Shake Hands with the Devil (2007)

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Director:

Roger Spottiswoode

Writers:

Roméo Dallaire (book)
Michael Donovan (writer)

Release Date:

28 September 2007 (Canada)

Genre:

History

Tagline:

A true story of compassion, courage and hope

Plot:

A film adaptation of the Romeo Dallaire autobiography Shake Hands with the Devil.

Plot Keywords:

United Nations | Genocide | Rwanda | Betrayal | Violence

Awards:

6 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Roy Dupuis	...	General Romeo Dallaire
Owen Sejake	...	Ghanian General Henry Anyidoho (as Owen Lebakeng Sejake)
James Gallanders	...	Major Brent Beardsley
Michel Mongeau	...	Luc Marchal
Robert Lalonde	...	Général Maurice Baril
John Sibi-Okumu	...	Booh-Booh
Akin Omotoso	...	Paul Kagame
Tom McCamus	...	Phil Lancaster
John Matshikiza	...	President Habyarimana
Jean-Hugues Anglade	...	Bernard Kouchner
Strini Pillai	...	Bangladeshi Commander
Craig Hourqueble	...	Willem
Kenneth Khambula	...	Major Kamenzi
Patrice Faye	...	Colonel Poncet
Chris Thorne	...	American Ambassador

MPAA:

Rated R for some disturbing violent images and brief strong language.

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:18A | Singapore:NC-16 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Company:

Barna-Alper Productions

Trivia:

The ribbon bars of Dallaire's medals worn by Roy Dupuis in this film are the actual ones worn by Roméo Dallaire during the time period depicted in this film. They were loaned to Dupuis by Dallaire during for the film's production.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: At the international news report on the massacres, the modern Rwandan flag is depicted on the screen, which wasn't introduced until 2001, whereas the news report was from 1993, during the massacre.

Quotes:

General Romeo Dallaire: We're going to stay to bear witness to what the rest of the world doesn't want to see.

Shake hands With and Oscar...

Rarely do I watch a movie and get physically affected by it. Crash made tears well, Shake Hands with the Devil made me weep. It made me sick with anguish and sorrow. This movie is the most powerful movie I have ever seen. It's hard to soften the subject matter of this movie, the systematic extermination of nearly a million people, the inaction by the world at large, the plight of a broken soul. "Shake Hands with the Devil" succeeds in bring to light the events that occurred in April, 1994 in the small African nation, as seen through the eyes of Gen. Romeo D'Allaire. Throughout the film we see graphic images of the atrocities that occurred in Rwanda, from dismembered corpses to severed arms, legs, and heads. Rotting piles of bodies on the roadsides and men, women, and children being hacked up in the streets. This movie is not a fun time for anybody. This movie isn't fun. It's depressing. Very, very depressing. I think this is a movie that every single person should see. So that, as Romeo says, No one ever forgets April, 1994 in Rwanda. This movie is deserving of a nomination for an Oscar, it is the best Canadian film I have seen since "Bon Cop Bad Cop".