Realism Assignment 3: Modern Example

Hotel Rwanda is a modern example of realism. The film illustrates a true story of the violent conflict that took place between the Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups in Rwanda, which ultimately resulted in a genocide of the Tutsi people. Paul Rusesabagina, the primary protagonist is the owner of a five star hotel in Rwanda, who uses his hotel to house and protect Tutsi civilians against the Hutu militia while waiting for foreign intervention. Roughly one million Tutsis were killed in under three months while the United Nations and other groups ignored the situation and failed to give aid, only evacuating tourist and journalist from the hotel. Paul attempts to dissuade and bribe the Hutu leaders out of attacking the hotel until he eventually is able to use his political connections to get an evacuation party sent for the refugees in the hotel. The film captures the shocking brutality of the events. In one scene while Paul is driving back to the hotel after attempting to bargain with Hutu leaders, he begins to hit what appear in the darkness to be ruts in the road. On getting out of the truck he realizes that that the road is littered with the corpses of massacred Tutsis, stretching in every direction. The film is meant to expose viewers to the horror of the events by meticulously detailing the massacre.