just as engaging is his own pain and suffering – his frustrations, his fears and his anger. I'm sure some viewers will not warm to him because he doesn't look emotional but his story makes up for it. The film gives him a bit of an easy ride in some regards, not pushing him when he says that he had no mandate etc, but even those who feel he is the figurehead for failure will acknowledge that he did stay when he could easily have left like everyone else.Overall this is a hard film to judge because the subject matter means it easily engages and is moving. Some viewers may find it a bit cold compared to the emotional ride of Hotel Rwanda but it is no less for it, in fact it makes for a more detailed and open presentation that is consistently interesting and moving.
12 out of 14 people found the following review useful: Open, honest, and moving, 1 February 2005 Author: mike-1613 from Canada
There is so much tragedy that takes place in the world involving the military and others involved in physical conflict, yet it is rare that a soldier comes forward to tell the truth. In Shake Hands with the Devil: The Journey of Roméo Dallaire, we are lucky to have not just a soldier, but a leader who took so much responsibility for the Rwandan genocide onto himself explaining through word and deed what happened there, and its meaning. This is a wonderful documentary, and a moving story about an honest man's quest to understand the difficulty and horror he experienced. It is impossible not to be emotionally moved by Dallaire's story, and the well-crafted way in which it is told.
3 out of 4 people found the following review useful: Response to Mr. McGonigle, 4 March 2006 Author: jaythompson-is from Canada
Mr. McGonigle, though your criticism fair in parts, I wish you to delve deeper into why, exactly, the United States is partially blamed in this feature, as well as in Roméo Dallaire's book as well.I have spent time as a foreign aid worker in Rwanda, and after seeing this film, I was disappointed at how little was spoken in regards to the peoples involved. You wrote, "The Hutu fundamentalists didn't want peace or a political settlement; they only wanted to see Tutsis dead. That's it. All the troops in the world would only have stopped the slaughter temporarily.", to which I would say is a very simple-minded argument, and based on what I have witnessed on the ground in Rwanda, I would say it to be quite irrational.What is exceptionally important to understand, and I feel very understated in the West, is how intelligent these African leaders are. They, like the leaders in the West, have often attended Universities in the West (in this case, Universities in Quebec seemed popular amongst the francophones). These leaders understand what buttons to push, and what will give them gain, and what will not.The Hutu were not out to kill for the sake of killing. There was a cunning behind this, and had their leaders nothing to gain with genocide, we undoubtedly would have stopped it before it began. The terrible thing, as Dallaire of course bears witness too, is that 'we' (that is, the member states of the United Nations, particularly the Security Council) could do something to stop it. We simply chose not to.Let us also understand where the United Nations went wrong. This was not a situation of Secretary-General Mr. Boutros-Ghali or any of his subordinates simply turning a blind eye to the plight in Rwanda, or otherwise not committed to spending there. This was a failure of the member states not wishing to spend the needed cost in staff, soldiers, MILOBS, and supplies. Specifically the members of the Security Concil - including, of course, the all-powerful United States of America.Another argument you put forth, Mr. McGonicle: "Now let's be very blunt, look around you; how many young Americans would you send into harms way to only temporarily halt, not stop the eventual killings? How many would you be willing to sacrifice for a country of little strategic value, no natural wealth and no great political objectives to speak of? I am aware of the "doing it for humanity" argument, but is it possible to stop every insane group determined to kill off parts of their own population? Are the superpowers supposed to be the world's police? Can they be everywhere all the time?"While some might argue it a callous argument, it is indeed both logical and fair. No, the United States is not obligated to solve the worlds problems. However, one can certainly argue there have been few human catastrophes worse than the Rwandan Genocide within the last century. Given the last forty years of near-constant warfare waged by the Americans, logical questions must be asked. Is it logical for the United States to aggressively invade nations based on ideological principles? If so, is that truly more important than halting genocide? If not, all I can say is we must agree to disagree. The pure human loss seems far more important than if a government wishes to abolish private land ownership, or to legalise cocaine.Forgive me for the transgressions, though. The book, 'Shake Hands with the Devil', is magnificent. All documentaries and films I have seen depicting the genocide seem to always fill be with a lack of ... something unexplainable. Perhaps it just seems that there isn't enough time in these formats to adequately tell such a complex political and sociological story. While I would recommend the film for the pure purpose of educating oneself about such an important historical footnote (in the West) that deserves far more attention, I could not say it told the whole story.This film is about Mr. Dallaire, first and foremost. And on that note, I must say it does a fine job.
