Lumumba Review
Lumumba could be called manipulative and biased, but it also tells its story with a riveting immediacy that makes it a superior screen biography. This is not a staid historical drama, it is an electric portrait of a charismatic personality who burned brightly for a brief moment in history. Throughout, Lumumba must balance three purposes: providing the basic facts of its subject's life, exploring Patrice Lumumba as both a man and historical figure, and giving a lesson in Congolese history so that an unfamiliar audience can follow the story. Despite the complex history, the film is remarkably easy to follow, and director Raoul Peck focuses on Lumumba's adult years in order to cover the major events. As for developing an understanding for Lumumba as a person, Peck is largely successful. The film conveys why Lumumba fought so passionately for his country and how he was defeated by having to fight political enemies on so many fronts, but so much time is spent on essential plot that some of the human element is lost. For instance, one moment we see Lumumba as a young traveling beer salesman involved in informal political debates, then the film jumps ahead about five years and he is suddenly a jailed dissident-turned-prime minister, but how he developed into such a powerful and popular national figure is left unexplored. Still, Lumumba creates a far more complete portrait of its subject than the average Hollywood biography. An important reason for the film's success is the rich performance of Eriq Ebouaney in the title role. There are moments in the film where, through Ebouaney, the viewer can see how Lumumba was able to capture the hopes of Africa. Lumumba provides a valuable reminder that biographical filmmaking does not have to be wallowed in sentiment or weighed down by its historic pretenses. Bob Mastrangelo, Rovi
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