‘Munyurangabo’s’ End Slightly Makes Up For Its Lull

If “Hotel Rwanda” educated the masses about the Rwanda genocide, Korean American Lee Isaac Chung’s “Munyurangabo” will show audiences the aftermath of how Rwanda’s citizens coped with their loss. In the film, two young boys, Munyurangabo and Sangwa, leave the capital of Kigali with a machete and aim to kill the man who killed Munyurangabo’s father during the 1994 genocide.

Munyurangabo is filled with hate, and when the two boys visit Sangwa’s home on the way to their ultimate destination, they end up staying for several days rather than several hours. Sangwa’s parents disapprove of Munyurangabo and soon learn of their plot. Sangwa and Munyurangabo’s friendship is tested at this time.

Although the film starts out promising, it grinds to halt during the boys’ stay in Sangwa’s village. The scenes linger a bit too long and take up too much of the middle of the film. However, it slightly redeems itself in the end, when Munyurangabo reaches his father’s killer, only to discover that the man is dying of AIDS. In the final scene, the man, lying in his shack, asks for water — and after some deliberation, Munyurangabo finally goes to the river to fill up some jugs. (highlight to read).

The film appears to depict Rwanda life accurately, and it has some interesting moments — such as near the end, when a poet beats about the genocide on screen. I can’t quite recommend the film because of the painfully flow middle portion, which will test an audience’s patience, but if you’re interested in Rwanda or Africa as a whole, it might be enough to keep you in your seat.

2 stars
***
Wayne’s star system
1 star –> avoid at all costs
2 stars –> watch on TV when nothing else is on
3 stars –> rent it eventually
4 stars –> must see before you die

“Munyurangabo” (IMDB)
“Munyarangabo” Official Web site (Almond Tree Films)

~ by doscrash on May 26, 2007.