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Devil Came on Horseback, The

EMAILPRINTBreak Thru Films

Devil Came on Horseback, The reviews
78
7.6 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 14 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 5 votes
Read user comments
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Movie Info

Genre(s): Documentary

Written by: Ricki Stern
Anne Sundberg

Directed by: Ricki Stern
Anne Sundberg

Release Date:
Theatrical: July 25, 2007

Running Time: 85 minutes, Color

Origin: USA

Summary

RATING:

Starring Brian Steidle

The Devil Came on Horseback exposes the tragedy taking place in Darfur as seen through the eyes of an American witness who has since returned to the US to take action to stop it. Using the exclusive photographs and first hand testimony of former U.S. Marine Captain Briahn Steidle, The Devil Come on Horseback takes the viewer on an emotionally charged journey into the heart of Darfur, Sudan, where an Arab run government is systematically executing a plan to rid the province of it's black African citizens. As an official military observer, Steidle had access to parts of the country that no journalist could penetrate. He was unprepared for what he would witness and experience, including being fired upon, taken hostage, and being unable to intervene to save the lives of young children. Ultimately frustrated by the inaction of the international community, Steidle resigned and returned to the US to expose the images and stories of lives systematically destroyed. (Break Thru Films)

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

San Francisco Chronicle Steve Winn

An exceptionally powerful film driven by contradictory forces.

Read Full Review >
90

The New York Times Manohla Dargis

Brutal, urgent, devastating -- the documentary The Devil Came on Horseback demands to be seen as soon as possible and by as many viewers as possible.

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90

The Hollywood Reporter Duane Byrge

An unnervingly powerful picture of atrocity.

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88

Boston Globe Ty Burr

Too often the movies view the problems of Africa through Western eyes, but "Devil" turns that weakness to a literal strength, because Steidle could do nothing in his position except take photographs.

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88

Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips

It is not an easy film to watch, nor should it be. It is, however, beautifully made. Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern, the co-directors, wrangle their information and lay it out clearly, vividly and with a sharp sense of focus.

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83

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Andy Spletzer

The first half of the movie is repetitive, and threatens to become more about Steidle than the conflict. The second half picks up considerably as we see him actively trying to alert the U.S. government to the atrocities.

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80

Salon.com Andrew O'Hehir

This shouldn't be a competitive sport or anything, but I'm pretty sure that Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern's documentary The Devil Came on Horseback has the most horrifying images I have ever seen in a motion picture.

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78

Austin Chronicle Marrit Ingman

The film’s approach suits an audience broader than the usual documentary crowd, though it’s worth mentioning that those pictures can really stay with you.

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75

The Onion (A.V. Club) Scott Tobias

These images and reports have stirred consciences without quite stirring decisive action, and an earnest indie doc like this one seems like another cry in the wilderness.

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70

Variety Robert Koehler

While the point of view of privileged, Anglo observers on African issues usually raises hackles, such is not the case with The Devil Came on Horseback, a tense account of former Marine Capt. Brian Steidle's witnessing of the genocide in Sudan's western province of Darfur.

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70

Village Voice Rob Nelson

Ultimately, Devil ponders the optimism/pessimism = apathy/x equation as honestly and studiously as any doc I've ever seen.

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70

Chicago Reader Joshua Katzman

Steidle had virtually unrestricted access to settlements that were under siege from the Janjaweed, Arabic mercenaries of the Sudanese government, and became the first person to photograph the annihilation.

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70

Washington Post Stephen Hunter

Incisive and possibly a bit melodramatic as it lays out the reasons and the results of the violent campaign and marshals indignation on behalf of the victims while crying out for Western engagement.

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63

TV Guide Ken Fox

If you don't already have a handle on the complicated conflict at the heart of Darfur's ongoing genocide, you probably won't come away from this harrowing documentary with any comprehensive understanding.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this movie is 7.6 (out of 10) based on 5 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Gavin H. gave it a10:
Excellent....a real insight as to messed up the world is...and the bloke that said it was boring is a f****** narrow minded.

Chad S. gave it an8:
The subject does refer to himself in the third person(and has a Ray Liotta-like laugh) early on in "The Devil Came on Horseback" as he recounts his prospects of being a paper jockey in an office, but when he cries on camera, we believe this Marine Captain. After all, genocide is something to cry about. Since the ex-Marine acts as our narrator, the story of Darfur is abridged by his limited knowledge. He knows the "when" and "where"; the external particulars of Khartoum's collaboration with the Janjaweed, but not the "why"; the historicism of African/Arab relations in the Sudanese region. "The Devil Came on Horseback" has a narrow scope. This doc is about one man's relationship to human tragedy. It's an indoctrination tool, a user-friendly film about a particular current event. What "The Devil Came on Horseback" lacks in insight, it more than makes up with the photographs that documents an innumerable amount of casual hate crimes against the Sudanese people. And sadly, "The Devil Came on Horseback" gives us one more reason to be embarrassed about our current administration.

Jared C. gave it a0:
Boring, I hated it.

ShakenBake gave it a10:
This Movie is very well directed look at the genocide in Darfur. I cried a lot!

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