Traitor (Image via RottenTomatoes.com)

Charity and I recently watched Traitor and thoroughly enjoyed it. Normally, I might not have picked the title up – the preview while interesting wasn’t amazing – but Don Cheadle is a huge draw for me in any film, since his amazing work with Hotel Rwanda (on the Rwandan Genocide) and his advocacy repeatedly for an end to the genocide in Darfur (Sudan).

Traitor tells the story of a American counter-terrorism agent (played by Cheadle) who strongly follows Islam as his religious faith and becomes embroiled in activities which point to his swapping sides and assisting the terrorists. The film excells not because of its action sequences – in fact, those looking for mindless action films should look elsewhere – but because of its flawless maintenace of suspense (is Cheadle a terrorist or a U.S. agent?) and its deep philosophical considerations of the nature of the current war on terror.

Traitor is rated R mainly for language, though there is also violence throughout. While not as heart-string tugging as Hotel Rwanda it certainly deserves an important place on the DVD shelves as yet another title that provokes wisdom inducing and positive action fostering through its faithful and honest struggles with real issues.

Hotel Rwanda – PG-13 – Released: 2004 – Tells the gut-wrenching story of the Rwandan genocide and one man who was willing to stand up to the oppression – while we as the world stood quiet. What is the role of the United States or any country in the world, especially when it involves genocide? This film brings that question straight into our hearts and refuses to let us go until we have wrestled deeply with it.

Something the Lord Made – NR – Released: 2005 – Dr. Alfred Blalock (Alan Rickman) hires an African-American carpenter, Vivian Thomas (Mos Def), to assist him around his medical offices. Vivian shows great ingenuity and becomes the forerunner in a partnership between Blalock and Thomas that lead to radical, life-saving medical innovations. All this occurs against a background of racism in which Thomas is unable to take credit for his own work due to his skin color and lack of a medical degree. An exciting film about the triumph of man over illness and oppression.

Life Is Beautiful – PG-13 – Released: 1998 – Roberto Benigni is an absolute genius. He creates and stars in this amazing film that does the impossible – creates a respectful and heart-warming comedy of the Holocaust during World War II. I know, it sounds impossible, but you will have to see this absolutely marvelous film to understand it.

The Passion of the Christ – R – Released: 2004 – Mel Gibson’s amazing vision of the torture and crucifixion of Christ. A painful, beautiful, disturbing portrayal of what Jesus suffered for the sake of mankind.

We Were Soldiers – R – Release Date: 2002 – Mel Gibson strikes again with this gritty film about the Vietnam War. Based on the true story of the 7th Cav. (carried by helicopters, not horses) this film is an epic solely on its war film merits alone. However, the reason it makes this list is not for its non-stop action but the interweaving of the stories of the wives who were left at home and the anguish they face waiting the news whether their husband has joined the every growing list of killed in action.

Awakenings – PG-13 – Release Date: 1990 – Robin Williams and Robert DeNiro star in this marvelous true story of one doctor who dared to find a cure for individuals left comatose for decades by encephalitis. The story is encouraging and heartbreaking and challenges us to remember the potential we have to discover new cures and better ways of living.

Luther – PG-13 – Release Date: 2003 – Martin Luther was one of the most significant leaders of a movement known as the Reformation which birthed the division between Protestant and Catholic churches. Luther’s personal struggle with faith and battle to reform the excesses of the church are marvelously displayed and recitations of some of Luther’s most famous words by Joseph Fiennes are enough to send shivers down the spine.

This is a gripping, frustrating, saddening, heart-wrenching drama about the genocide. It raises real and deep questions about the nature of the human condition and the responsibility of the world in light of localized evil.

If you haven’t seen this film yet, it is a must see. Take the time to bring others together to watch it with you and discuss the political, religious, and individual implications of the film.