That line perfectly sums up the moral issue behind tonight's profoundly powerful marathon. It is because of that quote that the films being played tonight were selected to parallel that type of logic. This evenings marathon packs an emotional punch and shows us several heroic figures who not only stood against the forces of evil in the cause of doing what's right, but also through their own personal journeys, find their own redemptions. Through their change of heart, their humanity is given back to them and are eventually washed away of their past sins and viewed as heroes and saviors. What this lineup represents is that true heroes do exist and can emerge from the darkest moments in human history. They don't need high tech gadgets or superhero outfits to perform great deeds. Heroes exist in our world and live in the now. Tonight's marathon is a celebration of what's best in the human spirit. We have on our menu for this evening:
Tears of the Sun 2002, Blood Diamond 2006, Hotel Rwanda 2004, and Schindlers List 1993
Each one of these movies has the same kind of theme playing throughout each of them where the lead character is forced into a situation he has no control of, forcing him to make an ethical decision and question where his humanity lies. Our four key players for this evening are Lieutenant A.K. Waters in Tears of the Sun played by Bruce Willis, Danny Archer from Blood Diamond played by Leonardo Dicaprio, Paul Rusesabagina from Hotel Rwanda played by Don Cheadle, and Oskar Schindler from Schindlers List played by Liam Neeson. Here lies four men who stood against the odds in the face of evil and did what no one else dared to do. Through horrible atrocities such as genocides in Africa and the Holocaust, we have men who looked into their own hearts and asked a personal question of what is the right thing to do and if so, is it too late? The answer this marathon presents at the end is simply that it's never too late to do the right thing. The evening begins with Antoine Fuqua's Tears of the Sun where a Special-Ops commander played by Bruce Willis leads his team into the Nigerian jungle in order to rescue a doctor who will only agree to go with them if they save her 70 refugees as well from an act of genocide by the rebel forces. Tears of the Sun introduces the strong masculine hero who has no intention at first of disobeying his orders but realizes that sometimes you have to break the rules and do what your heart tells you for the greater good. Only when he see's first hand the dangers of leaving the refugees behind does he begin to have a conscience and fight for what's right. The second film of the lineup is Edward Zwick's epic Blood Diamond starring Leonardo Dicaprio, Djimon Hounsou, and Jennifer Connelly. Nominated for 5 academy awards, the film centers around a fisherman, a smuggler, and a syndicate of businessmen who end up matching wits over the possession of a priceless diamond. One wants it for their own personal gain and the other for the freedom of his family. Dicaprio's character Danny Archer is the second heroic figure that starts off being greedy and selfish but begins to grow a conscience as time goes on and sympathize with the fisherman in his quest to find his son and free his family. Amazing performances and great cinematography power this emotionally charged drama about two unlikely men who are forced to work together and find a common interest in their quest to do what is right.The third film in the lineup is Hotel Rwanda starring Don Cheadle, Sophie Okonedo, and Nick Nolte. Nominated for three academy awards, the film is based on the true story of Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager who did the unthinkable and housed over a thousand Tutsi refugees during their struggle against the Hutu militia in Rwanda. The story of Hotel Rwanda holds many similarities to that of Oskar Schindlers and presents a modern day scenario which services as a great prelude into the main event of the evening. Don Cheadle received a very well deserved Oscar nomination for his triumphant performance as an ordinary man forced into making a decision that would become his defining moment and a symbolof hope in the face of utter chaos. The fourth and final film of the evening is the one that the entire marathon has been building up for the whole day. This final movie is not only the finest hour of Steven Spielberg's career but one of the greatest movies ever made and one of the most powerful. Starring Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley and Embeth Davitz, Schindlers List is the ultimate story of a good man making a change that saved more than a thousand Jewish people from the death camps. The film is set in Poland during World War ll where Oskar Schindler, a war profiteer and businessman becomes increasingly concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis. Much like Paul from Hotel Rwanda, Schindler begins using all of his resources towards protecting his workers from the brutality of the Nazis such as being executed in the death camps and persecuted. Schindlers List won a total of 7 academy awards and consistently shows up on every greatest movies of all time list. There is no perfect ending to this arc of movies than the story of the most unusual man turned into one of the greatest heroes in human history.
So what are the messages behind all the films presented here. Tears of the Sun says that the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. Blood Diamond says to boycott conflict diamonds, and that there is alot more to Africa than just greed. Hotel Rwanda says in the face of the most unspeakable atrocities, we can muster the courage to help those around us. Schindlers List final message is that one who saves a life saves the world entire. It is never too late to do the right thing or to help others that are suffering around you.
Our unforgettable characters for this evening:
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