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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.

Lumumba

EMAILPRINTZeitgeist Films

Lumumba reviews
78
9.6 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 22 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 13 votes
Read user comments
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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)

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...

100

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.

91

Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

What matters now, what Lumumba conveys, is the urgent chaos of revolution.

Read Full Review >
90

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 >
90

LA Weekly Ella Taylor

Genuine thriller -- with one crisis hurtling after another, heightened by hauntingly brief moments of peace.

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90

Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan

Lumumba is potent stuff. Complex, powerful, intensely dramatic.

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89

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.

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80

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.

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80

New Times (L.A.) Andy Klein

From the start, a comprehensible, if necessarily simplified, sense of an extremely complicated moment in history.

80

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.

75

Boston Globe Jay Carr

Structural shortcomings and all -- gives a neglected giant of African independence his due.

75

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.

75

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.

75

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.

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75

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.

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75

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.

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75

Miami Herald Marta Barber

The story is worth telling, one that begs the question: Has anything changed?

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70

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

Utterly enthralling even for viewers unfamiliar with the Congo's complicated political history.

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70

Village Voice J. Hoberman

As cliché-rich as it is compelling.

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67

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.

63

New York Post Jonathan Foreman

Never much more than hagiography that lets the context of its hero's death remain confused.

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63

San Francisco Chronicle Wesley Morris

The film feels like bare- bones docu-fiction, though, resisting the attendant drama until the bitter, grisly end.

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60

Washington Post Desson Thomson

The movie is visually stirring. And the locations, in Zimbabwe and Mozambique, imbue the story with eerie authenticity.

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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!

Read more user comments >

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