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Lumumba

Generally favorable reviews
Based on 22 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 13 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
Movie Info
Genre(s): Suspense/Thriller
Written by:
Pascal Bonitzer
Raoul Peck
Directed by: Raoul Peck
Release Date:
Theatrical: June 27, 2001
DVD: October 22, 2002
Running Time: 115 minutes, Color
Origin: France / Belgium / Germany / Haiti
Summary
RATING: Not Rated
Starring Eriq Ebouaney, Alex Descas, Théophile Sowie, Maka Kotto, and Mariam Kaba
At the Berlin Conference of 1885, Europe divided up the African continent. The Congo became the personal property of King Leopold II of Belgium. On June 30, 1960, a young self-taught nationalist, Patrice Lumumba, became, at age 36, the first head of government of the new independent state. He would last two months in office. (Zeitgeist Films)
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database Official Studio Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Baltimore Sun Michael Sragow
Lumumba revives the tradition of Pontecorvo's "The Battle of Algiers" and Costa-Gavras' "Z" and "State of Siege." In substance and excitement, it joins their ranks.
Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum
What matters now, what Lumumba conveys, is the urgent chaos of revolution.
Read Full Review >The New York Times A.O. Scott
Mr. Peck's gambit works, and the result is a great film and a great performance.
Read Full Review >LA Weekly Ella Taylor
Genuine thriller -- with one crisis hurtling after another, heightened by hauntingly brief moments of peace.
Read Full Review >Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan
Lumumba is potent stuff. Complex, powerful, intensely dramatic.
Read Full Review >Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov
As fluid and intellectually stimulating as the man himself, a tragic, heartfelt take on an event some 40 years old that feels as fresh as yesterday's Times.
Read Full Review >Variety Deborah Young
An impassioned, at times thrilling re-creation of the birth of the country that became Zaire and is now known as Congo again.
Read Full Review >New Times (L.A.) Andy Klein
From the start, a comprehensible, if necessarily simplified, sense of an extremely complicated moment in history.
Mr. Showbiz Kevin Maynard
There's nothing more incendiary than the reopening of a forgotten chapter of history --nothing more incendiary than telling the truth.
Boston Globe Jay Carr
Structural shortcomings and all -- gives a neglected giant of African independence his due.
New York Daily News Jami Bernard
Gives a white-knuckled, you-are-there account of a politician's dilemma, one whose repercussions are still felt in Africa.
Chicago Tribune Michael Wilmington
The film does succeed in making the story universal, giving us the drama as well as the history, the fire as well as cool examination. It's a movie that haunts you afterward.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer William Arnold
Writer/director Raoul Peck never gives us enough intimate moments to let us feel we know the man on a personal level, and he doesn't have the narrative skill to economize the necessary exposition or steer a clear storyline.
Read Full Review >Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert
Although the narration is addressed to his wife, we learn little about her, his family or his personal life; he is used primarily as a guide through the milestones of the Congo's brief two-month experiment with democracy.
Read Full Review >Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea
Betrayal is at the heart of this story, but also dreams of liberty and a life where all people are treated with respect.
Read Full Review >Miami Herald Marta Barber
The story is worth telling, one that begs the question: Has anything changed?
Read Full Review >TV Guide Maitland McDonagh
Utterly enthralling even for viewers unfamiliar with the Congo's complicated political history.
Read Full Review >Portland Oregonian Shawn Levy
The film is masterful in many ways, and brilliantly acted by its lead player, Eriq Ebouaney, but it's often overly dense and fast with information, background and ideas.
New York Post Jonathan Foreman
Never much more than hagiography that lets the context of its hero's death remain confused.
Read Full Review >San Francisco Chronicle Wesley Morris
The film feels like bare- bones docu-fiction, though, resisting the attendant drama until the bitter, grisly end.
Read Full Review >Washington Post Desson Thomson
The movie is visually stirring. And the locations, in Zimbabwe and Mozambique, imbue the story with eerie authenticity.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 9.6 (out of 10) based on 13 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Taha C gave it a10:
A poignant and infomative film. Demomstrates how the machinations of Imperialism systematically destroy one of the few ethical statesmen who might have made Congo into a safe and orderly Republic. The same tactics were employed in other fledgling African countries as well, causing most of the countries in the dark continent to fall into banana republic mode or semi-anarchy. A very well acted and powerful film.
Yewande A gave it a 10:
Excellent movie - This history was certainly not written in Brussels, Paris, or Washington!
Patrick E. gave it a 9:
An excellent film combined with power and intense captivation. A tragedy that is truly felt.
Kevin S. gave it a 10:
Lumumba is a poignant and somewhat frustrating tale of a tragedy that should not have happened, but did.
Tunde M. gave it a 10:
The truth must be told.
J. R. gave it a 10:
Compelling, brilliantly put together.
Jack D. gave it a 9:
Not quite complete, but if you care about the state of Africa today you must see it!
