The Night of Truth (2004)

One of my all time favorites.

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

hyped garbage

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

African cinema is not generally the most widely seen. You've probably never heard of Fanta Régina Nacro. However, if "La nuit de la vérité" ("The Night of Truth" in English) is any indication, she is an impressive director. Set in an unidentified African country, the movie depicts an attempted reconciliation between the ethnic groups who have been at war for ten years. However, wounds continue to fester.I got the feeling that the movie was alluding to the Rwandan Genocide. I understand that the one saving grace of that infamous chapter in world history is that the Rwandans decided to never again view each other as Hutu or Tutsi, just as Rwandans, and a number of the people who participated in the genocide publicly apologized to each other. Similarly, Nelson Mandela established the Truth and Reconciliation Committee in South Africa to help both sides deal with the memory of apartheid. As Nacro's movie shows, reconciliation isn't necessarily that simple. These issues are the remaining effects of colonialism in the continent.Another thing that I like about these movies are that they show us cultures that we don't often see. Indeed, I had never even heard of the Dyula language and people until I saw this movie. It's amazing what you can learn by avoiding Michael Bay movies. I recommend the movie.

Two tribes come together for a reconciliation. Two men can't party if they have killed each other's sons.Message of the film is 'peace'. The whole thing is done in a very slow speed so to be able to narrate more and more atrocities. Frankly you get tired when you see the same thing or hear the same thing again and again in a film but in here director had a complete vision of the story. She new that each story of atrocity was adding to the tension and building up the climax. Climax is done beautifully. Whole experience has left me with a bitter taste. This probably is one of the most violent film. One of those flick where camera, actors, locales don't matter a penny. You are glued because of the story. Still Brilliant performances by females actors. Films like these leaves you thinking and you learn your own lessons. Leasson I learnt is that there are issues which can't be reconciled by the same people who made the issue. Like caste system in India or apartheid in western world. It takes a whole new generation to see the issue from a new point of view. So it is important to either not create the issue at all or wait for the slow process to take its own time. Very honest cinema.

Satire is the unlikely but true definition that comes to mind after seeing this film. The third world civil war situation seems to be ridiculed, in the sense that the whole third world society is accused of being ridiculously immature and unable to even know what war means.War here is portrayed as something nobody knows about. Just as politics are. Politics are even shown as almost intellectually non existing. And yet, they all seem to take each other so seriously. Even the man with some of his wits gone seems to be as serious as the others, and this becomes very clear in the prologue, when he freely speaks to his captain. You'll have to see yourself why that is.But is war is portrayed as ridiculous, the peace talks are portrayed as even more ridiculous. It seems these two sides really had nothing to talk about, but as long as they exist, there will always be such a war. Peace won't last because there will always be someone strong enough to command the poor and hungry that it's somebody else's fault.It does get lengthy, though. The climax of the dinner party occupies half of the film and moves at slug's speed. But perhaps that's what the director wanted, to make the whole thing look uncomfortable. Though this works, it is to some extent, because it doesn't seem to be working on a narrative and viewer to plot point of view.Satire is the word that comes to mind. A bitter and monstrous satire that unfolds the onion like layers of a ridiculous civil war that can be only a half fictitious example for the many ridiculous civil wars that are going on today but that nobody ever hears much of.WATCH FOR THE MOMENT - The mad man brings in a drum into the peace celebration. The tension crops up, as the beating of a drum can ruin the whole peace process.

I just returned from a screening and Q&A on this film and am frankly speechless. The film is incredible, beautiful and brutal all at the same time. What's more even more unbelievable is that there are only 4 professional actors in this film! Can you guess which ones? You won't be able to - the performances are that honest.The violence is graphic and your mouth will fall open in shock but the suspense is so well done that you will not be able to look away.I'd also have to say that memory plays a very important role in this film, in fact it is pretty much a character in the film. Just as developed, complex as the actors.Look out for Fanta Regina Nacro. She is a genius.