So for my second foreign film I decided to up the stakes. A while ago, I decided to split the world into regions and try to watch films from vastly different regions than I was used to. Due to natural proclivities and exposure, I have watched far more films from Japan, Germany, and France than from other countries. Flame & Citron fulfilled my less common Scandinavia category, but the most hard to find and unique region is Africa.
Netflix selection for African movies is only two pages long and contains a number of movies involving Hollywood types in Africa. I chose what seemed best to me, which is unusual as almost all of my foreign film watching is following paths through actors or directors or advice from trusted sources, such as the Oscar nominations.
I jumped into this film with virtually nothing and I can say I've rarely seen something that felt so foreign. That said this film was completely worth watching for me. It centers on two friends from Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, Sangwe and Ngabo, the titular Munyurangabo. At the beginning, they leave the city of Kigali on an unknown errand, holding each other as they walk as close as brothers. They visit Sangwe's family on the way and things become complicated by the age-old racial divide between the Hutus and the Tutsis. This film takes place after the famous genocide in Rwanda perpetrated by the Hutu majority government against Tutsis and moderate Hutus, so poignantly portrayed in Hotel Rwanda.
I gave it a 9 for wit. I think it has solid dialogue, even if it is in Kinyarwanda, the native language of Rwanda. This complicates my interpretation of the writing, but from the English and the way it plays this writing is incisive and reflects understanding of the types of characters involved. When racists spout off about the wickedness of Tutsis and when the two friends square off over their objective, it feels real. The acting is understated, but effectual. No wide, broad movements are made and everyone stands and sits reservedly as they discuss the gamut, but this adds to when someone appears drunk or really blows up. Their reactions are stronger for their relative size. This reminds me of the effect of Jack's silence in an episode of Pillars of the Earth that I watched today. His character seems nearly mute for more than a whole episode, but when he yells, "Stop," as another character is about to kill a thief they met on the road, it has a huge effect. In this film, everybody has extremely reserved body language unless in full attack mode. This lends so much gravity when people express their emotions. After his father speaks roughly to him, Sangwe raises his hand to his face as if he's been slapped. This small motion is huge because of the relativity of distance. To my mind, this reminded me a lot of Monsters, a quality sci-fi independent that was heavier on writing and lighter on acting. The same for Margot at the Wedding, previously reviewed on this very blog.
I gave it a 9.5 for wisdom. This is heavily based upon the ending, which I have no desire to divulge, but the truth of how freedom is achieved and how violence affects people is dealt with through clear and simple means, including, which makes me happier, through scripture quotation. The portrayal of family is also not simplistic or one-sided. This was very much the qualities I found in Munich, the Spielberg drama about a people after great violence and the toll of revenge.
Wonder received a 9. Despite video quality less than standard for Hollywood, the film looked pretty good. It is shot almost entirely outside and probably required no lighting. One decision stood out to me. There is a young man who recites to Ngabo a ten minute poem about Rwanda. This decision seemed somewhat bold to me. This may not sound great, but the way it plays and the in-story reasoning for it really make it impressive. That made it a 9 for me. This is in the same league as older films like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington or Nosferatu, which I give credit on different film quality because of time as I give it to Munyurangabo because of place. They also display clearly great choices that separate them from things below 9.
I won't guarantee anyone will like it, but it is a solid family drama with the addition of dealing with genocide and heavy personal tragedy. It gives a good intro to a very different culture and tells a great story too.
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