The DVD Dissection: Beyond the Gates
Posted by Chad Webb on 09.25.2007
A decent, but ultimately flawed account of the 1994 Rwandan disaster.
John Hurt: Father Christopher
Hugh Dancy: Joe Connor
Dominique Horwitz: Captain Charles Delon
Claire Hope-Ashitey: Marie
David Gyasi: Francois
Louis Mahoney: Councillor Sibomana
Susan Nalwoga: Edda
Victor Power: Julius
Steve Toussaint: Roland
Directed By: Michael Caton-Jones
Theatrical Release Date: March 9, 2007
DVD Release Date: September 18, 2007
Running Time: 112 minutes
Rated R for strong violence, disturbing images and language.
The Film
Shooting Dogs, released in the United States as Beyond the Gates is the second feature film based on actual events of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. It is a story with good intentions, and sporadically poignant moments, but fails to leave a lasting impact, or provide consistent entertainment. That is difficult for me to say about such a topic, but the truth is this film wants to reveal the heartbreak of the tragedy without bonding to the genuinely intriguing characters.
The story picks up on the day of April 5, 1994 with a Catholic priest named Christopher (John Hurt), and an English teacher named Joe (Hugh Dancy) who are leading normal caring lives in Kigali, Rwanda by working at the Ecole Technique Officelle, a Salesian school in the country. This area is monitored by U.N. troops. The world in which these Westerners reside is turned upside down on April 6th when the airplane of the Hutu President of Rwanda is shot down under mysterious circumstances. This prompts the Hutu militia to begin slaughtering every Tutsi person in sight. As the carnage escalates, Christopher and Joe are troubled by the U.N.’s lack of involvement, so they aid in lodging approximately 2500 Tutsi’s inside the guarded gates of the ETO. However, as time goes by, the Hutu’s surround the property, and the U.N. is forced to pull out, abandoning everyone that is not white, resulting in the killing of thousands.
John Hurt's is what keeps this film on its feet. His tender and delicate performance as Christopher is subtle, adept, and hypnotizing. Hurt is an ever reliable actor, and here he shows how effortlessly he can blend in with any surrounding. Previously seen in V for Vendetta, Hurt's voice has the distinct ability to be both intensely fierce, and soothingly gentle. I can't think of too many thespians that can achieve both extremes with as much ease. Unfortunately, Christopher is not given the appropriate level of depth until the final hour rolls around, and by then it is too late.
Hugh Dancy should be commended for taking on both ambitious (though poor) projects such as this and Evening, while also making room for thrillers like Basic Instinct 2 or Blood and Chocolate, but he fails to persuade this reviewer that his part of Joe could not have been played by anyone else like say :insert actor here:. He handles the material with skill, but does not evoke necessary energy from this overwhelmed youngster.
The problem with Shooting Dogs is simple to explain. With 2004’s Hotel Rwanda, not only was the direction more proficient, but the lead savior played by Don Cheadle, Paul Rusesabagina was a real person. Christopher and Joe never existed. The place most certainly did, and the massacre occurred at the Ecole Technique Offcielle, but after Hotel Rwanda took a depressing situation, and exposed the heroism in the outcome, there was barely any space for Michael Caton-Jones to improve upon that. Additionally, Paul Rusesabagina’s actions reached into our soul. Since Christopher and John were fictional, connecting to the premise underneath the surface was impossible.
The director is Michael Caton-Jones, a man who has been around the block, but he has never fully explored his talent. He has completed several solid submissions such as Rob Roy and This Boy’s Life, but other times his work is either half-assed, or skates by on star power without ever making a mark. See Basic Instinct 2, City by the Sea, and The Jackal for proof. This is a gutsy period and time to undertake, but he prides himself on the fact that his film was actually shot in Rwanda, whereas Hotel Rwanda wrapped up in South Africa. Well, congratulations, but one needs more than accurate locations to move and shake the audience. His camera work is swift and competent, but for 60 minutes, viewers must sit back, and observe Christopher and Joe wander around until the killing commences.
