Lumumba (2000)

a tapestery of lies

Raoul Peck seems to be have been troubled by the facts of his subjects life so he made up his own. This film is basically untruth from beginning to end. Its wishful thinking and self-deception as history.

Patrice Lumumba became a mythological figure in death that the real man doesn't live up to. Lumumba was a congolese politician who was handed power by the departing belgians and within days had destroyed the country. In succession, he triggered an army mutiny which he then tried to suppress by an open appeal to racial violence and when that didn't work, he called in a multinational force whose members then set about buying groups of politicians. Lumumba was removed from office while planning his next step of taking the country into civil war.

Contrary to the view in the film, it was not the colonialist conspiracy that wanted Lumumba dead, it was almost every player in the politics of Congo that wanted him dead. Raoul Peck ends up reinforcing the old ideas of Africans as naive child-like victims of the evil international conspiracy. Therefore the reasons for Lumumba's death cannot be found inside among the people of congo. It has to be a conspiracy.

It was not any vision of a united Africa that doomed Lumumba. It was that he was a bad leader who managed to lead the country into ruin within days of taking power. The film is an exercise in self-deception among those who see the "big man" as the solution to Africa's problems. February 16, 2008

Lumumba

Raoul Peck's political thriller vibrates with tension, as we see how Lumumba's rise to prominence was punctuated by some extremely rough handling by the prior regime, and that once in power, his respite from such brutal treatment would be tragically short. Ebouaney is electric as the fiery, defiant Lumumba, a man whose worst sin was not sensing and neutralizing the treacherous forces surrounding him. This tight, involving film packs a wallop in reviving a disturbing chapter in Africa's turbulent history. July 20, 2007

Lumumba

At the least this film is a cold shower to your heart & soul, to stir & aliven your sensory skills, to the awareness of families strengthened by power of love and intense sacrifices. The unspoken "brothers" that laid themselves at the altar of sacrifice, knowing full well they may shortlive seeing the fruition of their convictive destiny. It brings insight to the book, "Bloods," by a Cornell fellow. Lumumba, brought me insight into the realm above my own quagmire haze of short perspective and into understanding of the price of cause greater than self.
This man was a true "Drum Major," as MLK, Jr. put it in excerpt speech.
Let Lumumbas glimpse of freedom and libertad resound and renew the power of the upcoming generations of the infinate lasting power of love...
If you learn of this man, you will know why one will remeber him!
Respectfully..
May 8, 2007

A part of African history everyone should know about

I enjoyed this movie very much. Accoring to most available literature, this movie is historically accurate. Peck is a well respected director and seems to have done a good job presenting the truth. Lumumba is an icon in African history and he represents the hope and optimism of post-colonial Africa. His death was a tragedy and it leads us to wonder "What if...". This is an important chapter in modern African history and we are lucky that such a well-made movie has helped tell this story to the world.

PS. Frank Carlucci's (the second secretary in the U.S. embassy in Kinshasa at the time) name is bleeped out in some versions because his lawyers pressured the film's distributors to remove all reference to him. He of course denies involvement in the assassination of Lumumba. Peck has stated that he has strong reason to believe his movie to be accurate. January 25, 2005

Important subject matter, a bit hard to follow

I would recommend this film, but couched in the warning that I found it a bit hard to follow. There are a lot of characters - the various political figures - and sometimes it's hard to keep them all straight. It's definitely important subject matter though - an interesting glimpse into the colonial forces that shaped modern Africa and the struggles that continue today in many of its troubled nations. June 18, 2004

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