Genocide

Starring:Orson Welles, Elizabeth Taylor
Director: Arnold Schwartzman
Studio: Koch Lorber Films
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Why mess with perfection?
Sub-par Plot and Production Reduce a Great Story Into So-so Movie
Esther
A better attempt than most...
FLOWERS, STARS AND ROMANCE - BUT VERY LITTLE TRUTH

One Night With the King
Starring: Tiffany Dupont , Luke Goss , John Noble , Omar Sharif , and John Rhys-Davies
Director: Michael O. Sajbel
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
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ASIN: B000JJSJO6
Release Date: 2007-01-30

Amazon.com

The moving biblical tale of Esther--a humble Jewish girl who saved her people from annihilation and won the heart of the handsome Persian king Xerxes--is the subject of One Night with the King, a lush ode to one of the Old Testament's most inspiring women. Esther, played with spark and confidence by Tiffany Dupont, could perhaps be said to be the first career woman to "have it all"--while also serving her people, and God. The film, shot on location in India, has the feel of the great epics of the '60s--a sensation underscored by the appearance, in small but pivotal roles, of both Omar Sharif and Peter O'Toole. (Even Raiders of the Lost Ark's John Rhys-Davies--"Bad dates!"--echoes earlier desert adventures.) But the film belongs to the willful Esther, who navigates among war, bloodlust, persecution, and terror with the strength of knowing she's serving the Lord, and her people. If the film has a few anachronisms--including the young Esther's suitor, who has blonde streaks and a surfer-dude delivery ("The market was rilly busy today")--its heart and its focus never waver. Fans of biblical tales and well-made drama for the entire family shouldn't miss it. --A.T. Hurley

Description

One Night with the King is a sweeping epic about Hadassah, the young Jewish girl who becomes the Biblical Esther, Queen of Persia.

Despite her position, Hadassah's life is in danger, as the state has decreed that all Jews will be put to death. Defying warnings to remain silent, however, Hadassah struggles to save her people, evens as she seeks to win the heart of the king, in this exciting and inspiring story about destiny.

Customer Reviews:

Why mess with perfection?.......2007-06-27

I more or less enjoyed the film, previewing it once myself and then presenting it as part of a Movie Night at my church. Tiffany Dupont was charming.

But why were there changes made to the story to make it more Hollywoodized? If there was ever a perfect story to present just as it was in the original, this would have to have been one of them!

I found the political intrigue of the movie to be confusing, and frankly, part of the reason for that is that you can't always understand what the actors are saying. The reason they contrived for the queen to dishonor the king's command to appear seemed artificial and unbelievable, at least to me--a 21st-century antiwar message stuffed uncomfortably into a warrior society. And the final confrontation between the king and the queen and the antagonist was nothing like the scripture text.

But altogether I recommend it. It was wholesome family entertainment that harkened back to the Scriptures; what's not to recommend? Even more, though--read the original. A better story than the screenplay, with the added benefit of being true!

Sub-par Plot and Production Reduce a Great Story Into So-so Movie.......2007-06-25

"One Night With the King" is a movie that looks like it wanted to be more than it turned out to be. Based on the story of a woman obeying God for the benefit of her people, the Jews, despite the promise of great peril, "One Night With the King" misses the mark.

Her story is well-known to any student of ancient literature, CCD or Sunday school. It is up there with Jonah, Noah, Adam and Eve, and the death and resurrection of Jesus. Even agnostics and atheists who are versed in the classics can provide the plot. With this, there are expectations: bring a major story to film and treat it properly.

With lines that come across stiff and stuffy, characters become cartoons, and do not live as real people. How can we believe actors speaking in a mock Shakespearean dialect? I couldn't.

Esther was flirtatious, flighty and yet bold from the first moment. Her character reminded me of Princess Jasmine in Disney's "Aladdin." This is not the unassuming future leader we read about, but a different Esther. When the grand decision must be made, she does not struggle in mortal angst as did the biblical version.

The plot itself didn't merit a long movie. A shorter piece, maybe 90 minutes, would have sufficed.

I felt like I was watching "The Robe," in all its effort to send a message, gets lost in a mediocre script.

Esther is a great story in its original form that has incredible big screen potential. Too many liberties were taken, and the production quality was sub-par. It was not a horrible movie, but I won't give it a pass just because I'm a Christian wanting to see biblical stories in film.

Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com

Esther.......2007-06-22

I don't feel like the changes they made in the story are a personal attack on Christianity, Judaism, or God. Hollywood always changes stories. The Hollywood versions of any of the Mark Twain books remove all humor before they pass it on to us. If it is a personal attack on God then it is a personal attack on Mark Twain too. It is up to us to read the book for the things they couldn't fit in the movie.

Someone suggested that it plays too romantic trying to reach girls for its audience. Hello! I've never known a man to say that Esther is his favorite book in the Bible. Every woman I know who reads the Bible claims it as one of, if not, their favorite book.

I enjoyed the movie even if it didn't follow the Bible exactly. It was infinitely better than what is passing for romantic movies these days. They didn't have to have some sleazy side-kick doing and saying gross things to try to make the main character look good. I for one appreciated having a movie that I could trust not to be smarmy before I ever entered the theater. I intend to buy it.

If any Christian movie makers are reading this, by all means tackle Ruth. I would definitely go see it and buy it.
If you decide to tackle David, please I beg of you find a way to capture his relationship with God pre-Bathsheba.
The story of David and Abigail could be really romantic I Samuel 25 then in I Samuel 30 when the Amalekites had stolen Abigail and the other wives and possessions of him and all his men and how he handled it because of his extraordinary relationship with God. There is a lot of potential there.

A better attempt than most..........2007-06-03

Overall, I enjoyed this movie, it was a better attempt than most to stay close to the Biblical account of Esther. I think it's understandable that some dialogue & even characters would be added to flesh out the story to make a movie, but I only gave it 4 stars because the film makers did make at least one major mistake in this area. The special pendant which she treasures (not a part of the Bible account) was received as a birthday present from her parents. If they had done their research, they would have found that the Jews did not celebrate birthdays at this time in history; they considered it to be a custom practiced by the pagan nations surrounding them. That was the most glaring mistake I noticed. The movie had some interesting explanations for how Esther caught the king's eye in the first place, & later, for why she hadn't been called to him in a while, why she would be so hesitant to approach him, details that aren't given in the Bible account. Overall, I enjoyed the movie & would recommend it.

FLOWERS, STARS AND ROMANCE - BUT VERY LITTLE TRUTH.......2007-06-02

One Night With The King is a pretty film, and a romantic film, but it is not a Christian film. The production design team has gone overboard trying to make the film appeal to girls. I can't remember the last time I saw so many flowers on screen, unless it was Doctor Zhivago. And the writer, basing his script on the novel by Mark Andrew Olsen, has gone overboard to make the story as romantic as possible, also appealing to girls. It is a romantic extravaganza.

But the story of Esther, as it comes from the Bible, is not a romance. It is a political thriller, if anything. On the one hand, we have Xerxes, the young king of Persia, who needs a new wife because the previous one was disrespectful and disobedient. On the other, we have Haman, an ambitious man who, because Mordecai won't give him the respect he thinks he deserves, is driven by jealousy to destroy Mordecai and his people. And then there is Esther, the young woman caught in the middle, who comes into the king's court, "for such a time as this." As circumstances turn out, only she can save Mordecai and her people from Haman, and she does so by using her position as the king's new bride.

While there is opportunity to glamorize court life and make marriage to the king something to daydream about, the main plot is one of genocide, equal to the Holocaust. To play that down in order to give the girls a little romance betrays the heart of the story. I don't believe Esther was the silly teenager portrayed by Tiffany Dupont. Nor do I think Xerxes was the star-struck romantic portrayed by Luke Goss. And Tommy 'Tiny' Lister, who plays Hegai, the Royal Eunuch, is just plain terrible. Why in the world would they have cast someone with a speech impediment in such an important role? Most of what he says is totally garbled.

