Film Reviews

Shooting Dogs

• Rating:
• Director:
• Starring: Dominique Horwitz
• Details: UK, 115mins, 15s.

Rwanda, 1994 and a coup to overthrow the government has spilled out onto the streets and the centuries old discontent between the minority Tutsi and the majority Hutu factions that make up Rwanda comes to a head. A local school - run by the weary, well-travelled priest Father Christopher (Hurt) and the naive young idealistic teacher Joe (Dancy) - which is also used as a United Nations camp, is soon overrun with frightened asylum-seeking Tutsi refugees. With them they bring horror stories of Hutu militia roaming the streets and systematically killing all Tutsi they happen across; men, women and children have all been slain at the hands of Hutu machetes. Soon, the Hutu's growing numbers surround the school, waiting patiently for the impotent UN to disembark and leave the defenceless Tutsi's to their fate.
Last year's Hotel Rwanda was the first mainstream film to address the Rwandan genocide, but since it never delved into the nitty-gritty aspect of the mass-killings, there are some who looked forward to a much harder, uncompromising film. Shooting Dogs, unfortunately, is not it. Caton-Jones should be given praise with bringing up some touchy race issues, such as the BBC's war-weary journalist who suggests her nonchalance of the massacres is due to the skin colour of the dead - a fact she hates herself for but can't help feeling. This should have been the cornerstone of the film but this point is quickly forgotten about as Caton-Jones concentrates on the heavy-handed God-fearing script while taking the odd pot-shot at the UN's involvement or lack there of. The performances are all par for the course and there are some genuine harrowing moments, but the overall feeling is that Caton-Jones pulled far too many punches when he should have being hitting below the belt.

Review by Gavin Burke