Machine Gun Preacher razes some very relevant questions about the use of violence to combat violence; but is unfortunately skewed in its assumption that Africa needs assistance to solve its problems, particularly from the ‘white’ west. The film takes place over the course of many years but the sense of pace is completely lost in the drama, failing to connect to any real-life timeline of events upon which the film is based. With a zealous ‘fight fire with fire’ mantra as the order of the day, the film leaves the audience with an altogether narrow point of view: ‘Blow the bad motherfuckers away,’ rather than posing the question and allowing the audience to weigh-in before the consequences.
Machine Gun Preacher, much like Hotel Rwanda (2004) is an effective albeit Hollywood vehicle for bringing a horrifically tragic situation to the attention of an uninformed audience. Shock and awe definitely deliver, but to what end.
A Handling