Lumumba (Special Edition)

When Belgium granted the Congo independence in 1960 it ended a period of colonization which saw the huge territory ruthlessly exploited (at least during the first decades of European rule) and badly prepared for self-rule (Belgium maintained the civil service and the gendarme was officered solely by Belgians). Once independance was granted the Congolese attempted to run this huge country, which was as big as western Europe, with few educated people and no previous experience at democracy. This film looks at the short administration of Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba, who tried to lead the country during the first few months.One of the things I liked about this film was the way the director was able to get the "feel" of the period... first-rate locations shots and period costumes really establish this film in the early 1960s. And the performances by the actors were very good as well. However, the film did little to explain the events which led up to Lumumba's overthrow and the subsequent civil war. Indeed, the MNC (Lumumba's party) made a lot of promises to the populace which could not possibly be met. In one scene several Congolese soldiers appeal to Lumumba prior to elections to improve their lot. Later, soldiers break into a cabinet meeting AFTER independence and demand the removal of Belgian officers, promotions, etc. The fact was that the Force Publique had been undermined by the promises of politicians (Lumumba among them) and that this collapse had ripple effects which would be felt long after Lumumba was gone. It was no coincidence that the strongman who emerged was Mobutu, who was able to rebuild the Force Publique as a national army, the ANC. When an impasse developed between Lumumba and President Kasa-Vubu Mobutu was the the only agent of order in the Congo. He became dictator of the Congo through 1997.The director clearly wants you to believe that Lumumba was better than that, but if he did not become a dictator (as happened in virtually all of the newly-independent African states) he would have been bucking the trend. No elected president of this period ever stepped down voluntarily or stood for reelection. He was also a leftist, which is undeniable, and was certainly leaning towards having a Soviet presence in his country when he was removed from office. Still, as the story of a man who was in over his head, it is a good movie.

I saw this film some years ago at a film festival, & never forgot it . I have always had a great interest in Patrice Lumumba, & his short rise in the Congo, as a progressive political leader.I've seen excellent documentary's on Lumumba & this well acted, & crafted film, delivers a very intimate look at Lumumba & his agonizing understanding of the forces that was crafting his downfall & ultimately his demise . Eriq Ebouaney, is Lumumba for I forgot, I was watching an actor, that's how good he is. If interested in the behind the scenes machinations of one of Africa's most promising young leaders of Africa's independence movement , from colonial rule ; you will not be disappointed with this gem of a film !

I remember how disgusted I was a few years ago when hearing that the US colluded in 1961 with Belgium to assassinate Patrice Lumumba, the first elected prime minister of the Congo. This film is a good intro to the human side of the freedom fighter who was violently prevented from fulfilling his mission of a Congo that was no longer supposed to be economically exploited by European and American colonial/corporate interests. The film has compelling acting and also provides background on the corrupt Mobutu who was installed after the assassination, and later proceeded to plunder the DRC (then Zaire) for the benefit of himself and outside interests.Considering the tremendous pain and sorrow needlessly inflicted upon and suffered by the Congolese nation after Lumumba's assassination, one can only wonder if things would have been different had Lumumba been allowed to implement his mission. It is maddening to think how history could have taken a more humane turn had (supposedly-democratic) Westerners not assassinated the democratically elected leader of a formerly colonial country, just to enrich their own pocketbooks. Must watch. I rarely say this about a bio pic, but I wish it was longer. I wanted to see more about Lumumba's family, his relationship with Mobutu, his rise to power, the formation of his national and anti-colonialist consciousness. Ah well, that's what documentaries and books are for. Please watch this film.

I loved this film! I learned a lot. It is so tragic that Africa (as many of you know very well, is the poorest continent in the world) is so rich in natural resources and yet the people are so terribly oppressed, exploited and butchered, and so many other things that don't come to my mind right now. I loved the vision of the real Lumumba in terms of Pan-Africanism. I think one of the heroes in my island's history, Eugenio Maria de Hostos, had a very similar vision: he proposed a coalition for all Latin American countries (I am not sure if this coalition included Caribbean islands as well) (This is the information I have, but I'm not 100% sure that it is right). Loved the acting, by the way.

An entertaining and well-done movie. A look at a slice of African history that few Americans are aware of. I can remember reading of these events when they were taking place. Of course, we only got what the US controlled media allowed us to read, which was not much. I can remember that what was going on in Congo seemed to be very confusing. The media had Lumumba painted as communist. I remember trying to sort out who was the good guy: Lumumba, Tshombe, or Mobutu. They were all in the news. This movie clarifies my understanding of those times, but I am not yet convinced of the truth.

Cinematographically well-crafted, judiciously cast, superbly acted, sensitively and intelligently scripted and directed by the brilliant Raoul Peck (who also wrote and directed "Sometimes in April", probably the best film yet made on the Rwandan genocide), the film dramatically snapshots an important and defining moment in the history of the Congo. Eriq Ebouaney's persuasive performance in the role of Patrice Lumumba is especially impressive.Film, however, is often a poor medium for representing the depths and intricacies of history: there's only so much one can pack into 115 minutes. And this is where the film sadly flounders: while for those who know the history the film serves as a dramatic and recognizable--yet elliptical--synopsis, for those who know little of the decolonization of the Congo the film will be a poor surrogate for books such as Ludo de Witte's "The Assassination of Lumumba". My advice would be to read first, watch the film only afterwards.

Le film est excellent, et mériterait d'être largement visionné. Fait réfléchir. Indispensable.En revanche, je ne sais pas ce qu'il en est des autres éditions, mais celle-ci ("Lumumba - Special Edition (In French with English subtitles") ne permet même pas de désactiver les sous-titres ! Ca ne me venait pas à l'esprit qu'on pouvait faire des DVD comme ça. Niveau VHS, il faut le faire !

Je viens de recevoir la commande.La spécification du produit commandé indiquais " Sous titres en Español" et je viens de recevoir la Version Française sans sous-titres.Le DVD indique " Un livret de 24 pages. Pas reçu.Carlos Cereceda

Nickel, reçu dans les temps pour un anniversaire.

Excellent biopic of one of Africa's unsung heroes!