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Based on true events during the Rwandan genocide in 1994, an exhausted Catholic priest (John Hurt) and a young idealistic English teacher (Hugh Dancy) find themselves caught in a literal and spiritual crisis. They have to choose whether to stay with the thousands of Tutsis about to be massacred or to flee for safety.
This is an unrated version of the original film edited for clean language. A powerfully moving rendering of the horrific genocide that occurred in Rwanda in 1994, Beyond the Gates is the story of the Ecole Technique Officielle (ETO), a school run by Europeans and protected by the forces of the United Nations. Overseen by a spiritual, world-weary Catholic priest Father Christopher (John Hurt) and taught by an idealistic, naive young teacher Joe (Hugh Dancy), students and refugees alike perceive the ETO to be a safe haven of learning and love, where backgrounds and circumstances matter little and where humanitarian efforts are positively affecting the lives of the Rwandan people. When tensions between the Hutu and Tsutsi people of Rwanda escalate, father Christopher, teacher Joe, and Capitaine Delon (Dominique Horwitz), commander of the United Nation forces based at the ETO, find themselves thrust into the role of protecting a huge mass of Tsutsi refugees from certain massacre at the hands of the incensed Hutu population. Constrained by orders from the U.N. to "monitor" rather than "enforce" the peace in Rwanda, U.N. military forces are powerless to act against the mounting violence outside the school's gates and it quickly becomes evident to Father Christopher and Joe that they and the Rwandans depending on their protection are in extreme danger. In the end, both men are forced to choose between their humanitarian resolve and the preservation of their very lives. A microcosm of the extensive genocide that was carried out throughout Rwanda from April through June in 1994, the story of the ETO highlights to the larger world the ineffective and arguably destructive role that the Western World played in the Rwandan genocide. The film's immense power stems from stellar performances by John Hurt, Hugh Dancy, and Claire-Hope Ashitey (Marie) as well as exceptional writing by David Wolstencroft and impassioned story telling by director Michael Caton-Jones. Filming on location in Rwanda adds an added layer of authenticity to the film as does the inclusion of Rwandan survivors in various on- and off-screen roles. Bonus features include a 38-minute "making of" feature that's rich with perspective and history thanks to extensive interview footage of producers, actors, and crew members personally affected by the genocide in Rwanda and two separate full-length film commentaries; one by director Michael Caton-Jones and another featuring writer David Wolstencroft and producer David Belton. Contains strong violence and disturbing images. --Tami Horiuchi
IntenseReviewed by C. Martin, 2010-01-20
I had never heard of this movie until I was browsing the video
section at the library and came across it.
I had just watched "Ella Enchanted" earlier in the week that also
has Hugh Dancy in it. The roles Hugh plays in these two films show
a complete difference in character. Many actors seem to be hired
because of a past playing similar roles.
In Beyond the Gates, Hugh showed his ability to act, and to really
hold back when the roll required it.
Beyond the Gates was heart-breaking, eye-opening, and well-done.
Knowing that this film was based on true events and that many of
the crew who made the film were there during this "act of"
genocide, and experienced great loss in their families, gave it
even more of an impact. And these events all happened in Rwanda
less than 20 years ago.
When the UN military was leaving the school and the Tsutsi
gentleman asked the Commanding Officer to shoot the children rather
than allow the Hutu to kill them with machetes, I almost wanted the
CO to grant the request. Prior to this scene, the CO almost came
across as callous and unfeeling, uncaring, evil. He refused to
grant the request. And the actor brought it across like he was
considering it, but ultimately couldn't bring himself to shoot
children. What kind of horror does a man, a father, have to face in
order to even have to consider asking that his children be shot to
death, because it would be less painful than the manner they were
certain to die by later?
I would not allow children to watch this film, as it contains a
great degree of senseless acts of violence.
This would be a good film to show in a college level class, or even
high school (with parent permission) in World History classes,
sociology, psychology, or philosophy even.
An amazing movieReviewed by Thomas J. Smith, 2010-01-16
A remarkable movie and a true story. John Hurt's character is
based
on the real life of Father Vjeko Curic. A Catholic priest who
refused
to leave during the genocide and saved thousands of lives, both
Tutsi
and Hutu, at great peril to himself. Afterwards he stayed to help
with
the reconciliation but sadly was murdered by persons unknown in
1998.
I'm a tough audience, but was near tears several timesReviewed by a reader, 2009-12-05
This hooked me from the start and never let go. This is not a Hollywood take on the Rwandan genocide, and that's fine. It is superb in its own right. It somehow manages to pull no punches without hitting you over the head. But it does grab your heart. Incredibly powerful, engrossing and disturbing. Don't see it if you need some light entertainment. But see it.
Beyond the GatesReviewed by Linda D. Gallite, 2009-11-30
I was satisfied with my purchase of this movie. Very moving movie about the genecide in Rawanda. It is how the French or Belgum came to this country and stuck their nose where it wasn't wanted and cause mass killing.
an overwhelmingly powerful filmReviewed by Roland E. Zwick, 2008-06-08
"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.