Touches You

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

Some may argue that this movie was boring- it didn't have any special effects, it didn't star any celebrities, and most of what it contained came from hand-held cameras and pictures taken by an amateur photographer, but I think that's what made this movie so effective and gave it so much impact. Regarding non-fictional documentaries, I think that if too much focus was given to make the movie aesthetically pleasing, rather than getting the message across, the film would become somewhat discredited. It would imply that the directors and producers of the film put more stress on making a name for themselves in Hollywood than giving a meaning to the movie and making audiences aware of the event.That's how The Devil Came on Horseback was- it was more of an actual documentary than a movie. But because none of the pictures of films were dramatized, it actually had more impact than other movies that did- you know that, when you watch this, that this is the real thing. However, I got the feeling that it documented more of how the Sudanese government was trying to suppress information about what's happening in Darfur than on what's happening in Darfur itself. It also described a lot about how Brian's journey in trying to spread awareness about the genocide and get the government/ UN/ International Criminal Court to take action. I suppose whether it's good or bad is up to the audience and what they're looking for. This was a good documentary, but I thought that I should have focused more on the genocide itself. However, it did shed a lot of light on how governments are very reluctant to act on something if it doesn't involve them, even if there is a moral obligation (especially if the government in question is the United States- the current world superpower). It also showed how non-binding the UN truly is (there have already been two arrest warrants for the president of Sudan, yet non of the countries Al-Bashir visited were willing to arrest him and extradite him). Despite this, however, there were a scenes of anger (Sudanese officials and citizens denying the genocide in the Holocaust museum), grief (mostly the interviews of the black Africans targeted by the Janjaweed, who told their stories of suffering), and scenes that urged us to take action.Overall, I do recommend this movie, but not if you are looking for facts regarding the genocide in Darfur, but rather a fellow reporter finding it hard to get his story out, or to get people to care about his cause.

A very eye opening and hard hitting experience viewing this film. I do feel that it falls short on delivering the back story and facts to truly understand exactly what is going on and why in this region. To my benefit I had already seen the film Darfur Now which does a way better job describing the where's, what's and why's of this hole situation. Darfur Now doesn't have anything close to the experiences and the photographs taken by Brian Steidle. Basically what I'm saying is that watching both these films together will give you the complete picture of this tragedy. A couple of things Brian Steidle said in this film really hit me hard, first when he described his feeling about taking pictures from the hill top over looking a village and hes says if I would have had my rifle instead of my camera I could have prevented the deaths of so many people. I can't imagine what it would feel like to have that kind of training and then be put in a situation were you can't us it to help. Second when he is speaking in front of the Darfur rally in Washington D.C. and he describes first landing in Darfur and being introduced as an American and the people all standing up and cheering. This is just one man, yet they cheer, why, because he is American, because to these people an American means hope. Wow, I could not hold back the tears, after all the latest bashing of America and our current foreign police issues, don't get me wrong we have really screwed some things up, but there are people in the world that see America as a shining ray of light. Sometimes I think the media forgets to report on all the good we do as a country, just to think that when things go bad in the world who does the world call for.

This isn't something I usually do, and I usually can't stand it when people preach or pontificate to me, however, this is too important to let sit any longer...As I'm sure you're all aware the atrocities in Darfur have been going on for years. I'd imagine, if you're like me, you've heard the stories and been peripherally aware of the situation for years now. So what turns someone from one who sits on their couch and thinks "God, that's awful," to someone who writes this email and gets involved? A simple answer, I saw a movie this weekend. It's called The Devil Came on Horseback. It's a documentary that details the ongoing conflict in the Sudan. Make no mistake, though we hear little about it anymore, the atrocities continue. Since 2004 approximately 2.5 million Sudanese have been displaced and 400,000 killed.In DC, the movie is playing at the Avalon Theater on Connecticut Avenue in NW. It's the only place in the area where the movie is showing. If you live outside the DC area, you can go to www.thedevilcameonhorseback.com for theaters and show times in your area. The film is, to put it mildly, disturbing. The images shown will be forever burned on to the IMAX in my mind.It's as if the ethnic African Sudanese people have been forced into slavery. Now, that word has a lot of power, and most would suggest that it's foolish of me to use it, but, in essence that's what's going on. Not in the same sense as Africans were enslaved in this country, but slaves nonetheless. Slaves to the corporations who would rather protect profit than people. Slaves to their own government who defend and enrich only themselves. Slaves to the outside influence of countries who covet only the resources they can export, not the resources inherent in the humanity of those who reside there. Slaves to the circumstances around them over which they have no control and from which they have no escape. And it's time it stopped.They say those that fail to understand history are doomed to repeat it. History is repeating itself. Let me ask you this.... If you could go back to the 1930's and stop the Holocaust before it happened, would you? What about the ethnic cleansing in the former Yugoslavia? The genocide in Rwanda? We're too late to stop this before it starts, but we can help put an end to it before any more lives are uselessly wasted.So, why am I writing this? Because, perhaps naively, I believe that a small group of dedicated people can change the world. And, what am I asking of you? See the movie. If you can't see the movie, and I know most of you have busy lives, jobs and other things that will probably keep you from getting to the theater, go to www.savedarfur.org or www.glabalgrassroots.org and donate $10 (the cost of a ticket). I know, asking for money is the fastest way to get people to hit the delete button, but you should know that 100% of the charitable partner proceeds earned from the film go to Global Grassroots (www.globalgrassroots.org), a non-profit charity that helps Darfuri refugees and Rwandan genocide survivors rebuild their lives. Think of it this way, it's one less drink when you're out one night or two less trips to Starbucks this week or month.The reason this movie affected me so is I looked at those people and saw my friends and family. The dead and displaced are someone's mother or father, brother or sister or child. What would you do if they were yours?

This amazing film screened at the SXSW Film Festival and was extremely well-received. The film is a remarkable picture of the tragedy that is unfolding in Africa and being ignored by both America and the rest of the world. The story is told thru the eyes of former American Marine Captain, turned international monitor, Brian Steidle. Steidle is the reluctant hero drawn into the events of Darfur almost by accident. As his eyes are opened to the ugliness of what is happening in Darfur he opens our eyes as well. The photographs are amazing and nightmarish. The tragic message is that we haven't learned from the Holocaust and more recently Rwanda is also clear and deeply haunting. This film is significantly better made than the somewhat amateurish film, although still interesting and informative, Darfur Diaries. It is filmed with both heart and skill. Steidle, who has also written a book by the same name, is the perfect guide to draw us out of our apathy and into the heart of this deep unfolding tragedy. His palpable feeling of anger and helplessness as he watches genocide is palpable and heart-breaking. The film is also an indictment of the failure of the US and other Western governments to act to address this humanitarian crisis that has been unfolding now for 4 years. The U.S. has called these events "genocide," but has done nothing substantive to provide for a UN peacekeeping force to address the tragedy. This is the type of film that must be widely scene if Americans are to awaken from their slumber and respond to this horror of murder, rape, massacre, slaughter, and dislocation that is being committed by Sudan's government against its own citizens. Perhaps there is still a chance to save even more people from dying if Americans are willing to pay attention to what is happening. I hope that Americans take the time to see this important and compelling film about the greatest tragedy of our times.