SnoopyStyle
It's 1974 Kinshasa, Zaire. Promoters Hugh Masekela and Stewart Levine are organizing a companion music festival for the Ali-Foreman fight. It is to be the combination of African American music and musicians from mother Africa. James Brown is the headliner. A few days before the event, the fight is delayed due to Foreman's eye cut. The problem is that the music festival can not be delayed. The show must go on. This documentary starts like a freight train with James Brown and Soul Power. The main problem stems from the fact that it doesn't follow one person. It's a scattered way to tell a narrative. There is no structure. It's more like a series of behind-the-scenes snippets. There are amazing scenes of the stars talking, and some great musical performances. It's a nice series of vignettes that allows the audience to travel back in time to a specific place.
nobrun
What was so surprising (to me at least) is that this footage existed. The fact that it wasn't put together/released until 2008 is secondary. This is NOT a movie about a concert. It's a documentation of an event process, meaning there's more to it than guitars, drums and singers. It was filmed in 1974 in Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo). To expect anything different, fit into one-and-a-half hours, is ridiculous. There's enough material to make 6 hours worth of documentaries. Although the movie does eventually give us the names of the major players in credits, it would have been nice to flash those names once the actors/participants first appeared on the screen.
htownsteve
Basically a waste of time. Behind the scenes footage of (nothing really) people building a stage, native Africans being poor, Mohammed Ali bragging, and artists eating. ONE song each by every band. The Bill Withers and James Brown songs were great, but that doesn't warrant wasting 90 minutes of time. Just watch those videos on-line and go on with your day. I really was looking forward to see the performances of these artists in their prime. If you are looking for the same, you will be vastly let down. Just filler. I removed the paper cover and the disc itself, kept the plastic case for future use, and threw the rest in the garbage, I was so disappointed. Avoid like Ebola.
timbermisc
Entertaining. Nice to see Muhammad Ali and James Brown and Celia Cruz and the dance styles of the Crusaders. The other African performers were on top of their acts, too.You will look back on James Brown's bid to give some direction to the black movement as uncomplicated. And it is nice to see that so much as changed in the way of overt discrimination in the U.S.I felt that I wanted to see a 4 hour movie. I wanted to see the entire concert, and that is good. It has a really funny part wherein Muhammad Ali plays with someone. I won't tell you what it is about.James Brown pleads with you to go out on the side walk and tell yourself: "I am somebody".I loved the performance by Cuban artist and Diva Celia Cruz. There were no negatives in the movie except that much of it is hand-held, grainy color. Again, I just wanted it to go on and on.I got my monies worth.
AD
