The Devil Came on Horseback.

Directors Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern's documentary follows the story of former Marine captain Brian Steidle working as an unarmed military observer in wartorn Sudan, his quick rise as a public speaker about the genocide there, and the frustration that ensues when help fails to form. It is a film of tremendous humanitarian import. That is why it is such a disappointing one. A missed opportunity on many levels, poorly edited and organized, the film's moments of power are stunted by the decision to focus on Steidle. The tactic of finding a story within the broader conflict proves to be a poor one. Instead of a larger picture there are nameless narrators courtesy of radio broadcasts, some news-conference footage, and maddeningly short soundbites that barely scratch the surface of the problems or provide a background to the disturbing events. None of which is to deny the importance of the issues or captain Steidle's noble efforts, but to say that the film lacks a certain comprehensiveness. China's oil grab gets short shrift, while Steidle's story as a photographer is hammered home through random shots of him driving his car or adjusting the lens of his camera, constantly accompanied by video freeze frames complete with requisite shutter click. The directors would have done well to feature Steidle's story in a documentary about the broader conflict, as their profile of the photographer is underwhelming within the larger context. Ultimately, The Devil Came on Horseback is an important film to be seen, especially by those who may not know what is going on in the region. However, although the issue will be remembered for generations to come, the film will not. (Distributed by International Film Circuit, 301 East 22nd Street, New York, New York, 10010, www.internationalfilmcircuit.com/darwin)