Nick Hughes’ 100 Days, is a yet another example of history repeating itself. The film reveals the horrid truths of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide. In a hundred days more than 800,000 thousand Rwandans died. Primarily the film exposes the strong connection between the Rwandan Genocide and the Holocaust.
One of the most powerful scenes in the film was in the very beginning when a white priest is speaking to a family about World War II’s Holocaust and an officer is telling a male Hutus that he must organize to kill all Tutsis. Basically the scene jumps back and forth to the past and present. The scene begins with the male Hutus who is being warned about the ‘enemy’ and how it is important to kill all and persuade everyone to do the same. Next the scene jumps to the white priest who states: “In the last war, the Germans committed terrible crimes. Now the Americans also committed terrible crimes. But we don’t remember them, because the Americans won.” This is the first connection Hughes deliberately makes about World WAR II and how the Hutus killed more Tutsis as the Germans slaughtered millions of Jews. Again history repeats itself and nothing was learned from the Holocaust. History isn’t taught to learn from the past; however it’s just more evidence that power controls and corrupts all. In the long run the Hutus and the Germans lost because morally they were wrong and were defeated by allied forces more powerful than them. Tutsis from neighboring countries allied their people and allies form Russia and the United Stares intervened to help defeat the Germans.
The scene continues with the focus on the male Hutus. He looks deep in thought and he flashes back to the officer who states, “Every Tutsi must be moved in the next two days. We are going to clean the whole country. It is your job to make every single person in this town realize that they are a soldier and they’ve got a job to win this war,” the officer’s eyes are blood shot and he looks crazy. He continues to state, “Af
ter we are finished there will be no going back to living together because there’ll be no one for us to go back to live with.” The Hutus officer reminds me of a German soldier or even Hitler who persuaded their people to exterminate the Jews. Great dictators such as those in the Rwandan Genocide and Hitler use their power to control. This scene reminded me of a movie I saw in junior high called The Wave where a teacher uses a mental game to show others how easy Hitler came to dominate. Again Hughes does the same in 100 days and this scene displays how easy it is to manipulate anyone with great dictatorship. It is a very powerful scene because even today there is still tension between the Tutsis and Hutus as well as the Germans and Jews.
The end is another message of brainwashing when the camera goes full circle and reveals two children who are also listening and sitting at the table with their mother and father. The two children symbolize the new generations who are still being taught to kill, hate, and be in control as this scene displays. And no matter how many genocides have taken place in the past there will always be an individual who hates and knows how to persuade. Although one knows it’s wrong to kill it is easier to go along then to rebel against those who seek power. It is an amazing opening to an amazing film.
Take a look at these two You Tube videos and witness how history has a way of repeating itself...
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