OVID.tv Presents LUMUMBA Film Review — A Martyr’s Journey

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Read prior years’ reviews as well—all films still available on OVID.tv— along with an interview with OVID.tv Director Jonathan Miller here.

The chirping of crickets fills the air on a humid morning. Three expensive-looking American cars drive along a rough dirt track through dense foliage, breaking through the tree line and then crossing a small stream. Behind the cars are Jeeps full of soldiers brandishing rifles. Other vehicles are mixed in – another expensive car, a military truck. Their headlights show the dust in the air.

A man narrates in French, talking about a night in Katanga. He is sitting in the back of one of the expensive cars, but not speaking. His face is bloodied, and the look on his face is grim, as if anticipating what awaits at his destination. He is handcuffed, as is the man beside him.

Only hours later, these men are dead, their bodies burned in a barrel and abandoned. Patrice Emery Lumumba, first Prime Minister of an independent Congo, and two of his closest allies, have been assassinated.

OVID.tv’s LUMUMBA Produces A Tale of Revolution

Directed by Raoul Peck and shot in French with English subtitles, this film aims to portray Lumumba’s journey as the first Prime Minister of the Congo. The filmmaker shows Lumumba’s entrance into the political sphere, his role in securing the Congo’s independence from Belgium, and his death. Lumumba’s path from beer salesman to prime minister is shown. We get to know Lumumba, the man, and the nation he loves. Based on a true story, the ending is already spoiled – Lumumba is assassinated. And yet, each worsening turn in his life has impact. We sympathize for the tiredness in Lumumba’s eyes as he sits at his desk late at night, trying to figure out what to do about rebellions sparking across the Congo like wildfire. The stress is visible as his wife begs him to get some bedrest rather than slumping over his desk once more.

You too might be troubled by how scenes blend with no clear transition, how many characters remain nameless, and the lack of information for viewers like this writer who are less familiar with Congo’s history as a Belgian colony.

Those who have keen interest in African history will likely love Lumumba. If you are looking for a complete biography of the Congo’s first Prime Minister, you may be disappointed. Or if African history holds little interest for you there might not be much appeal in this film.

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Director: Raoul Peck
Featuring: Eriq Ebouaney

For more information on this film, please visit the OVID.tv webpage for LUMUMBA.

Images courtesy of OVID.tv