Tuesday
23Sep2008
Reflecting on "The Devil Came on Horseback"
Tuesday, September 23, 2008 at 02:09PM In four to six well-crafted sentences, share your impressions of the film, "The Devil Came on Horseback." Your comments can relate to the content of the film, the style and choices made in the creating of the documentary or how this affects your thoughts on our upcoming task of building our own documentaries about Sudan. Please be cognizant of the entries before yours: Feel free to comment and build on comments made before yours.
Reader Comments (23)
To be honest i did not know things were as bad as they are in Darfur. I think that there should be more widespread knowledge of these happenings, not just nationally but internationally. I believe that the situation is to the point where the UN should be placing troops into the Darfur region of Sudan. i wonder how Iraq is a priority to the US government over Darfur.
As Curtis said, I as well did not realize how bad things are in Darfur. This documentary opened my eyes to a whole new side of the story. I do not understand how the United States can declare that there is genocide in Darfur and just rely on the U. N. to do something. It is our job to protect these people that have done nothing wrong, and yet our government is sitting back and doing nothing. There needs to be more news coverage on this to open more eyes, and to awaken the government that is turning their head to the problem. Help needs to be sent now.
After viewing this film, i truly realized just how bad of a situation this is. I cannot believe all the inocent young kids and adult that are getting slaughtered by the mass. This is a terrible thing and it must be dealt with. While viewing the film, i was thinking, " what if people just came into this classroom and started stabing people and smashing their head and throwing them out the window." For most all of us, this will never be a reality but for these inocent people, it is something that they must face every day. This is obviously an act of genocide and it amazizes me how the United States government is not dealing with it. there definatley should be U.S. troops sent into these countries to protect the lives and the right of these people. This is a terrible situation and must be taken care of before every single inocent village gets taken over and brned down to the gound.
I thought it was interesting how the film indicated that the governments of various countries involved and even the united states to some extent seem to be keeping the mass genocide quiet, and not making any attempt to truly stop it besides some court cases which probably won't matter in the long run because by now there are so many people involved. This is interesting because you can see that the Sudanese government is deliberately denying the genocide that is obviously going on in their country and it seems as though the only thing stopping other countries from becoming involved is protocol and inconvenience. That being said, the documentary itself was very powerful to me because it showed how no matter how dedicated one individual is to trying to get the world to listen and make a difference, the world can still choose to not listen. It shows that without the help of a significantly strong force, nothing is going to change in the Sudan.
The film was a very well constructed documentary in that it was effective in showing the horror, sadness, struggle, and cry for help in Sudan. By utilizing various visual and audio tactics, the film makers evoked emotion within the film. The still shot photos along with the videos brought sadness into the film and really made me think about the problem happening in Sudan. This film clearly demonstrates the corruption of the Sudanese government, and really shows how much help the country needs. Also, it shows how little help the U.S. has been giving, though we did claim it was a Genocide, we still took little action after that. Inside and outside help is needed in Sudan to help assuage the harsh conditions and fight that is happening. This film really provoked strong feelings and made me want to take more action than i ever have wanted to before.
Just like everyone is saying, I did not realize how bad things were in Sudan; but this is not what made this documentary so effective to me. This documentary was effective because instead of seeming like it was a world away, it came very close to home. The narrator was a regular American guy who had chosen to let Sudan affect him. The contrast between his life at home and the life in Sudan made me realize how much worse my life could be. I have seen horrifying pictures hundreds of times, but they have never really been tied to anything relevant to my life. I have always wanted to go out and help people, but this really made me want to go to Sudan and help contain the conflict.
What I took away from the film is how ruthless the Janjaweed are in their destruction. I could not believe that they were using planes and big machine guns to destroy civilian towns, it seemed excessive. When they attacked the displaced person camp, it was too much. Even the Nazis gave up their campaign of going into towns and killing all of the Jews since it was too much for the soldiers to handle. the Janjaweed goes into towns and hacks, shoots, burn people to death, it becomes very hard for me to believe that people could be that evil.
After watching this movie, I realized how much worse things were then I pictured. It is one thing to read about the pain and the suffering in a book, but its another thing to see it for real. I give the man a lot of credit for going to Sudan and documenting what was going on, considering the circumstances and the danger involved. To me it was quite a shame that he went to such an extent to document what was going and on and took tons of pictures, but the fact that they were not being viewed was terrible. He was trying to do all he could to make the problem in Sudan known and no one else in Africa was interested. The part that hit home for me was when he was talking about if he had a gun instead of a camera how many people he could have saved. The guilt he endured was horrible considering how much he was trying to help. I do not think he gave himself enough credit for what he endured. The movie was difficult to watch, but overall it was definitely a good worth while documentary.
As everyone is commenting, the documentary delivered a strong message that could not be ignored. While watching this video I went through many emotions. I was at first very interested, seeing the videos of the children smiling and laughing into the camera at the beginning of the film. Then as the documentary progressed I was very sad, seeing the pictures of the devastation, but after the speech at the Holocaust Museum I was very angry after hearing how many people didn't believe him and basically called him a liar.