The simple, straightforward story as it comes to us from the Bible has been so altered and convoluted that it is almost unrecognizable as the story of Esther. Characters' motivations have been changed, there are key characters, like Prince Admantha, that don't even exist in the original, and the plot has been changed to a different story entirely. Most of the characters end up in the same place as the Bible story, but how they get there is totally different.

What is really unforgivable is the fact that, rather than letting God be the hero of the story, the filmmakers introduce a magical pendant that produces stars of David on the wall. According to the new plot, the magic pendant is actually responsible for changing Xerxes mind, not God, because when he gives the reason to Esther, he says, "I saw the stars." God is not even involved in delivering His people. Even though God's name is not mentioned in the book of Esther, we all know who delivers the Jews in the end. It's not a magic pendant. That's a different religion.

Why would Fox Faith change a story that has become one of the most beloved in both Jewish and Christian tradition? Why would they base it on a novel instead of the Bible account, which is so clear? Why would they spend so much money on sets and costumes, and then ignore script, directing and acting. And why would they introduce a magic pendant into the story? This film is a real mystery.

Conclusion? Fox Faith has laid a big, expensive egg, and one on which they probably won't get their money back. To date, it's made less than $14 M domestically. Any more like this, and they can close down their new "Christian" division. Maybe they should get some real Christian filmmakers in there to show them what a Christian film is, plus some decent directors, writers and actors. Anything but what they're using now.

Waitsel Smith

Average customer rating:

Hutus & the Blowfish
EXCELLENT FILM! WELL DONE!
A Masterpiece/Guaranteed to shed a tear!!!
Phenomenal & Highly under-rated
Cheadle's Performance is Flawless

Hotel Rwanda
Starring: Xolani Mali , Don Cheadle , Desmond Dube , Hakeem Kae-Kazim , and Tony Kgoroge
Director: Terry George
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0007R4T3U
Release Date: 2005-04-12

Amazon.com

Solidly built around a subtle yet commanding performance by Don Cheadle, Hotel Rwanda emerged as one of the most highly-praised dramas of 2004. In a role that demands his quietly riveting presence in nearly every scene, Cheadle plays real-life hero Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager in the Rwandan capital of Kigali who in 1994 saved 1,200 Rwandan "guests" from certain death during the genocidal clash between tribal Hutus, who slaughtered a million victims, and the horrified Tutsis, who found safe haven or died. Giving his best performance since his breakthrough role in Devil in a Blue Dress, Cheadle plays Rusesabagina as he really was during the ensuing chaos: "an expert in situational ethics" (as described by critic Roger Ebert), doing what he morally had to do, at great risk and potential sacrifice, with an understanding that wartime negotiations are largely a game of subterfuge, cooperation, and clever bribery. Aided by a United Nations official (Nick Nolte), he worked a saintly miracle, and director Terry George (Some Mother's Son) brings formidable social conscience to bear on a true story you won't soon forget. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Once you find out what happened in Rwanda, you'll never forget. OscarÂ(r) nominee* Don Cheadle (Traffic) gives "the performance of his career in this extraordinarily powerful" (The Hollywood Reporter) and moving true story of one man's brave stance against savagery during the 1994 Rwandan conflict. Sophie Okonedo (Dirty Pretty Things) co-stars as the loving wife who challenges a good man to become a great man. As his country descends into madness, five-star-hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina (Cheadle) sets out to save his family. But when he sees that theworld will not intervene in the massacre of minority Tutsis, he finds the courage to open his hotelto more than 1,200 refugees. Now, with a rabid militia at the gates, he must use his well-honed grace, flattery and cunning to protect his guests from certain death. *2004: Actor, Hotel Rwanda

Customer Reviews:

Hutus & the Blowfish.......2007-07-05

Or, "Sir, would you like some DEATH with during your stay?"

Yes, Don Cheadle owns, quietly, every scene in this flick.

Yes, director Terry George & vet cinematographer Bob Fraisse (who served up the kinetic street warfare in "Ronin") cook up a little deadly cinematic ghoulash. They evoke, vividly, the feral sink of depravity that was Rwanda in 1994, when more than a million Hutus & Tutsis were slaughtered in an orgy of ferocious destruction, turning the land into a reeking abattoir.

But in the end, so what? What is the point here?

If the point is that something Horrible happened in Africa---well, folks, get over it. Something horrible is always happening in Africa: ask the Sudanese in Darfur, where a brutal genocide against the south is carried out by the Muslim Janjaweed militia, who have slaughtered nearly a million in the last two years, who take delight in refining their tactics of rape and carnage.

Or ask the Cambodians, whose skulls their former God-Emperor Pol Pot used to stack by the millions, as if building little bony towers to heaven, even as liberal lion Noam Chomsky apologized for him.

Or dial up the thousands of Iranian students huddled in broomclosets in Iran, who are regularly beaten, abducted, tortured, and killed for daring to voice dissent to the Mullahocracy's iron rule there.

I'm sure you would have heard outrage had you parachuted into Iraq before April 2003---muted, because an Iraqi expressing his revulsion for Saddam's death camps, torture factories, & rape rooms would have been in danger of apprehension by the hated secret police---and maybe had his tongue pulled off for his troubles.

What happened? The UN dithered & stalled (just as it did with Rwanda, as it does with the Sudan), despite Saddam's violation of more than 13 separate sanctions over the past decade. Eager to remove Saddam---for his atrocities, for the threat his intransigent regime posed the US, and for his probable secret WMD program (moved to Syria while the US waltzed with the UN for fruitless months)---the US took action, and deposed the tyrant in weeks.

Did the US mishandle post-war Iraq? Absolutely. But for its troubles, the US, and particularly President Bush, received nothing but international vilification: for saving millions of Iraqis from torture & tyranny, Bush was branded "a new Hitler". Liberal 'experts' now assure us we have no place remaining in the middle of a "civil war".

You know, a 'Civil War'. Just like in Rwanda. Or in the Sudan.

Which is why this type of movie, however beautifully acted, however balefully true, however illlustrative of the savagery of Man at his worst---its appeal eludes me. Does it make you feel righteous, weeping over the long-buried dead, while ignoring those about to be shoveled into the charnel pit? Does it make you feel oh-so-sweet-sanctimony?

Remember this, then: the next time you weep into your popcorn over cinematic bloodshed: when another tribe, another people, face the cameras with tears in their eyes and bayonets in their backs & beg rescue from a weary West, the answer will likely be: "Sorry, it's none of our business. Try the UN."

JSG

EXCELLENT FILM! WELL DONE!.......2007-07-04

I did not know much about this movie before I watched it. I was completely engrossed in the story and characters. A well made folm that probably hasn't gotten the attention it deserves. The DVD transfer is very good.

A Masterpiece/Guaranteed to shed a tear!!!.......2007-06-30

Hotel Rwanda sheds light (as it should do) on the 1994 Rwanda genocide that led to the deaths of close to a million people while the world looked on.
The manager of a Belgian owned luxury hotel, an ethnic Hutu, tries desperately to save his Tutsi wife and children as the world around him descends into chaos and madness; a nightmare where hatred and slaughter are the order of the day...
Don Cheadle, Sophie Okonedo, Joaquin Phoenix, Nick Nolte, Jean Reno and the rest of this AMAZING cast have truly outdone themselves with their performances, which are extraordinary to say the least! All the actors, without exceptions, give it their 100% and it really shows (the chemistry is something else)! Very well written and very well presented, the movie is without a doubt guaranteed to provide important insight not to mention more than a few tears.
More relevant than ever, the movie does a great job as an eye-opener to one of the darkest events of the twentieth century. The film provides the necessary background as well as an accurate description of conditions on the ground during the few months that the conflict lasted. The world's reaction, or lack of it, (especially the American and British hypocrisy and inaction, and the French support of the Hutu perpetrators) is briefly touched upon.
Moreover, it could have been and it should have been much more graphic in showing what really took place in Rwanda's "killing fields."
Hopefully more will be done to stop the ongoing genocide in the Darfur region of Western Sudan and we will not have to wait for another movie to come out after it's all over before people become aware and do that which is humane.
Similarly to movies like The Lord of War, The Last King of Scotland, and Blood Diamond to name a few, Hotel Rwanda draws attention to some pretty important issues facing Africa.
In short, Hotel Rwanda is a movie definitely worth watching and one to seriously consider adding to your movie collection!

