"When the world closed its eyes, he opened his arms."
Hotel Rwanda - Characters & Cast
Character Analysis
Paul Rusesabagina
Don Cheadle
Motivation
Initially to save his wife and children; later, a moral refusal to abandon the helpless people who look to him for leadership.
Character Arc
Starts as a pragmatic businessman focused on his career and family, believing legalism and connections will save him. He evolves into a selfless protector, realizing that his status means nothing if he does not use it to save his community.
Tatiana Rusesabagina
Sophie Okonedo
Motivation
Survival of her family and the preservation of their humanity.
Character Arc
She pushes Paul to look beyond his own family and helps him see the moral necessity of saving their neighbors. She represents the emotional toll of the genocide, constantly fearing for her children and her Tutsi family.
Colonel Oliver
Nick Nolte
Motivation
To follow orders while desperately trying to interpret them in a way that allows him to save lives.
Character Arc
Based on Roméo Dallaire. He begins with a sense of duty but is progressively broken by his superiors' orders to not intervene. He becomes the voice of the film's anger against the West.