The Devil Came On Horseback (2007)

14 out of 15 people found the following review helpful:

"Smoke the Janjaweed" -Sign at Save Darfur rally .

Northernsky from , 17th September, 2008

It says a great deal about the modern world that the powers that be are more interested in debating the semantics of a word -in this case genocide- than they are in actually doing anything about it. The Devil Came On Horseback proves beyond any doubt that what is happening in the Darfur region of Sudan constitutes genocide but put this evidence before the US government and the U.N. and they procrastinate like Gordon Brown faced with .....well anything. before doing sod all ...there's the Gordon Brown link again. Former U.S. Marine Captain Brian Steidle worked as a military observer in Sudan on behalf of the African Union-taking photo’s and sending reports- and this documentary is based on his time doing that particular job and the subsequent aftermath when his findings became general knowledge. The film provides a background to the conflict in Darfur which is extremely helpful in placing some context or what the viewer is about to see , rather than just saying these terrible things are happening isn’t it horrible although that is also undoubtedly true. To quickly surmise the Khartoum based Sudan government have backed an Arab militia called the Janjaweed( which translates as devil on Horse back) to systematically cleanse the Darfur region of it’s indigenous African people because rebel groups the S.L.A. and J.E.M. are based there. This they do by attacking villages , killing , raping and then burning the village to the ground. Not surprisingly the survivors flee. Most have fled into neighbouring Chad ( one of the poorest countries on Earth where they are waiting to return home in huge camps) so what is effectively taking place is ethnic cleansing. Steidle is the moral centre of this film. His growing outrage at the escalating atrocities is palpable and he frequently laments his inability to intervene… to do something .As he states as he films a gang of Janjaweed moving towards their next target in a jeep. “If only I was looking through a scope instead of a lens I could end all this”. Steidle even at this early stage instinctively knows the only way to stop the slaughter is to deal with the aggressors with extreme force ( A meeting with a Janjaweed leader confirms this further) His attempts to highlight the Darfur situation in an America dominated by Iraq inexorably gain momentum .He takes on speaking engagements where he is regularly challenged by planted Sudanese officials ( here he shows admirable restraint ) and even gets to meet Condoleezza Rice who has usual looks like she’d rather suck the marrow out of a baby than save one. The Save Darfur rally at the end , where Barack Obama speaks seems to be the moment where the impetus will finally galvanise action. Alas it doesn’t and a final visit to Rwanda too see how a country can recover from acts of genocide highlights more the disgraceful lack of action from the west rather than offer any redemptive glare. It’s difficult to find fault with this film and if anything in the interests of balance I was looking harder than normal for something to criticise but this is exemplary documentary film making. It informs ( I know much more about Darfur now than I did prior to watching this DVD) but mostly it showcases how derelict the supposed egalitarian nations of the west really are. Steidle states at one point that “If America could see what is happening here (Darfur) there would be troops here within a week.” But you see there is nothing for America in Darfur ..no oil , no potential exploitation (Disaster capitalism see Naomi Klein’s book )..nothing. Just lots of corpses. It’s all summed up best by the meeting between Steidle and an extremely dignified man in one of the refugee camps. “No Muslim countries help us” he says “only America” and shakes Steidles hand who looks hugely embarrassed. The man is referring to aid but Steidle know as do we now that America and the west really should be doing a lot lot more.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review helpful:

A documentary as important as this would have to receive 5 stars.

Paul Shears from England, 30th July, 2008

Whilst this is an excellent documentary, I would have to give it top marks even if were not. This is essential viewing on the true nature of the human condition and how those of us who could so easily make a difference, stand by and do nothing. Thus do our democratically elected leaders manipulate us for their own trivial selfish ends.

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1 out of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Beyond Outrage

A Customer from Cirencester, England, 23rd November, 2008

It is impossible to get to the end of this film without feeling angry, helpless and full of admiration for the courage and honesty of Brian Stedle. He is unequivocal in his hatred and contempt for the 'evil' janjaweed and the corrupt, racist, greedy African politicians who legitimise their actions. Western liberal-left reviewers, however, have largely ignored this and, because, for them, there can be no evil in this world which does not have its roots in Western capitalism, choose to focus on his frustration at the failure of 'the International Community' - for which read America and the UN - to intervene. Because, for cultural relativists, there can be no criticism of religious and cultural heritages which alllow those who stone children to death in Somalia, throw acid in the faces of women in Kabul, string homosexuals up from cranes in Tehran and commit atrocities such as those shown in this harrowing film that they are somehow fulfilling the will of God, it is necessary for them to drag out the usual suspects for castigation: Bush and Blair, Bush and the UN, Bush, Bush, Bush. The crisis in Darfur is Mulsim on Muslim, and one can imagine the outcry from the Islamic world if America were to intervene. At one point, a native of Darfur, heartbroken at what he has seen happen to his people and his country, thanks the Americans for aid and medicine, and remarks bitterly that there has been nothing of any sort, not even aid or support, let alone intervention, from the Arabic nations, from fellow Muslims, which leaves me wondering not why America and the UN are dragging their heels - why do we arrogantly assume that the International Community is synonymous with the West - but why the Umma, so easily roused to violent anger by satirical books and cartoons, seems to accept the slaughter and abuse of its members by its members with such apparent equanimity. Never mind showing this film to crowds of banner-waving not-in-my-namers at rallies in Western cities: show it to ordinary Muslims around the world and let them see what is being done in their name. Then things might change.

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Boring

kjg from , 17th March, 2009

This is a very good topic however I found this documentary very tame. The star/narrator didnt give us his own feelings and personal experiences and stated facts that were very general and un-informative. I would recomend this as a childrens documentary.

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Hard hitting Doc

A Customer from Birmingham, 13th December, 2008

A very well put together documentry about the genocide happening in Darfur and the willingness of other countrys to stand by and let it continue. The UN has really lost it's power.

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