Phenomenal & Highly under-rated.......2007-06-19

I don't know what else to say about this movie. It's was one of the most moving stories about Africa that I have seen. It's a shame that it didn't receive more rewards. I only wish I would've seen this film sooner. Powerful.

Cheadle's Performance is Flawless.......2007-06-05

Every actor in this film is excellent and delivers a rather understated performances. Perhaps it's because the harrowing and tragic tale is something the real-life people portrayed here have come accustomed to somehow and that is a tragic commentary in of itself. In any event, this film while filled with excellent supporting actors belongs to its lead, Don Cheadle who earned a Best Actor nod for this performance (and should have won hands down).

Cheadle has been building an impressive resume with memorable supporting roles in which he nearly eclipses his leads. He began his career on TV's Picket Fences - Season 1 and remainded on the show for it's entire run and eventually emerged as the star of it. He then went on to cool roles like in Volcano with Tommy Lee Jones and facinating and complex roles such as in Crash (Widescreen Edition), but nothing compares to his quiet, restrained performance in this film that I can only compare his role and delivery of it to Gregory Peck's Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (Collector's Edition) in which both actors have the challenging task of exhibiting what I call "quiet courage" under great calamity and showing their great love and compassion for others without exactly "showing" it. It's all in their subtle gestures, whispered dialogue, and revealing eyes. Both films remind me of that old adage teachers like myself live by, "no cares how much you know until they know how much your care."

I, like other reviewers here, went into this film knowing nothing about the topic. I rented it based upon my respect of Don Cheadle and the positive reviews that surrounded this film when it was released. Again, I knew nothing about the topic of the film itself and was I shocked by the events that unfolded in the film. It is truly a harrowing tale told with great respect and dignity. I found no silly cliches or trite treatment of this compelling and important event in history.

This film is outstanding and it that will move you and stay with you long after the experience of viewing it is over.

Average customer rating:

Truly Chilling
A HORROR MOVIE WITHOUT THE VIOLENCE!
World War II's Corporate Boardroom Meeting
A must have collection item
GREAT TRUE STORY

Conspiracy
Starring: Kenneth Branagh , Clare Bullus , Stanley Tucci , Simon Markey , and David Glover
Director: Frank Pierson
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005YUO1
Release Date: 2002-03-26

Amazon.com

On January 20, 1942, with the tide of war turning in favor of the Allies, a small group of SS officers, government ministers, and Nazi officials met near Berlin to decide the fate of Europe's Jews. Based on the only surviving record of that meeting, Conspiracy is a powerful combination of historical reconstruction and speculation that attempts to offer new insights into a pivotal moment in history.

The cast does a marvelous job of fleshing out the documentary evidence to create convincing characters. Kenneth Branagh is especially chilling as SS Chief of Security Reinhard Heydrich, who uses a combination of charm and ruthless power-mongering to gain support for his plans. Colin Firth is fascinating as Wilhelm Stuckart, a lawyer who sees the brutal tactics of the SS as a threat to his own intellectualized anti-Semitism, and Stanley Tucci gives a wonderfully understated performance as Adolf Eichmann.

Conspiracy is a carefully crafted, completely unsensational film that offers ample proof of the banality of evil. There are no histrionics and no comic-book Nazi villains, just a small group of politicians and war-weary soldiers arguing about the meaning of words and the logistics of extermination, calmly preparing to unleash an unimaginable horror on the world. --Simon Leake

Customer Reviews:

Truly Chilling.......2007-06-24

Conspiracy may be one of the most chilling movies ever made. Recreating the Wannsee conference of 1942, at which SS General Reinhard Heydrich and the infamous Colonel Adolf Eichmann essentially formulated the "Jewish Solution". The sheer terror of this movie doesn't include axe murderers or demented psychos in hockey masks - it's the way in which Heydrich (played by Kenneth Branagh) gets the consensus for what is basically his way to solve the problem of the European Jews.

Conspiracy won't appeal to everyone to be sure. History buffs will love this movie as will those who enjoy the psychological cut and thrust of the intellectual debate.

A HORROR MOVIE WITHOUT THE VIOLENCE!.......2007-06-09

Ninety minutes. To many, this amount of time may seem insignificant. Ninety minutes can go by without any thought that something significant. But on a cold day in January of 1942, ninety minutes was all it took to perpetrate one of the greatest crimes against humanity at the Wannsee Conference. Here, a handful of men from the different military and political factions in Nazi Germany made the final plans for the "final solution to the Jewish question."
"Conspiracy" is a dramatic reenactment of the Wannsee Conference, based on the only surviving copy of the minutes taken at that fateful meeting. The cast and crew do an excellent job of recreating the conference. While there is no blood or violence, this is indeed a horror film, because all of the men talk about the extermination of the Jews with glee in their eyes, and smiles on their faces, as if it is no big deal.
Ken Branagh is sinister as Reinhard Heydrich, a member of the SS and head of the conference. What makes him truly evil is how he smiles as they discuss how to handle the "storage problem" in Europe. Equally as good is Stanley Tucci as Adolf Eichmann, the mastermind behind the final solution. The rest of the cast does a great job as well.
"Conspiracy" is a powerful film about how a handful of men planned the Holocaust in less than two hours. This is a film that every man and woman should see, so that they could see how evil men nearly wiped out the entire Jewish population in Europe.
Movie/DVD Grade: A+

World War II's Corporate Boardroom Meeting.......2007-04-22

In real life, the most evil of deeds are typically done - not on battlefields with elaborate explosions or down-to-the-last-minute red-button-punching - but in boardrooms. Tough to hear? In the corporate world that now ravishes our planet, the evil broods in secrecy around oak tables with those surrounded by power and wealth. I hate to say these things, but it is the truth of our society. That is why I felt a sense of overwhelming horror as I watched "Conspiracy" unfold before my eyes. There were no explosions, no CGI, no eloquent speech made by some overpowering madman - it was a business meeting. A meeting like no other that raised hairs on my neck and demonstrated the power of language. HBO has done it again with this amazingly short film (running at around an hour and a half) about the birth of evil and the construction of genocide. Like no other horror or suspense film, "Conspiracy" draws from the unknown, but is purely historical.

"Conspiracy" is a talking film, so to make sure audiences do not fall asleep through the eloquent words, it is helmed by two masters of the cinematic trade - Kenneth Branagh and Stanley Tucci. Together, these two plus a cast that had to be hand selected as the "best of the best", give us one of the scariest moments in our world's history - the planning of the death of millions of Jews. In a boardroom, not unlike ones we have seen in nearly every film, director Frank Pierson gives us faces, language, events, and decisions made leading to the most hideous moment of our history. As mentioned, helmed by two masters, we are taken back to a world filled with hared and laws, and through the course of the two hours new laws are created and a new "evacuation" process is decided. Our players, all facets of the German government, enter through lavish doors, eat elaborate meals, drink fascinating wine, and smoke elusive cigars as they argue laws, rules, Hitler's wish, but never humanity. Enemies are made, men are instantly transformed from typical followers of the government into monumental evil-doers of history - all through the course of a meal. Rather an average day for a very non-typical gathering.

