Shooting Dogs [DVD] [2007]

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A very beautifully crafted and stunningly acted film, albeit a challenging watch as one would expect.Back as an English teacher, I showed it as part of a film club and it reduced my sixth former to tears. It handles faith in the midst of the most appalling brutality very skilfully as well, and even as a non-Catholic, I could appreciate its very gentle and human message.John Hurt is, as always, outstanding. Highly recommended.

I've watched every gore fest, every torture porn, every sick and twisted horror movie out there. I thought I was unshockable, but clearly not. I was 10 when the 1994 genocide happened between the Hutu and the Tutsi and I have no real recollection of it at all. This may have been due to my parents keeping me away from the news, but everyone needs to know about this. There are parts of this film that are flawed, but all in all it is utterly horrific and will haunt you for days after watching. 800,000+ people were murdered with machetes and clubs - that is a number I can't even conceive of - and the UN pretty much abandoned them. This film concerns a group of Tutsi who took refuge in a catholic school that was being 'protected' by the UN (who were helpless due to commands from above) it is filmed in the actual location of the school and several crew members are survivors of the genocide. Truly terrifying stuff.

Of the three films I've seen on this terrible event in history, the subject matter is probably the ONLY thing they indeed have in common. All contain scenes of butchery, rape and discrimination by one race of Africans against another. 'Shooting Dogs' is set mainly in a Catholic Church and the grounds of the same in 1994 when close to 1 million people were murdered while the UN were deliberating whether what was occuring amounted to Genocide, Acts of Genocide or neither and whether there should be International Intervention or not.The Belgian UN soldiers are seen to be humiliated by the Hutu War-Chiefs. Historically the film IS very good because this really did happen but only because the UN couldn't agree on what exactly needed doing? Consequently, little or nothing positive WAS done, enormous restrictions were placed on UN troops who had a mandate to 'shoot' ONLY if their lives were in danger, but nothing else.John Hurt, the ever-reliable stars. I rate him as one of the most versatile and best actors in the industry. A good, strong film which I think is inferior to 'Sometimes in April' with Idris Elba BUT better than 'Hotel Rwanda' starring Don Cheadle.

Excellent film. Good performance from John Hurt as a priest as well as David Gyasi who goes over to the dark side to save his friend, Hugh Darcy. But the most endearing character is Marie played by Clare Hope Ashitey. She reminds me of an African girl I saw in a church in Mozambique, as well as someone I studied with at bible college. She has such a sweet smile, and I probably would have stayed behind with her like John Hurt so that she wouldn't have to die alone.The best line in the film is when John Hurt says to Hugh Darcy: 'Where is God in this suffering? He is in the midst suffering with us. This is where I belong. If I escape then it's like I'm losing my soul.' In other words, rather than prevent suffering, God suffers with us to give us hope through our suffering. It is this shared suffering that gives Marie (Clare-Hope Ashitey) hope.

I was at college in 1994 when the genocide happened and remembered seeing clips on the news.In 2006 I visited a friend who had been working in Rwanda for a year and had learned a lot about what went on and how things were now.When I got back I purchased Hotel Rwanda but whilst still a very good film, did not have the powerful story line of Shooting Dogs.I have also read about what happened at the School depicted in the story and many of the facts from the book were accurately portrayed in the film such as the locals asking to be killed by the Belgium's as they withdrew so as to save them from the machetes.A film not to be taken lightly.