CheerupSilver Very Cool!!!

TinsHeadline Touches You

filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Deanna There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

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.

Jahful Soul Power is a sizzling documentary which shows a glimpse of Africa in the early 70s, some of the greatest Afro-American entertainers at a difficult transitional stage in American history, Muhammad Ali, and the hijinks of staging a massive festival in the age of walkie-talkies.This review is primarily meant to address the pans which dismiss Soul Power for being composed of stock footage, and to correct the assertion that Miriam Makeba is the only African performer to appear.In the first case, it's NOT stock footage. It's footage that, for whatever reason, was unable to be edited or released within a reasonable period after the event. The footage was certainly shot with the aim of creating a film much like the one presented. Only now there is a patina of history which adds a huge dimension to the film. The film quality is exactly what should be expected for a documentary of this era, shot in Africa, and any expectations otherwise are naive.It's likely that the film would have been edited differently had it been released in 1974 or 1975; the engrossing build-up would probably have been shorter, and the actual concert element would have been longer (my only qualm with the film). But we don't know what additional footage exists (aside from the deleted scenes), so there may not have been many options for the editors. And certainly, film stock buried for nearly four decades is susceptible to damage (see the deleted scene featuring Muhhamad Ali, the GOAT, leaving for Africa). In view of the circumstances, the footage is often gorgeous. Some of the conversation snippets are so fascinating they seem scripted.In addition to Miriam Makeba, there is a wonderful dance troupe who take the stage as well as Tabu Ley Rochereau and his band Afrisa, and OK Jazz- probably the biggest names in African music during the 1960s/70s before Fela Anikulapo Kuti's ascendancy- and their performances are stunning (with an additional Tabu Ley set piece in the deleted scenes).Overall, a great flick.

druid333-2 Jeffrey Levy-Hinte's film 'Soul Power'is a remarkable concert documentary that was filmed in Zaire in 1974,as part of the Muhammad Ali/George Forman fight,known as The Rumble In The Jungle. This was a 12 hour,three night festival of musical talent from various parts of Africa,as well as the United States. The film begins with footage of the preparations for the concert,and the red tape and b.s. that goes along with putting on a concert of grand scale. Once the music begins,it's no holds barred. The musical talent includes,James Brown,The Crusaders,Miriam Makeba,B.B. King,The Fania All Stars (with the late,great Celia Cruz), The Spinners,and a host of others. Interview footage of Muhammad Ali, Don King,and others representing the boxing match also figures as a foot note (for further details,check out Leon Gast's 'Once We Were King',which Levy-Hinte edited),about the actual match itself). The music will have you stomping holes in the floor of the cinema that is screening it. Rated PG-13 by the MPAA,this films contains a rude word or two,and some mature thematic elements

jammasta-1 This movie is a selection from many hours of footage produced before and during the music festival that was to accompany "The Rumble in the Jungle" - the heavyweight championship fight between Ali and Foreman in '74. The festival was meant to bring the American soul/r&b/funk/blues musicians "back home" to Africa and give them the opportunity to perform alongside African stars, such as Miriam Makeba. The movie is centered on James Brown, the main star of the three-day festival. It is more about the event as such, its "technical" background, than about schoolbook history. Even then, it leaves a lot of ambiguities open for the viewers to see. We hear Ali comment on the peaceful life Zairians lead while American blacks are ever threatened by accidents or (white) hatred. But this peaceful life is controlled by the government that urges the people to love their dictator. Although this movie doesn't deal with the political tensions involved in this Zairian sojourn, the implications are there. One thing that some viewers might not like is that "Soul Power" leaves little room for the African artists, focusing instead on the American greats like Brown or B.B. King. Another is that it's so short - King has only one feature, Brown has no more than three. At the Berlin IFF (Berlinale), the director (or editor, as the movie is simply made up of footage produced over 30 years ago) explained that he couldn't afford more than he did; also, some of the performances at the festival were of lower quality. As it is, the songs that we hear in "Soul Power" are beautifully shot - and finely recorded. At any rate, this movie is worth watching. It's interesting and it's funny. Go see for yourself!