QUESTION: How does the director of Hotel Rwanda use cinematographic techniques to develop the tension in Paul’s “epiphany” scene?

Terry George, the director of Hotel Rwanda uses a large variety of cinematographic techniques to develop the tension in the selected scene in order to ensure the audience fully understands the gravity of the situation Paul is faced with. The director uses the techniques with special effects, sound effects, focus, and camera shots.

[The film starts with a man telling to the protagonist that be careful about what he said,then the man said that he have to go with the river path,later he was in a van with other man that works to him,then they fall because they were faster,after that the van stops, and the protagonist get out of the van,he falls and when he was in the floor he found dead bodies and Paul stand up faster and see that there was more dead bodies of the hutus who died.]

The special effects were in the scenario that paul was and the blood of the dead bodies and the fog that was there this was an amazing idea of the director because want to see and think to what is going to happen after, want to make us. The mist was a great idea of the director because,creates that feeling that you want to feel in this type of movies, and adds more suspense to the video.

The sound effects were more louder when paul reacts to what happen.The director did this because, want to create tension,and suspense and make us to feel scared and sickness.

The focus was more in Paul,because the director want to make us feel, that we are the character and make us feel what Paul is feeling.

The camera shots used in this video was: middle shot ,close-up and long shot that was a great idea of the director to make us feel more, that we are Paul and feel suspense and to see what happens. The close-up ,in the middle of the video,the director shows how they drive in the fog without know where are they going, after they stop and Paul open the door and fall down. Then he saw the face of paul that make us feel horrified with the dead face,later he stand up and see more dead bodies that the hutus killed, and paul realises about whats happening. Mid-shot ,happens when paul and the other start to loose control of the car and after that paul falls, he saw a dead kid and then paul undersand why the sir who give the food to paul,said to him that the road of the river is the best choice, to get surprised, with that people who get killed,that they dont do nothing.The long shot happens at the final of the video, when paul see many dead bodies with the fog complaining, paul almost vomist about what he is seeing now, later paul starts to cry and then return very faster to the van.

In conclusion the director wants to saw us about how much does work for do a great job with the camera shots, the special effects, the sound effects and the focus. That things make us feel in the character position, make us feel what the character feel and what is thinking at any moment, Paul will have passed very bad psychological times in the film at all the moment.

That was my essay of the Hotel Rwanda video, thank you for reading.