3 out of 4 people found the following review useful: the story of a real hero, 29 June 2005 Author: m_white from Seattle, WA
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
*spoilers in here* "Shake Hands With The Devil" reviews the experiences of Canadian Gen. Romeo Dallaire, who was head of the UN troops in Rwanda in 1994, while filming his return to Rwanda for the 10th anniversary of the genocide in 2004. Dallaire's small UN peacekeeping force was sent in to help protect the fragile truce in Rwanda's civil war, and as such was unable to interfere in any way. In April of 1994, all hell broke loose as extremists assassinated Rwanda's president and staged a coup, pretending a "third force" was at fault. High-level military commanders joined forces with the "Hutu power" extremists and quickly killed all the moderate leaders in the first few hours after the assassination, so there was no one left to oppose them as they set in motion a carefully planned genocide. Foreign nationals fled the country and the UN pulled out everyone except a minimal force. Only 270 soldiers were allowed to remain, paralyzed by the restraints of their mission's parameters. They could shelter as many Tutsis as possible in a handful of UN-protected sites, but apart from that, they were made to be bystanders.The UN's ambivalence hamstrung every operational aspect of the mission. Dallaire had to beg for even the most basic supplies -- I'm talking about paper and pencils here, not guns or jeeps. He spent most of his time during the genocide jumping through the most insane administrative hoops, filing reports, writing assessments, trying everything to convince his bosses at the UN. It was plain that the higher-up hoped if they stalled long enough, it would all just go away.Finally after 3 months of unrestrained killing, the rebel troops were able to move in and halt the genocide. By then 800,000 people were dead.As you can imagine, Dallaire was devastated by this experience. In the years afterwards, he had an emotional breakdown and attempted suicide twice. He was haunted with guilt and remorse, certain the a minimal force of 5,000 could have stopped or even prevented the genocide. He sees this as his own personal failure, as it was his inability to convince his higher-ups to intervene which cost so many lives.But instead of succumbing to despair, with the help of his family and loved ones, he eventually pulled himself together. He laid some of the worst demons to rest by writing a book about his experience. The movie takes its title from the name of his book.Dallaire has returned to Africa to testify in the war crimes trials, but until the 10th anniversary, he had not gone back to Rwanda. As he revisited the scenes of his experiences in 1994, the filmmakers came with him, sometimes jumping back to archive footage of the genocide, so that we could see what Dallaire saw in his mind's eye as he contrasted past to present.There in the midst of those tormented memories, Dallaire's compassion for the survivors he meets overpowers his sadness and remorse. Each individual matters to him. And some places bring a wistful smile to his face. He is reunited with several people he worked with in 1994, and they greet one another with great affection. The film intersperses interviews with of some of those people, who fill in other details in the story.Dallaire reminds me of the heroes of classic mythology, like one of Joseph Campbell's stories, built from deep archetypes. He shook hands with evil incarnate, he was transformed by his horrific experience, he endured, he survived, and has passed back into the land of the living, wearing the scars of his ordeal like a scarlet letter or a mark of Cain. He is a modern day Cassandra, condemned to tell the truth no one wants to hear. Not surprisingly, Dallaire has been pressured to quit pointing fingers and keep his mouth shut. He refuses. Like the ancient mariner, he tells his tale because he must. He bears witness to that Hell on Earth. We need to listen to him, and this movie helps bring us his message.I would also like to respond to the review of May 16, 2005. This viewer was unhappy that the film was critical of the US, but I think he misunderstood. Although Dallaire has plenty of gripes with the US, the movie's main target for criticism is the UN. Yes, the US naturally comes under heavier scrutiny than other member nations because we have so much more to offer and have so much more influence. But the UN is the one who blew it in a big way here. The UN's scope reaches far beyond that of individual member nations. The Rwandan cease fire in early 1994 was exactly the type of situation the UN was meant to help with. In this case, the only thing the UN and the US succeeded in was in looking like racist hypocrites.This reviewer contends that none of us would be willing to sacrifice an American life to save a Rwandan, but I don't agree. I think American soldiers have a sense of honor, and would not want to stand by and watch a child hacked to death in front of the parents. Being a world leader is more than just getting to be first in line at the feed trough. Our great wealth, our powerful military, and our extraordinarily rich resources enable us to lend a hand to others who need help. International law was broken. We (the US AND the UN) promised to uphold that law and we (the US AND the UN) had a duty to stand by our word.
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