Although the documentary as a whole made me, like everyone else, realize the intensity of the situation, and even though I did a debate about how I believed that the UN should get involved by making more people aware, it really bothered me how everyone knows the situation and nothing is being done. The main thing that bothered me about the documentary was the interview with one of the village men that had survived a janjaweed attack. Even though he had lost his loved ones and he had no home, he gave thanks to Americans--instead of begging--he said that "we pray for Americans". It just amazed me how he could have gone through so much and seen things that no human being should ever have to see, and instead of asking for help, he gave thanks to Americans for sending supplies and medicines when we should be sending militias. It just completely amazed me how much love he had in his heart after seeing so much hate. It also touched me how Brian felt so much responsibility and it made me feel so sad when he told how the village people would applaud him after hearing he was American--thinking he had an army behind him. The documentary made me really believe that without the UN in which the US must be the pushing force, Africa will be left in the dark and we will fail to save them once again.
I thought that the film we watched, the devil came on horseback, was an amazing film that really changed the way that I view the conflict in Sudan and Darfur. The movie made a strong point of showing that not just knowledge of the situation will end the suffering, but actually doing something about. So far though, we have managed not to do that. I made me question the method we are using to help people in Darfur. Even if we make amazing documentaries by the end of the year, it will mean nothing if people do not do anthing with the information provided in our documentaries. I makes me wonder if there is anything else we can do. This movie was amazing and moving and I not only understand the conflict better, but I am extremely angry with the inability of the US government and other governments around the world to help this struggling country.
One feeling that I received from the film was a sense of anger towards our own government. The documentary indicates that the government knows what is going on (George W. Bush's statement that what is occurring in Sudan is genocide), but is hiding or not presenting the information from the American people (the phone calls that Brian got from our government that told him not to show all the photos that he had taken). The situation in Sudan seems to completely justify a war, since the Sudanese government is committing genocide, and diplomatic attempts to stop the genocide have failed due the Sudanese government's recalcitrance (they bar the entry of UN investigators and refuse to submit the genocide's leaders to trial), however, our government refuses to send in the U.S. military to Sudan and instead decides to concentrate on what seems like a completely unjustified war in Iraq.
At the same time, it is our fault for not doing more to influence our leaders to stop the genocide. While Brian appeared on the news, it seems like we didn't treat what he was saying with the appropriate seriousness, since the topic only stayed in our attention for such a short time. In the end, we contented ourselves with merely sending in monetary aid and deluding ourselves into believing that this would be the solution to the problem in Darfur, the most convenient route, when it seems like the only way to solve what is happening is to use force to stop the Sudanese government's actions.
Personally, I struggled to watch the entire film; the amount of suffering the Sudanese people were put through is unimaginable. After watching the movie on the last day, I was very upset and angry that nothing was being done about the happenings in Sudan; thus, I have been trying to search for a logical explanation as to why the U.S. has refused to get involved. A few people have commented on the fact that it is our duty, the United States’ duty, to send troops in and to put an end to the fighting and genocide in Sudan. Why then has the U.S. stalled to do so? The most common answer that I could think of is that similar to any previous conflict or war, the American people do not want to see their own people killed in battle. It is a question that the U.S. government has to ask its self repeatedly –do we want to send our people into a war-stricken region? I deeply agree with many of you that this is a time the U.S. needs to intervene even when the U.N. has refused to do so. During the Red Scare, the Truman Doctrine stated that the U.S. would assist any country or people in search of freedom and a democratic government. Why are we not applying these same principals to the situation in Sudan? There are people seeking U.S. aid, yet we are not responding adequately. When a group of people calls on us for assistance, we should give it; the U.S. policy should be to help those who want to receive aid.
I think the film we watched in class changed my perspective on the conflict and its severity. Like many of the people who blogged about this before me, this video really helped me realize all the different sides that the conflict has and how difficult it is for all parties involved. The solider who made the video helped i believe because he was someone many of us could relate to, an American who was thrown into a situation that was nothing like we have ever experienced. It was difficult to believe that anyone could live in constant fear as the people do, constantly seeing family members and friends dying at random because they were the "wrong" ethnicity.
The power that this documentary presents through its images, plot, and personal connection is immeasurable. Brian first identified himself as a solider who had attained many battle scars, yet he was undoubtedly stricken with grief by the end of the film because of his inability to help. This type of personal connection along with the fact that he gained publicity and became active in the fight for Sudan makes me doubt the effectiveness of our classes' documentaries; for even he admits that his influence seem ineffective. My greatest frustration, however, is wondering how we will sufficiently provide information that will engage the audience to act. It cannot be something that merely evokes emotion (for emotion can easily fade in those not directly affected), but instills something that they cannot ignore. Through this I hope that the people's voice will become so intolerable that it will force the government to push towards an active, positive, AND successful rescue of Sudan.