The story is simple. The words are the true leaders, while those speaking them gives performances of a lifetime. This is not a light film in anyway. The gorgeous scenery (or what little we see of it) sets the mood of the day, while the meal - to me - gives us the sense of cannibals, or animals, after a major defeat. What appealed to me the most of this film was the genius - and I hate to use this word - behind Heydrich and Eichmann, from the beginning of the film they knew who they were working with, what they day would entail, and how to make sure that each of their constituents would agree on the final solution. It was a forum of power, an expression of the truth, and a simple two hours that would result in decades of horror. I enjoyed this film, not because of the true historic overall result, but how it was put together, the players, and the raw energy that emoted from this simple hour and a half. I apologize for over-emphasizing the time frame, but it was shocking to me to see the history pages written in just this short amount of time. As stated before, Branagh was nothing short of amazing, the eloquence of his words (again - words were important in this film), the sharp intellect, and strong ability to sell anyone into anything coupled well with the quiet, pencil-pushing man that Tucci portrayed as Eichmann. These two carried this film, but not without the help of Ian McNeice, Colin Firth, Owen Teale, or Kevin McNally to name just a few. This was an ensemble feature, and everyone pulled their weight to create this devastatingly shocking film. This film, the style of the camera that Pierson used, reminded me of a retelling of "Twelve Angry Men". That too was a wordy film, creating the tension with nouns and verbs, instead of the over-hyped CGI.

My only complaint, isn't with the film at all, but the lack of special features. HBO typically doesn't go too overboard with their special features, and this is a prime example. I would have loved to have an audio commentary or two to discuss the true historical elements or to hear how Pierson was able to control his actors and bring out so much from them in such a small area. I think it would have benefited viewers further to get a "history" lesson, instead of the typical interviews with actors saying how "honoring" it was to play such a character. I could have used without that. Nothing else included, but maybe it would have overshadowed the power of this film ... hmmmm?

Overall, I cannot say this enough, but this was a spectacular film. Whether you watch it for the historical element or for the sheer brilliance of the actors, you will not be disappointed. This was a dark two hours for the world, which engulfed a race for a very long time. This was the boardroom of evil, equipped with a full supply of wine, cigars, and a plan for "evacuation".

It just terrifies me that it all began with just a simple "storage" problem - how could we do it?

Grade: ***** out of *****

A must have collection item.......2007-03-09

I decided to order this DVD because my wife was so impressed with the revealing story and excellent actors.

Obviously, decisions were already made and some actions were already underway (gasing of Jews) while talks were still going on at the meeting table.
A very shrewd move by Hitler to justify his immoral intention by coercing parties from all sides to approve it.
Hitler and his henchmen certainly knew how to highjack democracy to their advantages.
Personally, I feel the movie was very fast paced despite zero actions.
Exchange of words was fast so watching it a few more times is necessary.

The only thing that stopped me from giving it a 5 star is the lack of extras like behind the scenes or more detailed descriptions of the historical figures featured in the movie.

GREAT TRUE STORY .......2007-02-21

This film is based on a meeting held by high up Nazis during the 2nd great war. This meeting, held over dinner and drinks, discussed possibilities of a fantastic world, free of the jewish influence on the economy and society. The SS leaders, among others in German officer did their best to figure out the most efficient way to end the hardships of Europe and America by getting straight to the problem, and not worrying about what is politically correct. They tried many options, such as sterilization, exportation, etc. However, they came to realize that the best answer to the jewish question would be evacuation. The rest is history.

Average customer rating:

The Diary of Immaculee
Very moving
Powerful
Immaculee's CD
The Diary of Immaculee

The Diary of Immaculee
Director: Peter LeDonne
Manufacturer: New Jersey Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
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Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust
Darfur Diaries: Message From Home
Rwanda: Living Forgiveness
100 Days
Frontline: Ghosts of Rwanda

ASIN: B000GFKE4Q
Release Date: 2006-08-01

Description

ImmaculÃ©e Ilibagiza grew up in a country she loved, surrounded by a family she cherished. But in 1994 her idyllic world was ripped apart as Rwanda descended into a bloody genocide. Her family was brutally murdered during a killing spree that lasted three months and claimed the lives of nearly a million Rwandans. Miraculously, ImmaculÃ©e survived the slaughter. For 91 days, she and seven other women huddled silently together in the cramped bathroom of a local pastor's home while hundreds of machete-wielding killers hunted for them. . . . Now, the award-winning and three-time Academy AwardÂ®-nominated documentary film producer Steve Kalafer (More, Curtain Call, Bottom of the Ninth, Price of Freedom, Going Home, and Sister Rose's Passion) brings together the same creative and production team for their most challenging and powerful cinematic journey. The Diary of ImmaculÃ©e reveals the horrific, yet inspiring story of a remarkable woman's experiences in the midst of one of history's most tragic events. ImmaculÃ©e Ilibagiza, and others who were there, will tell you what happened . . . and you shall never forget it. With powerful and emotional on-camera appearances from the good Samaritans who kept ImmaculÃ©e alive in Rwanda, to inspirational personalities such as Dr. Wayne W. Dyer and Carl Wilkens, this amazing story of a journey through the darkness of holocaust will touch your heart and soul. This is a documentary that will take you to a place where horror and hope and hatred and love lived side by side, clasping hands and breathing the same air. With unwavering faith and courage, one young woman faced the threat of unspeakable acts; endured incomparable despair; and quietly, graciously, and bravely came through the living hell of holocaust searching for safety, peace, and an everlasting Heaven. The Diary of ImmaculÃ©e is a film that abounds with drama and compassion . . . and makes us all realize that heroes and heroines will always walk among us.

Customer Reviews:

The Diary of Immaculee.......2007-06-09

I read the book Left to Tell (which was tremendous), and ordered this video right away when I saw that it was available. It is excellent also, both as a companion piece to the book or on its own. Immaculee's story is emotional and wrenching as it portrays an unbelievable tragedy. Everyone should see it so they'd feel compelled to help others who are now suffering and dying in Darfur.

Very moving.......2007-05-07

If you can watch this and keep your eyes dry you should examine your heart. A very touching experience as you relive her past.

Powerful.......2007-01-22

This is an incredible story beautifully portrayed in this DVD. This is not to be missed!

Immaculee's CD.......2007-01-04

This CD was interesting and enhances her book "Left to Tell" by actually visiting Rwanda, her homeland. However, I give it a low grade only because I was looking for more information on the spiritual elements of her heart-wrenching story. So by that measure, my expectations were not met. I can only say that the whole of her story -- the factual and spiritual -- as told in her book will live with me forever. Very powerful.

The Diary of Immaculee.......2006-12-05

This was a fabulous documentary...very moving. It realistically depicted the atrocities and horrors yet was tastefully done. It personalized a monumental disaster and put a face and individual story to the genocide. This one woman's remembrance becomes a tribute to her strength and endurance and a lesson in humanity as she returns to her country so many years later. You feel as if she is in the room telling the story directly to you...the method of film-making adds to the depth of her poise and emotion. Highly recommended!!

Average customer rating:

Night and Fog
Misguiding Title
Wow..........
Just a great movie
Barbaric Is Too Kind A Word To Use!

Night and Fog - Criterion Collection
Starring: Michel Bouquet , Julius Streicher , Adolf Hitler , Reinhard Heydrich , and Heinrich Himmler
Director: Alain Resnais
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Auschwitz - Inside the Nazi State
The Sorrow and the Pity
Hiroshima Mon Amour - Criterion Collection
Triumph of the Will
The Nazis - A Warning from History

ASIN: B000093NQZ
Release Date: 2003-06-24

Amazon.com

Though only a short subject, this groundbreaking documentary remains one of the most influential and powerful explorations of the Holocaust ever made. Director Alain Resnais bluntly presents an indictment not only of the Nazis but of the world community, and the film is all the more remarkable for its harsh judgment considering the time in which it was made, less than a decade after the end of the war, when questions of responsibility were not yet being addressed. Juxtaposing archival clips from the concentration camps across Germany and Poland with the present-day denials of the camps' existence, the film seeks to once and for all expose the horrifying truth of the Final Solution, as well as to address the continuing anti-Semitism and bigotry that existed long after the war's end. An invaluable resource and testament to history, this film was a profound influence on all films to address issues of the Holocaust, from Judgment at Nuremberg and Shoah to Schindler's List. Night and Fog remains an essential and indispensable document of the 20th century. --Robert Lane

Description

Ten years after the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps, filmmaker Alain Resnais documented the abandoned grounds of Auschwitz. One of the first cinematic reflections on the horrors of the Holocaust, Night and Fog (Nuit et Brouillard) contrasts the stillness of the abandoned camps' quiet, empty buildings with haunting wartime footage. With Night and Fog, Resnais investigates the cyclical nature of man's violence toward man and presents the unsettling suggestion that such horrors could come again.