The end credits almost caused me to shed a tear, and the fact that Caton-Jones was not desperate for crying during the feature itself was nice, but the images of the survivors, who assumed various positions on this crew, followed by how many family members and friends close to them lost their lives in 1994, was gut wrenching. The first half hour, and the last half hour were brilliant, but the sandwich was not edible due to the bland and sluggish middle. This is about Africans, and what they suffered through, not two white Europeans, and sadly they are the focus, while the victims mainly just look scared as they run and scream. The script, based on experiences of Producer David Belton, penned by David Wolstencroft, establishes a detached penetration, not an intimate one by conjuring particular components.
Make no mistake, this never tries to employ a political agenda, only a spiritual one, but that does not excuse the vague and isolated atmosphere. Shooting Dogs had the opportunity to slide underneath the skin, cause it to boil, and permanently brand moviegoers, but instead it disappoints by not stretching far enough. It might have been a critical and festival success, but in ten years, only one version of the Rwandan genocide will have subsisted above the rest.
The Video
The style of picture is primarily documentary like in nature with a gritty personal sort of feel. This is not a colorful film as it is filled with browns, whites, and mostly plain tones that obviously reflect the country. As a whole, the video transfer was sufficient, and suitable, but rather unremarkable in the grand scheme of things. I couldn’t help myself but hope for some sharper, and less rough visuals. The format is anamorphic widescreen with an aspect ratio of 1.78:1.
The Audio
This is an extremely quiet film, but one that does become noisier towards the end, as the events get increasingly chaotic. Otherwise, it involves characters talking, walking, and observing the Kigali streets. Very little explosions occur, but distant gunfire is a common sound. The dialogue is completely understandable and clear, but the few appearances of subtitles are a bit tiny for my preferences. This has a Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track, including subtitles in Spanish, English, and French.
The Packaging
Beyond the Gates is distributed in a standard black keep case with somewhat poor artwork for the cover that makes it look like a cheap Direct-to-DVD release with the ever famous floating heads. Inside is a sheet of paper that displays the chapter listing. The main menu is one image from the film with no music in the background, but it is easy to navigate through.
The Extras
Audio Commentary - This track is solely with Director Michael Caton-Jones, and for a guy by himself, he fills the length of his picture wonderfully by pointing out interesting tibits of information such as details of locations, added background of the genocide, and thoughts on cast members. This was a terrific commentary, and I really did not expect that. Despite his rather monotone voice, Caton-Jones knows how to talk so fans enjoy themselves.
Audio Commentary - The second track has Producer David Belton and Screenwriter David Wolstencroft. These two examine the setting and natives primarily, and that is fine. They share many stories, discuss the script in depth, and analyze specific scenes. They jump around in terms of subject matter, but this was satisfying, and revealed an alternate point of view from that of the director.
The Making of Beyond the Gates (a.k.a Shooting Dogs) (38:48) – Finally a behind the scenes featurette that does not separate into multiple sections for no reason. This is just one long mini-documentary, and has excellent interviews with several members of the cast and crew, as well as survivors who were on hand assume responsibilities. Producer David Belton chatting about his personal experience as a journalist was riveting, as was anything with someone who was legitimately there, but the remainder is standard extras discussion like the performers talking about their characters, etc., and so forth. This covers a lot of ground, and thankfully it went the extra mile instead of just concluding after 15 minutes.
Ways to Get Involved: The IRC (1:01) – This is a short advertisement for a website that enables you to donate and help out if you so choose. The website is:
Theatrical Trailer (2:16) – A fine trailer all in all that promotes the film properly, and does not give away too much, though with this, spoilers are not an issue. Still, this was good.
The TV Set Trailer (2:26) – A trailer for this film, which I plan on reviewing soon.
The Film: 6.5/10.0
The Video: 7.0/10.0
The Audio:7.5/10.0
The Packaging: 6.5/10.0
The Extras: 8.0/10.0
The 411: This independent film feels like it was not edited or fully polished as it could have been. Beyond the Gates or Shooting Dogs, I’m not sure why the title was changed, is a stirring and deeply emotional story, but also a transitory one, and not because of the horrible tragedy in Rwanda, but because of the fictional elements. The DVD could have been constructed better if the artwork was at least a little eye-catching. The bonus features are superb, and the technical specifications are up to par. I would recommend renting this if you are aware of the history. If you are going to watch this as a lesson on the events, pick Hotel Rwanda instead.
