The Devil Came on Horseback

This film is a documentary following a former Marine Captain (Brian Steidle) and his time spent in Sudan being an advisor to the African Union on a ceasefire and peace that followed 20 years of civil war. This needs to be emphasized STRONGLY, there are images you will see in the this movie that you aren't going to be able to unsee, and they will disturb you. They are certainly among the most disturbing that I've ever seen and I know I won't be able to forget them. I don't know how Brian can deal with what he saw. If you are completely unaware genocide has been going on for the ast decade in the Darfur region of Sudan. The Darker, Islamic Africans are being exterminated, or at the bare minimum, displaced. It's estimated at 400,000 dead and 2.5 million displaced at the time of the film in 2007. It's just an up close and painful look at one of the worst ongoing situations in the world. It's certainly among the worst things to happen during my lifetime. Brian takes pictures every day of dead people, often children being involved in it, for almost a year. Systematic destruction of villages every day for around 60 days. I don't know how he sleeps, it's just amazing that he's sane and hasn't committed suicide or become addicted to drugs/alcohol. I commend his work and I am frankly amazed by his strength as a person. There's a part where an Islamic man who fled to Chad talks about how they are completely dependant upon America for aid and that no Islamic nations help out at all. It's really crushing because I thought about how little we had done as a nation, yet that was BY FAR better than anyone else. Bottom Line: 9.8 out of 10. It's what documentary film is all about. So powerful and gripping it's painful. I once again want you to know what you're getting into because the pictures are horrific and awful, so if you are weak of heart or stomach, it's not for you. It's certainly worth watching and will almost certainly change the way you think about Africa. It's on Netflix and it's probably the best thing on there.