Customer Reviews:

Night and Fog.......2007-06-13

A very good historical portrayal thats to be viewed by upcoming generations forever.

Misguiding Title.......2007-05-29

Not one of these reviews mentions the fact that the actual 'Night and Fog' operation by the Nazis was a completely seperate atrocity from the murder of the Jews; 'Nacht und Nebel' was an action implemented upon the Gentile populations of Europe for the sake of sheer terror; Thousands of civilians were kidnapped from their homes, murdered, and disposed of without a trace and without any publicity or notification just to keep the occupied populations in fear of the Germans.

Wow.................2007-04-29

Excellent film, although the music was a little to "up beat" for my taste.

Just a great movie.......2007-04-04

Excellent movie. Real tough to take but everyone should see this.

Barbaric Is Too Kind A Word To Use!.......2007-03-21

"Night and Fog," by Alain Resnais, is only 31 minutes long, but it gives the viewer enough images to haunt one for a long time. And we should never become so desensitized to these events that when we watch this film it just becomes another routine viewing of history. I don't need to see these images anymore, but they are a poignant reminder of a criminal regime whose obsessive attempts to reshape the world in their own twisted ideological mold led to the massive industrial murder of millions of people: And this should never be forgotten. Yes indeed, the history of history is terror.

This is not an easy film to watch. The cold and calculated mass-killing done with all the efficiency of modernity and a bureaucratic system to match is enough to make one sick. This is no Hollywood horror film. This is worse than anything Hollywood could ever conjure up. And the reality of this chapter in human history is in itself horrific in scope. I can assure you that you will not walk away from this film without feeling some sort of unpleasantness, and if anything, you will be horrified and shocked. And you should be.

I gave the title of my review to the words once uttered by my former professor, and noted Holocaust historian, Dr. Saul Friedlander. He was giving a lecture on the camp guards, when he walked away from the podium and muttered the words "Barbaric is too kind a word to use." The other students were busy writing their lecture notes, and he said it in a way that was not meant to be heard, unless one was close enough to hear him. And I heard him clearly. He lost both his parents at Auschwitz, and was himself in hiding in France. And these words have stayed with me for a long time, as have the images of this film.

Each of these lives both Jew and non-Jew alike, had meaning: They are not just numbers. Every one of these victims loved, and was in turn loved. They danced, joked, laughed, played, and worked. They felt sadness, happiness and tried to live a life that the criminal regime of Hitler and Nazi Germany took away from them. No, they should never be forgotten. And neither should the deeds and actions of the criminals who were responsible: Germans and non-Germans alike. We like to think that we have learned something from this horrible event. But after Cambodia and Rwanda, we still haven't learned a thing.

Average customer rating:

"Commando" (Swartzenegger), "Cobra" , "Superman" , "Behind Enemy Lines" ... movies where the hero cannot be hit by enemy gunfire
Complete and utter bunk
Let's Have Some FUN!
Great to Watch
Exciting Action Movie

Behind Enemy Lines
Starring: Joaquim de Almeida , Gene Hackman , Olek Krupa , David Keith , and Vladimir Mashkov
Director: John Moore
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Black Hawk Down [Blu-ray]
Speed (Blu-ray)
Black Hawk Down
Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest [Blu-ray]
Casino Royale [Blu-ray]

ASIN: B00005JKL8
Release Date: 2002-04-23

Amazon.com

Smart casting and sensible plotting make Behind Enemy Lines an above-average military thriller. Perfectly timed to bolster patriotism, the film is partly set (during a hypothetical "day after tomorrow") on the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Carl Vinson, which was on alert status in the Persian Gulf when this film was released. Proving his versatility as an unconventional movie star, Owen Wilson plays a navy navigator who is shot down over Bosnia during a reconnaissance mission. Pursued by rebel Serbian forces, Wilson must fight for survival while his commanding officer (Gene Hackman) plots a daredevil rescue. After a successful career in TV commercials, Irish director John Moore makes a promising feature debut on Slovakian locations, borrowing a few techniques from Saving Private Ryan while adding impressive flourishes of his own. The gung-ho ending's a foregone conclusion, but it works like a charm after the movie's exciting game of cat and mouse. --Jeff Shannon

Product Description

The war was supposed to be over, but the battle to survive has only just begun. When U.S. Navy pilot Chris Burnett (Wilson) is shot down during a recon mission over Bosnia, he must fight to stay alive and evade hostile Serbian forces. With time running out, Burnett's commanding officer (Hackman) risks everything by launching a renegade rescue mission - against strict NATO directives - to bring an American hero home.

System Requirements:
Starring: Owen Wilson, Gene Hackman
Directed By: John Moore
Total Running Time: 105 Minutes, Color.
This film is presented in "Widescreen" format.
Copyright 2002 Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

"Commando" (Swartzenegger), "Cobra" , "Superman" , "Behind Enemy Lines" ... movies where the hero cannot be hit by enemy gunfire.......2007-06-23

I ask you! What US Navy pilot and navigator would stray from their assigned flight plan ? especially if it were a no-fly zone? Answer: No one.

If you were on the run being chased by an army trying to kill you, would you stop and sit on the concrete levee of a reservoir in plain sight? An idiot like that deserves to get killed.

What trained serviceman would come out blazing holding his firearm sideways in his hand like a drug dealer instead of with both hands and squarely in front of him? Sly Stallone, Arnold, Will Smith

Who could survive running straight back into enemy fire to retrieve a CD-ROM? Trip a maze of land minds & out run the blast? What admiral & captain of an aircraft carrier would go along on a recsue mission? Answer: No one

Why did the Bosnian tanks not fire at the escape helicopters? Was it just me or did some of the Bosnians look like a toy army in the final explosion?

How disappointing! I was all ready for a good really based war movie. Sure the basic premise was good and the cause was noble, but the action was inconceivable. Because so many people will not know the difference, "Behind Enemy Lines" is a dark day in our make believe military history!

Complete and utter bunk.......2007-05-18

I am shocked at the star rating given to this movie. It seems most viewers based their recommendation soley on action (which wasn't great) and not a bit of facts (in which this movie was sorely lacking).

I spent two years as an aid worker in the Balkans after the Bosnian war and the NATO siege of Serbia and Kosovo. I went to see this film expecting to get at least a shred of credibility. I should have known better. What I saw, to my extreme disapointment, was the usual Hollywood pander, presenting a fictionalized account of true events as recycled media fare: the Serbs were the only bad guys, everyone else was victimized, no other ethnic group committed any war crimes. Rubbish! I worked with hundreds of Serbs were innocent victims in this tragic civil war. Outside the town where I worked in Bosnia, there was a "concentration camp" where Croats jailed other Croats who refused to fight against the Muslims! Does that say anything about the insanity of this war? For Hollywood to present such a stereotypical, one-sided aspect of the situation is irresponsible and poor judgement-- for some people, this may be one of the only movies they about the Bosnian war, and they will walk away thinking they know the whole story.

If you want to see an outstanding war movie as well as a more accurate representation of what happend in Bosnia, check out the movie "Savior" with Dennis Quaid. At least they try to present all sides of the story, rather than doing a gross injustice to a complex war as in "Behind Enemy Lines."

