"The Devil Came on Horseback" (2007)

Yes, this documentary about the slaughter in the Darfur region of western Sudan is every bit as brutal as I'd expected. Shot after graphic shot of dead women, men and children shows us exactly the depth of the evil committed here. None of this feels gratuitous, though. Seeing the real-life horror in the same way that it was seen by the documentary's protagonist Brian Steidle (a retired Marine and military observer for the African Union) is necessary as we bear witness just as he did. As Nicholas Kristof says mid-way through the film, it's easy to tune out the description of current atrocities in a far away land, but it's much harder to tune out the images of children shot in the head, the charred remains of schoolgirls chained together and then set on fire and the whole-sale destruction of entire towns and villages.

The film starts off with a lot of quick cuts and 'meaningful' shots of Brian and his camera, which I found immediately off-putting. After that, though, the film finds its rhythm and follows its protagonist through his journey of discovery, horror, outrage and action - finally showing him almost in despair but absolutely determined to complete the mission. One of the most touching moments comes when an older African man explains in halting but clear English his outrage that none of the Arabic nations have come to the aid of their fellow Muslims, while the West (and specifically America) has at least send some basic aid. 

A tough film, no doubt, and the kind that takes real effort to commit to watching. But it's one that is well worth seeing by anyone who has ever been outraged by the evil that men are capable of committing simply because they have orders - and because they can.