Beyond the Gates (2005)

an overwhelmingly powerful film

"Beyond the Gates" (aka "Shooting Dogs") is a shattering true-life drama set during the Rwandan genocide of 1994 - a holocaust in which over 800,000 unarmed Tutsis were brutally massacred by their gun- and machete-toting Hutu neighbors simply for being "different." This harrowing and heartbreaking film focuses on a Catholic priest and a young American teacher who find themselves caught up in a human tragedy of unimaginable proportions when a large group of terrified Tutsis flee to the school for safety and protection (a comforting but, as it turns out, utterly impotent U.N. "peacekeeping force" has also set up shop there).

Comparisons to the earlier, better-known "Hotel Rwanda" are as an inevitable as they are irrelevant, for "Beyond the Gates" is a searing and unforgettable movie in its own right, filled with indelible imagery and pulse-pounding suspense. The brilliant screenplay by David Wolstencroft (based on the book by Richard Alwyn and David Belton) focuses as much on the moral dilemma taking place within the souls of the two white men as it does on the unspeakable tragedy occurring in the world outside. Both men, utterly powerless in the face of such a monumental event, are forced to question whether the religious dogma that they espouse so readily in times of peace has any real efficacy or relevance in times when the very fabric of humanity seems to be coming apart at the seams. Director Michael Caton-Jones has provided scene after scene in which characters - both major and minor - are forced to re-examine their commitment to themselves, the people around them and the belief systems they've adopted to get themselves through life. The movie also points out just how shamefully the outside world acted in turning a blind eye to what was happening in that country, refusing to step in at any point to try and bring the situation under control, and then proffering lame excuses to justify its inaction once it was all over.

With many actual survivors of the holocaust working both behind the camera as technical assistants and in front of it as extras and minor characters, the film brilliantly recreates the events with devastating immediacy and accuracy (the movie was also filmed at the actual locations where the incidents themselves took place, greatly enhancing its verisimilitude). Moreover, John Hurt as the priest and Hugh Dancy as the teacher deliver soul-searing, gut-wrenching performances that get to the heart of what it truly means to be one`s brother`s keeper.

Acts of such unmitigated savagery and brutality, especially when conducted on this massive a scale, are so incomprehensible in their horror that it would be virtually impossible for any single work of art to successfully grasp the meaning behind them. But by personalizing the issues and placing the events within the context of a series of universally identifiable moral dilemmas, the makers of this extraordinarily fine film have perhaps come as close as is humanly possible to achieving that end. Don't miss it. June 8, 2008

Let's Learn From What Happened In Rwanda So It Never Happens Again!

This is a devastating film, which accurately recreates the nightmare of the Rwandan genocide. The bottom line is that one man was a true hero, and that person could have been you or me! The question we should all ask ourselves after watching Beyond The Gates - when is it worth laying down our life for another human being(s)?

I have to admit, I only watched the beginning, a few segments in the middle, and the ending. It was too upsetting to watch it from beginning to end. I did, however, have enough motivation to act, and I have written a carefully written letter to someone currently serving in the U.S. Senate to:

1. Substantially increase aide to Rwanda.

2. Treat political refugees from around the world equally and with same high regard our government has given Cuban refuges

3. Issue a public apology to the people of Rwanda on behalf of the United States for the inappropriate behavior of the Clinton administration during the genocide.

4. Advocate for a similar apology from the United Nations for their inappropriate behavior.

5. Strengthen United Nation institutions so their cowardly behavior in Rwanda is never repeated again, a situation clearly shown in devastating fashion in "Beyond The Gates."

6. Have the U.S. Department of Education compile age appropriate curriculum to teach specifically about the Rwandan genocide and how governments can work to prevent, or intervene in, future genocides. I believe young people hear about what happened a long time ago, during World War 2, and they develop a false sense of security that an event like the Holocaust has never happened (or will ever happen) again.

Even though I'm only one voice crying in the wilderness, I'm glad I have the nerve to hope for a better world!

Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda and Advocacy for Social Justice: A Global Action and Reflection Guide May 11, 2008

Moving film

I enjoyed this movie. It is a moving story of a secondary school in Rwanda, which during the 1994 massacres became a refugee point for more then 2,500 Rwandans and many whites protected by UN forces. Soon after the white people were evacuated. The Rwandans were then abandoned by the UN soldiers, and then murdered.

The story revolves around a priest and a teacher. The priest decides to stay, rescues a few people and while doing so is killed. Unfortunately when I did some research on the net on the movie, I discovered that this was fiction, the white priest went out with the whites.

The acting was acceptable probably the best is John Hurt who made a moving performance.

The filming was adequate. Still with all this horror you would have thought a modern movie could have done better.

I did like the bit at the end where it showed some people who worked on the movie who suffered in the massacres although interestingly none of them were actors.




April 26, 2008

Beyond the gates

Great movie. Puts a face on the horrible genocide that the west should hade done more to try and avert. A million people die and its a statistic but one personb dies and its a tragedy.
Very Powerful. April 24, 2008

Beyond the Gates

This movie is an incredibly moving piece. You cannot watch it and be unmoved. Awareness makes us more civil beings. Although it was hard to watch; the brutal honesty of the message is clear. If we do nothing in defense; the genocides will continue. This is a definite pass to a friend movie, and one that I will need to watch again. April 15, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...