Let's Have Some FUN!.......2006-10-14

Okay. Owen Wilson is about as believable playing a navy navigator as Rosie O'Donnell playing Mother Teresa. And hasn't Gene Hackman pretty much cornered the market playing cranky commanders? But who cares: BEHIND ENEMY LINES would work even if the leads were Henry Gibson and Larry the Cable Guy.

This film--with its contrived plot about an American pilot getting shot down over war-torn Bosnia--works through its visuals. Video telling a story is the essence of cinema, and director John Moore succeeds masterully via a breathless array of action scenes. But it's not just "action": cinematographer Brandan Galvin delivers the action and suspense from countless angles and wrap-around shots; the slowing down, then ratcheting up of the film speed gives this movie an X-Box look. And it's all grand fun.

The cat-and-mouse aspect of this film--as Wilson's character runs for his life under ominous grey skies--is perfected by the cold-blooded performance of Vladimir Mashkov. The chainsmoking, sweatpant-wearing Russian actor is the perfect predator. To top it all off, director Moore even takes a potshot or two at politically correct international posturing; that makes BEHIND ENEMY LINES even more fun. Come to think of it, Larry the Cable Guy would look real good dodging semi-automatic gunfire.
--D. Mikels, Author, WALK-ON

Great to Watch.......2006-09-03

Behind Enemy's Line is one of the greatest patriotic movies. It's about a disillusioned Navy fighter pilot who got more than he bargained for after getting shot down. Unlike many other war movies which has a lot of shooting, and not much else, this one has great character development, awesome scenes, and a hilarious stunt the aircraft crew pulled off using a football. The super-slow motion shots are simply incredible, and the pictures are rich with numerous imageries, some containing messages for the audience, others complimenting the plot. You can watch this over and over again.

Exciting Action Movie.......2006-08-19

Great military movie, lots of action and current topic. Top stars and fast paced plot keep you riveted to the screen!

Average customer rating:

A people being massacred by their own government
never again?!
Haven' received it.
Darfurians speak
Beyond the Slaughter: Smiles, Singing & Other Surprises...

Darfur Diaries: Message From Home
Director: Aisha Bain , Jen Marlowe , and Adam Shapiro
Manufacturer: Cinema Libre
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Darfur Diaries: Stories of Survival
POV: Lost Boys of Sudan
Frontline: Ghosts of Rwanda
Not on Our Watch: The Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond
Darfur: A Short History of a Long War (African Arguments)

ASIN: B000HCO8HC
Release Date: 2006-10-17

Amazon.com

Darfur Diaries: Message From Home is a brutally honest inside look into the current tragedy befalling the Darfur Region. A team of three independent filmmakers in Darfur monitored the worsening political and humanitarian crisis in 2004 and recognized that the mainstream media offered marginal and inadequate coverage. They set out with the goal of providing a platform for the people of the Darfur to speak for themselves about their experiences, their fears, and their hopes for the future. This film seeks to provide space for the marginalized victims of atrocities to speak and to engage with the world. Amnesty International will use the film to educate its members and the public about the situation in Darfur.

Customer Reviews:

A people being massacred by their own government.......2007-06-09

In the northwest corner of Sudan live (or rather lived) some 6 million Darfurians. Hundreds of thousands were killed and millions were dispossessed. Their own government (although Arab) decided to get rid of them for this simple reason: they were black, not Arabs.

Listen to the stories as they are told by the survivors, orphan kids, widows and old people who either could run away or were tortured or raped. See the dignity and spiritual endurance of these people as they face the camera and speak. A very respectable documentary (we never see the face of the interviewer), with a touch of artistry and originality in its conception. As some one said: if it had been the American government sending the Army against the civilians in LA, or the British against the people of some English town all the world would know it immediately.

Do we really want to know? For those Pharisees that cry out "racist" all the time in America, here's one good chance to cry loud: it's called Sudan, and the bad guys happen to be Arabs.

never again?!.......2007-01-25

Despite global hand-wringing, accords, agreements, and peace-keeping forces, the Darfur genocide that began in July 2003 continues. Directors Aisha Bain and Jen Marlowe take the viewer on-site to Darfur, and through on-camera interviews with dozens of locals they let the people describe the tragedy in their own words. Their personal anecdotes are heart-breaking and appalling. The desert landscape, wind-swept and littered with bomb fragments, is stark. Despite its denials, the Sudanese government under president Omar al-Bashir has backed the Janjaweed militias to plunder, pillage, rape women of every age, and liquidate entire villages. According to the United Nations, 400,000 people have died, and over 2 million have been displaced (many refugees pouring into Chad). This documentary is only 55 minutes long, but it's a graphic, powerful and informative reminder of how much of the world can ignore the most unimaginable horrors when countries have no self-interest at stake.

Haven' received it........2007-01-17

Too bad, this was the reason for all of my order, but more then two months later I am still waiting for this dvd. I am waiting every day... but nothing.

Darfurians speak.......2006-12-25

Dafur Diaries is indeed a Message From Home. This well crafted film tells the stories of the people caught up in the ongoing atrocities that define this poorly understood conflict.

The film makers do not preach at the audience. Instead they exercise a degree of cinematic restraint by allowing the films subjects to tell their own stories. In doing so the Darfurians inform and educate.

Because the film is so well crafted it is never boring. In fact it leaves you with a desire to know more about the people, the confict and the region. In the long run that is what the authors meant to accomplish and I believe that is the true measure of the success of this documentary.

Beyond the Slaughter: Smiles, Singing & Other Surprises..........2006-12-15

Imagine that, Darfurians get to speak for themselves and turns out the conflict's about way more than the media voices make it out to be. And this documentary, it's not what one might expect either. Jennifer Lopez look-alike Aisha Bain was working for The Center for Prevention of Genocide in 2003 when asked to look into NGO reports coming out of Darfur. Dismayed at mainstream media's lack of interest in the story, she shares her information with pal Adam Shapiro who up and decides to go and check out Darfur for himself, with Bain and a third independent filmaker, Jen Marlowe, joining him. Shortly before their departure the Darfur story breaks into the news, but in an oversimplified form focusing on the black versus Arab characterization of the conflict, something this movie clarifies. The three producers remain offscreen during the feature film, but add their well-expressed observations and making-of-Darfur-Diaries insights appearing in the special features' "Context," "Director's Note," and "Slide Show." They avoid the political debates over what to call the Darfur crisis and whether the matter should be dealt with in the Interational Criminal Court (ICC) or an ad hoc tribunal, and cast the light on the central concern of protecting the people from violence.

The historical overview of the conflict is most clearly laid out in the "Context" feature of the DVD, which if watched first helps provide a better framework for understanding the 55-minute feature film, which is more relational, filled with magnetic smiles, childplay, a wedding, singing (even Bob Marley), sacrificial service, and optimistic aspirations of resilient people who don't define themselves as mere victims, and who are given voice and humanized by this film. The burned out depopulated villages, aerial bombings, and refugee camps are shown, but with a hopeful slant full of personality and people we can connect with.

Contrary to typical media impressions, the conflict didn't really start in 2003, but earlier with the marginalization efforts of the governmental elites led by the unpopular Omar Bashir who took power in a 1989 coup and by his support of Arab tribes sought to drive a wedge between Arabs and the black tribes, though actually there is much fluidity between them due to intermarriage, common arabic language and more, and the Arab Janjaweed proxy militia are just being used as a tool of the government to further their aims while shielding the government from the international community. While the government denies direct involvement, the story coming from the refugees of various villages is the same: aerial Anatov and helicopter bombing, followed by both Janjaweed and Sudanese government army mop-up land attacks, looting, raping of young and old, burning the villages to the ground, and flight of the villagers, many to neighboring Chad, since it is more difficult for international aid to get to internally displaced people due to impediments imposed by the Sudanese government.

