The Devil Came on Horseback (2007)

98% of critics liked it
(53 reviews)
88% of users liked it
(4,058 ratings)

In late 2006, former U.S. Marine captain Brian Steidle traveled to Darfur, Sudan, with the African Union peacekeeping force -- and found his life and perspective on the world forever changed. Devastated and racked with horror by the Janjaweed-driven genocide in the western region of the country… More In late 2006, former U.S. Marine captain Brian Steidle traveled to Darfur, Sudan, with the African Union peacekeeping force -- and found his life and perspective on the world forever changed. Devastated and racked with horror by the Janjaweed-driven genocide in the western region of the country (which has claimed 400,000 lives), Steidle set out to work against these atrocities -- atrocities systematically denied and publicly buried by the corrupt Sudanese government. Despite his initial hesitancies, Steidle ultimately agreed to plunge headfirst into the conflict -- and to work toward achieving social change not through violence but through peaceful, humanitarian efforts. His efforts carried him to a myriad of countries and multiple continents; throughout, Steidle took over 1,000 photographs to document the horrors, thus spreading awareness of this crisis to the remainder of the world and roundly defeating Sudanese governmental denials of the genocide. In their nonfiction work The Devil Came on Horseback, documentarians Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg bring viewers along with Steidle on his intensely moving personal journey, and shed light on a region of the world rapidly plunging into its own inescapable hell. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 25 min.
Directed By: Ricki Stern, Anne Sundberg
Genres: Documentary, Special Interest

In Theaters: Jul 25, 2007 Wide
On DVD: Oct 30, 2007
Studio: Break Thru Films

Critic Reviews

Joshua Katzman, Chicago Reader
Filmmakers Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg chronicle his burgeoning activism in the face of the U.S. government's indifference as the government of Sudan works systematically to eradicate black Africans from the region.
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune
The gripping documentary The Devil Came on Horseback traces the change of heart that compelled Steidle to break military discipline in 2005 and offer his secret photographic evidence of Sudan's vicious ethnic cleansing to the New York Times.
John Monaghan, Detroit Free Press
The Devil Came on Horseback is a documentary account of Steidle's ongoing efforts to educate the world about the violence he witnessed as an unarmed military observer for the African Union in 2004.
Bill Stamets, Chicago Sun-Times
On all counts, the co-directors of this persuasive documentary set the right tone.
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
With an estimated 400,000 dead since 2003, and 2.5 million Sudanese left homeless in the wake of the genocide, ignoring the story doesn't seem like a humane option.
Richard Nilsen, Arizona Republic
The Devil Came on Horseback is a documentary about the genocide in that part of Africa, and the film's strength is that it shows us the horror, rather than tells us about it. It's painful to watch.
Jeffrey Chen, ReelTalk Movie Reviews
This documentary stares truth in the face in more ways than one.
S. James Wegg, JWR
To balance the chilling reality of the powerful having their unabated way with the miserably weak, the faces of carefree children mugging into the camera is a welcome balm on the wounds of systemic depravity.
Sam Jordison, Film4
Clumsy filmmaking and political analysis do not detract from the horror of the events the film bears witness too, nor the importance of its message.
Matt McNally, BBC
The Devil Came On Horseback sets out to shock. The images caught by Steidle's camera will stay with you long after his personal story - given too much time in relation to events - has faded from memory.
Tim Evans, Sky Movies
Steidle's documentary evidence - shot where no journalist can set foot - makes for grim viewing.
Owen Williams, Empire Magazine
A decent attempt at outling the crises but crucially lacking much depth.
Matthew Turner, ViewLondon
Powerful, impressively directed and desperately moving documentary that highlights one of the world's most vicious injustices and the shocking refusal of Western governments to do anything about it.
Robert Roten, Laramie Movie Scope
This documentary tells us two things. It's very bad in the Darfur region of the Sudan and the U.S. isn't doing a damned thing to stop the genocide there.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Gripping, heartfelt and eye-opening film.
Marlow Stern, Manhattan Movie Magazine
we feel Steidle's inner turmoil as he cries uncontrollably at the thought of the genocide he was powerless to prevent
Rob Thomas, Capital Times (Madison, WI)
In a way, "Devil" is two horror stories, the first is what Steidle saw in Darfur, the second what he saw when he left.
Eric D. Snider, EricDSnider.com
When you see a hero like Steidle feeling guilty because he couldn't do more -- well, it's hard to feel anything but admiration for him and the movie.
Tim Brayton, Antagony & Ecstasy
The collection of images that make up the first forty-odd minutes of the film are among the most horrifying I have seen in all my life.
Marrit Ingman, Austin Chronicle
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.

Read all 20 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Daniel H

An excellent, well-shot, and cautious documentary which has some truly shocking, and heart-wrenching, moments. It speaks powerfully not only about its own subject, but the conspicuous and utterly horrifying lack of attention it was given, all seen through intensely personal moments.… More
An excellent, well-shot, and cautious documentary which has some truly shocking, and heart-wrenching, moments. It speaks powerfully not only about its own subject, but the conspicuous and utterly horrifying lack of attention it was given, all seen through intensely personal moments. Easy to comprehend, but daunting to fully understand, this documentary has no answers, only emotions and images... and that is what makes it powerful. Like him, we are forced to sit and watch helplessly by the sidelines, and we can easily understand his frustration and pain.
Stella D

if you want to know more about the situation in darfur this is a great place to start. told by a former marine who volunteered as an unarmed observer in sudan and witnessed all out genocide by the government backed janjaweed militia. it's as if we had the chance to redeem… More
if you want to know more about the situation in darfur this is a great place to start. told by a former marine who volunteered as an unarmed observer in sudan and witnessed all out genocide by the government backed janjaweed militia. it's as if we had the chance to redeem ourselves for rwanda and failed yet again. total respect to brian steidle who fought to get this story out and wake up the world to another ethnic cleansing. this is a horrific and very important film. if you want to see the face of evil, welcome to hell
Walter M

[font=Century Gothic]"The Devil Came on Horseback" is a powerfully damning documentary about Brian Steidle, a retired U.S. Marine Captain, who in 2004 signed up to monitor the ceasefire of the 20-year civil war in Sudan between the Arab north and the Christian and Animist… More
[font=Century Gothic]"The Devil Came on Horseback" is a powerfully damning documentary about Brian Steidle, a retired U.S. Marine Captain, who in 2004 signed up to monitor the ceasefire of the 20-year civil war in Sudan between the Arab north and the Christian and Animist south. The Arabs have most of the power in the country, while the people of the western Darfur region who are represented by two rebel groups wanted a role in governing their country. Following a rebel attack, the Janjaweed militia aided by the government initiated a genocide in Darfur which was intent on wiping out all the black Africans in the region. Steidle volunteered to monitor the situation armed with only a camera and a notepad. [/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]The film puts the atrocities in Sudan in focus while also perfectly capturing Steidle's frustration at not being able to help actively. But his photographs which are eventually published do shed light on these atrocities.(His camera accomplishes much more than a gun ever could.) Even then, the world mostly stood by and watched. Also, there is a very keen sense of how Steidle's life, as an accidental activist, has changed since he had been given a mission.[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]What is needed in the world today is a change in the priorities of foreign policy away from one of political convenience and profit(Sudan is rich in oil) to one favoring human rights. We are all one people on this planet, and are deeply responsible for each other. In general, the world needs to embrace love instead of fear.[/font]
William G

Darfur doc, while well-assembled, can't help but grow numb.