From the documentary I learned that not anyone believes in the reality of the situation presented, such as the man from Sudan who attended one of Bryan’s appearances. Although he had images and video footages to prove his point , not everyone believed him. Like Ryan mentioned about not knowing how bad the situation was until he viewed the documentary, this documentary can be a reality check for those who don’t believe that there is a lot of murdering going on , or to those who think the situation isn’t that bad in Darfur. The thing that I didn’t like from what I heard is the Sudanese governments refusal to allow UN troops to enter. Rather than help their country in advancement, they were refusing help, and I also didn’t like the fact that although the UN was aware of this problem , it didn’t just barge into the country to try to end the internal conflicts. I liked the fact that Bryan had a lot of pictures, take by himself , as proof , and also that he had footages , which he could use to spread the word on the situation in Darfur.
The Came on Horseback was a very moving documentary. What the documentary did best was that at the start of the documentary i was sitting there thinking to myself that i really do no understand what is going on in Darfur right now. I mean I know whats happening and people have explained it to me but its never been put very simply, this is what is happening and why. The documentary gave the "elevator speech" if you had to give a speech in the time it takes to ride an elevator about what is happening in Sudan, that is what the documentary did. I now fully understand what exactly is going on in Darfur better than ever before. This movie made a enormous impact on me and made me see another view about what is happening and a need to help the people who are caught in this genocide.
I'm really over whelmed by how much this former Marine was willing to share and talk about his experiences I can't imagine what he went through and how he still thinks he doesn't fully understand what they are truly going through. On another note, I thought this documentry was very well put together and kept its audience intrested by using sound effects, news clips, and pictures.
I found this documentary extremely intriguing and insightful. Not only did it state facts about the situation going on in Sudan, but it also gave insights, opinions, viewpoint, and voices to the many people who live there. What caught my attention was the response from the U.S. It surprised me that it took so much “time” and “effort” to determine the situation there was genocide. I was also surprised by the White House’s decision to “shoo away” Brian; sure he got praise for providing information, but there still was no mention of U.S. aid. This situation is interesting to me especially, because a couple of months ago, U.S. troops and services happily went into Georgia to replace troops and provide aid. Another thing that caught my attention were the still photos. Frame after frame, I would see people brutally murdered, and huts and villages vanished. This documentary used audio and visual aspects to really evoke feelings of sadness and guilt. This movie was definitely a call to my conscience, and I hope more Americans, and citizens of the world, continue to view this documentary.
What I found probably the most shocking was the lack of response by the UN and United States. I agreed with the Captain's statement when he said that if America had seen what he'd seen, troops would be in Sudan in a matter of days. I was disappointed, just like he was, to learn that we did nothing and still have not responded. I hope to see Sudan come up in the race for the presidency, and whichever candidate that gets elected to do something about the issue.
I have heard before that the country of Sudan has had conflicts that have lasted for decades and there has been many deaths of their own citizens, but I couldn't believe that their own government would do something like that. However, this movie was able to show many pictures and proof to show what was actually going on in Sudan. This movie had a great impact on my. It made me realize what the Sudanese people had to go through everyday, and that their own government was doing this to them and letting this happen. It's hard to think about how we live our lives with ease while others are loosing their family members constantly and have to leave their homes in order to live.
After seeing this documentary, I was overwhelmed by this marine's openness to sharing his story and making aware the conflict in Sudan. Through listening to his story I gained a greater understanding and awareness of the situation over seas. I was shocked by the gruesome and violent pictures and was quickly more understanding. What was most appalling about the conflict to me is the fact that there was very little response by the US government despite all the obvious evidence of genocide. The fact that it took so long to even call the conflict genocide frustrated me. I was severely disappointed.
From the documentary, I gained a greater sense of how bad things really are. I think I liked this documentary more than some other ones that we have watched in class, and that I have watched on my own time, because Brian made sure that the film gave the viewer a good sense of what was really going on. The film made me realize that if all people do is protest things, but never actually try to stop them, then nothing is really going to change. People need to stand up for the things that they believe in by actually doing things to help, not only talking about them. The documentary portrayed the horrors, the sadness, and the suffering that is going on in a way that made me want to do something to help.
It is surprising that I didn't break down and cry during the parts of the film where people were crying. It is surprising that I didn't get sick and depressed as I should have after seeing people dead bodies lie on the ground in twisted and gruesome positions surrounded by body wounds and pools of blood. The most surprising thing I found out when I watched the film was that I was most upset and depressed when the stick-thin man talked about how he knew what was happening and what had happened. The man was the most influential figure in the movie all because he stated an opinion that the government knew what was happening to the people of the country and yet continued to watch it happen. He mentioned that America and others countries were so nice to help; however, little did he now that we could do so much more to actually help. I guess I believed that he was the most influential person in the film because he didn't just state facts about what had happened, but he stated his opinion about how the world was corrupt in not helping him. The people believed in a god that would not save them.