Withstanding the Janjaweed and government is the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), the larger of the two main rebel groups, which had previously been called the Darfur Liberation Army, but changed its name to emphasize that all people of Sudan need to be free from Bashir's criminal government, that the conflict is not just a racial Darfur issue. The movie was made in 2004 and 2005, and as of then 200,000 had fled across to refugee camps in Chad, 2 million were driven from homes but still in Darfur, 2000 villages were burned and destroyed, and an estimated 400,000 were dead as a result of the conflict--as of then.

Don't miss the Director's Note, which shares some of the producers' activist energy along with filming stories, some humorous, other poignant. Another extra is the Slide Show, which is accompanied by some great music and filled with more of those heart-melting smiles so hard to ignore.

Average customer rating:

PBS special: one of the best
5 stars
The Depths of Darkness
A Great Documentary
The shame of the "civilized world" exposed.

Frontline: Ghosts of Rwanda

Manufacturer: PBS Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Sometimes in April
POV: Lost Boys of Sudan
Hotel Rwanda
Machete Season: The Killers in Rwanda Speak
Darfur Diaries: Message From Home

ASIN: B0007TKI06
Release Date: 2005-05-10

Description

FRONTLINE marks the 10th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide with a documentary chronicling one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century. In addition to interviews with key government officials and diplomats, the two-hour documentary offers eyewitness accounts of the genocide from those who experienced it firsthand. FRONTLINE illustrates the failures that enabled the slaughter of 800,000 people to occur unchallenged by the global community.

Customer Reviews:

PBS special: one of the best.......2007-06-01

I teach a genocide and hate awareness class. As a teacher, this documentary outstrips other videos concerning the atrocities in Rwanda. So many of our kids have seen Hotel Rwanda. Not that it is bad, but it was edited by the director to not be as graphic as it could have been, and many of the key characters were changed, such as Gen. Dallaire into Nick Nolte's character.
The Ghosts of Rwanda interview many key people, from Dallaire to Kofi Annan, to the only American left in Rwanda to Hutu farmers who participated in the killings. It is the most indepth coverage that I can find. I would recommend it to anyone wanting information on the Rwandan genocide.

5 stars.......2007-05-13

If you want to see the Rwandan genocide from an international perspective with interviews ranging from Kofe Annan to Madeline Albright I highly reccomend this documentary. Graphic at times, but always poignant.

The Depths of Darkness.......2007-03-19

This 2 hour Frontline special probes into the depths of darkness in humanity, not just the Hutu's and Tutsi's, but also the UN, the international community and its leaders. I was shocked and dismayed by some of the cold callous acts perpetrated by western governments during Rwanda's hour of need. I use "hour of need" of course as a figment of speech, since this atrocity took place over 100 days.

This video clearly documents the events of the Rwandan Genocide. It interviews key players in the international community as well as those who participated in, and were victims of the Genocide. For the most part, the video shows the Genocide from an outside perspective. It volleys back and forth between all of the killing in Rwanda and the international communities response. The footage of death is deeply saddening. I was only uplifted by the few stories of individuals who risked their lives to save some.

I would have loved to see them make this into a three part special since it does not give the background into the area or the history that led up to such a tension, nor does it explore the colonial legacy that the Rwandans inherited. I was also disappointed that it didn't cover the events that took place after the RPF won the civil war. Understandably, they could not cover all aspects in one film, but and introduction and a follow-up would really help paint a fuller picture of events. Overall, I highly recommend this video, it is hard to watch, but it definitely opened up my eyes to the plight of so many people in Rwanda.

A Great Documentary.......2007-02-11

I watched this documentary on PBS and I must say that it is one of the best ones I have seen in my whole life. And it is extremely disturbing too, because it sadly reminds us of what the human being is still capable of. The murder of almost one million lives in a couple of weeks was a shame for the whole mankind. The international community did nothing to stop the killings, the UN was as always deplorable and the soi-disant civilised world, i.e. the USA, France, UK, Belgium, Germany et alii, did not mind to intervene for political reasons, although at the time the USA had the marines in nearby Burundi. The Clinton administration and Kofi Annan(at the time chief of the peace keeping operations) did absolutely nothing concrete but uttering stupid, useless rhetorical and technical speeches. Not to mention the shameful, coward stance of the Belgian government that panicked and withdrew its troops and citizens. The real heroes were a bunch of canadian and african troops that did their very best to protect the remaining tutsis and moderate hutus and therefore deserve our biggest praises for all their efforts. Again, it is one more appalling moment in the human history. It seems we never learn. Among the scenes that shocked me forever are the sad images of dead bodies being drifted away in a rwandan river and of a little girl, nowadays a lady, being found alive among the dead bodies of her family. This DVD provides a wonderful opportunity to think over the sordid and noxious nature of European colonialism in Africa, after all, Rwanda was a Belgian colony and the Belgian fomented the apartheid between the Tutsis and Hutus through, among other things, the use of ID cards stating their ethnicity. It also shows the dangers of hands-off policies when intervention is morally and rightly justified and required. This is a must-have DVD. Please, let us not allow another Rwanda to happen again...

The shame of the "civilized world" exposed........2007-02-06

A gripping and honest account of the role that the UN, Europe and USA have had in the Rwanda genocide with the cowardliness of their politics more marketing oriented than interested in the humanitarian cause. Any one thinking about voting for the Clintons again should see this, to grasp the real level of leadership they can produce under heat. Not to mention Kofi Annan (Nobel prize winner ???) a real butcher in diplomat's clothes.

Average customer rating:

Great Movie
Good action movie with a lousy ending
A Little Intrigue and a Lot of Action
OVERPRICED ?
It Should have been Better

Behind Enemy Lines (Blu-Ray)
Starring: Owen Wilson , and Gene Hackman
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

Action & Adventure | Blu-ray | Formats | DVD | Video

General | Blu-ray | Formats | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Black Hawk Down [Blu-ray]
Speed (Blu-ray)
Black Hawk Down
Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest [Blu-ray]
Casino Royale [Blu-ray]

ASIN: B000ICLRJ8
Release Date: 2006-11-14

Amazon.com

Description

Fighter navigator Chris Burnett (Owen Wilson) wants out of the Navy: he was looking for something more than boring recon missions he's been flying. He finds himself the lone Christmas day mission over war-torn Bosnia. But, when he talks pilot Stackhouse into flying slightly off-course to check out an interesting target, the two get shot down. Burnett is soon alone, trying to outrun a pursuing army, while commanding officer Reigert (Gene Hackman) finds his rescue operation hamstrung by politics, forcing Burnett to run far out of his way.

Customer Reviews:

Great Movie.......2007-04-07

I enjoyed this movie and think it should be part of everyone's collection. It kept my attention and did not get boring.

Good action movie with a lousy ending.......2007-02-06

I saw this in the theater and I bought it when it came out on DVD. Is this worth dropping another $30? Mmmmmaybe... I'm a big fan of jet planes, so I get a real kick out of watching the Super Bug turn its tricks. Once Owen and his pilot find their way onto the ground, the movie combines some somewhat-artsy camera work and a non-stop chase, which is, for the most part pretty entertaining. The sniper definitely should've had him when he was sitting out in the open though - I mean, c'mon! But the case goes on until the end, which almost, Almost ruined the movie for me. I haven't seen any one person escape a hailstorm of gunfire like that untouched in quite some time. Not even ONE bullet home in the arm or something? In addition, it's highly unlikely that the captain of an AC carrier will fly in to the rescute in an armed Huey. Oh well. If you just close your eyes for about 2 minutes during the end shootout, you'll be fine. Bottom line - if you like jets, snipers, gunfire, this movie is for you.

A Little Intrigue and a Lot of Action.......2006-11-17

I was concerned that this movie would either be influenced by the continued backlash from Viet Nam or would be so incredibly over-the-top as to be completely unbelievable. I was pleased that the movie combined a bit of political intrigue with generally realistic military action to yield a very enjoyable movie. There are a few moments where the movie is unbelievable, but those moments are few enough to get you to the end.

Lt. Chris Burnett (Owen Wilson) and his friend and partner Stackhouse (Gabriel Macht) are flying a routine mission over Bosnia. They fly into territory into which they are not permitted. During their flight they see something on the ground that causes them to take a closer look. Using their new digital image recording system they take high-speed pictures of an area that incriminates Serbians in aggression towards Bosnians. The Serbians shoot down the F-18 with SAMs, later blaming the incident on rebel Bosnians.

Once the plane is shot down the two vulnerable pilots are quickly found by Serbian forces. Stackhouse is quickly executed, causing Burnett to yell in anguish and anger, which was a serious mistake because Stackhouse's executioner hears Burnett, and the chase is on.

This movie is all about the chase. Burnett runs for his life, trying to reach an extraction point. The Serbian executioner that murdered Stackhouse chases Burnett almost to the end of the film. During the chase there are several incidents that were very creative, though incredible in their coincidence. One example happens when Burnett has a large group of Serbians on his heels. The chase is being watched from Burnett's aircraft carrier, the Carl Vinson. When Burnett trips and falls according to the infrared image, the anxious crew of the Carl Vinson are sure he is dead, yet the chasing Serbians miraculously do not find him. You'll have to watch the movie to see why.

Burnett tries continually to make his way to the rendezvous point for extraction, and is continuously stymied. Eventually the Serbians convince NATO that Burnett has been killed by the rebels, and the Carl Vinson prepares to head for home. But, as we all know, Burnett is still trying to get out. I will not spoil the ending, which is the one portion of the movie that is really over-the-top, reminiscent of James Bond.

While the movie contains flaws in how the action is portrayed, for entertainment and patriotism it is a good bet, particularly if you enjoy military action movies.

The only question I have is whether this film is worth purchasing in Blu-Ray. The price of the standard DVD version is significantly less than the Blu-Ray version, and I do not believe the Blu-Ray version has enough difference in video quality to justify the price difference. My recommendation is to either wait until the price of the Blu-Ray version decreases or just buy the DVD version.

Enjoy!

OVERPRICED ?.......2006-11-16

I'm really excited that FOX is finally releasing some of it's catalog titles on Blu-Ray. But these titles are exactly that catalog titles, that are priced higher than most studios day and date releases. The picture and sound quality are on par with Sony / Warner Bros. / Paramount / Disney, not any better or worse. The "extras" are sorely missing. I'm really getting tired of certain studios setting up for the "double dip" by not including the basic extras from their dvd couterparts. Yes, I did purchase this movie, but I feel cheated having to pay this much to enjoy Behind Enemy Lines in Hi-def, when M:I:3 looks a lot better, is packed with features, and costs less. Come on Sony, Fox, & Disney step up your Hi-def game.

It Should have been Better.......2006-11-14

This film looks as though it was made with all good intentions. I really wanted to like and enjoy it. Because the character motivations were never deeply explored it lacked the essence of what could have made it a good old fashioned stand-up-and-cheer movie. It moved at a lethargic pace. If the character motivations were explored in depth, lethargy would have been replaced with viewer concern and interest and it would have been a much more entertaining film. Only the confrontation between Joaquim de Almeida as Admiral Piquet and Gene Hackman as Admiral Reigart gave this film some character based emotional fiber and substance that it sorely needed. I also thought this made the Hollywood theatrics at the end of the movie were just too unbelievable and out of place. Owen Wilson, Gene Hackman and David Keith do their best with what script they are given. Actualy Joaquim de Almeida, a very underated actor, came out the most memorable and believable.

Average customer rating:

The price of dissidence
Thank heaven, for little people.
A great movie on a grave topic
Turning a Blind Eye to the Truth
The would-be whistleblower of the Holocaust

Amen
Starring: Ulrich Tukur , Mathieu Kassovitz , Ulrich Mühe , Michel Duchaussoy , and Ion Caramitru
Director: Costa-Gavras
Manufacturer: Kino Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Period Piece | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Holocaust | Jewish Heritage | Specialty Stores | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Good Evening, Mr. Wallenberg
The Grey Zone
The Nazi Officer's Wife
Out of the Ashes
Conspiracy

ASIN: B00009W0W4
Release Date: 2003-08-12

Customer Reviews:

The price of dissidence.......2007-04-20

This is the story of SS Officer Kurt Gerstein, the "good Nazi" who was good at his job and believed in his work until he realized what it was. This is my first experience with the concept of the "good Nazi," especially one that operates in the ranks of the SS - but the story claims to be true. While the Gerstein character is real, the Catholic Priest who tries to help him is a fictional character, a composite of others. Still, I've done a lot of reading on the holocaust, and I have yet to find a Catholic Priest who actually worked the ovens. Please. The Nazis made the Jews do that, and they made them do it for a reason. Because the Nazis were very, very "good" at what they did, and the mental torture made the physical torture exquisite.

Gerstein's area of expertise was "disinfection," but he had no idea, apparently, what the "final solution" was all about. Most Germans did not, or if they did, were in complete denial about it. Denial is not that hard to believe. We are living in it now.

It isn't until Gerstin actually gets to look through the peephole each gas chamber contained that he could see the naked bodies climbing all over each other, the weakest at the bottom, in order to get to what air was left at the top. Apparently, the other Nazis weren't bothered. He was.

"I must be the eyes of God in that hell!" cries the Priest. A great line. I'm sure God had lots of eyes in that hell.

With each attempt to work within the system, as many of us continue to do in our own corrupt systems, the protests are familiar:

"We are at war!" (When at war, all bets are off)

"Germans are incapable of such attrocities!" (How often have I heard that bureaucracies couldn't organize a conspiracy to wipe their own noses!)

Protestations were dismissed as "rumors" and "conspiracy theories." (sigh) The more things change...

"The Jews left for America long ago."

"There is no proof." (Just because there is no proof doesn't mean it isn't happening.)

The scene of the Germans celebrating Christmas with their fancy dinner and fancy liquor singing "Silent Night" when you just know ashes of the dead are falling, mixed with snow is probably the creepiest scene.

The Pope never even pronounced the word "Jew" or "Concentration Camp." Just like so many Presidents who never pronounced the word "AIDS".

"We refuse to negotiate with the Nazis." ("We don't negotiate with terrorists)

"Jews are being sent to labor camps!" (Certainly not being tortured and killed!)

One line - "It is out of the question for an SS who is betraying his country to appear at the Vatican!" What kind of a Catch 22 is that???

I refuse to take the hard line that Gerstein was a coward who did nothing. It is easy for armchair quarterbacks who weren't there to presume that it would have been easy to stop the machine that was Fascism. Many people tried. Apparently, Gerstein was one of them. Many Germans tried to work within the system, and console themselves with the lives they were able to save - even Mengele, who actually patted himself on the back for the "experiments" that saved Jews from the gas chamber, and the people he directed out of the death line. Germans who had access to food, clothing, shelter, blankets were able to share them if they were inclined to. Germans who had access to nothing had nothing to share.

Another powerful scene was the scene where the Zyklon-B had become diluted thanks to Gerstein's attempt to make it unusable. The Camp officials decided to use it anyway. Kapos who were working the ovens complained that they were throwing living bodies into the ovens who had not yet died. For their complaints, they were immediately shot.

People in Hitler's Germany knew that was the price to be paid for dissidence. You obeyed authority or you died. Don't forget that the Prussians were a people who invented the public school system that created a people incapable of questioning authority. The very system all public schools are based upon today.

Gerstein was in a no-win situation. The movie raises the question, but gives us no answers. It is important that we all consider the question, and where each of us would draw the line. We may confront that decision sooner than we think.Scapegoat: The Jews, Israel, and Women's Liberation

Thank heaven, for little people........2007-02-08

"Amen"