Lumumba (2001)
81%RT Audience Score:
Awards & Nominations: 3 wins & 8 nominations
Ebouaney’s fiery performance makes Lumumba compelling
Lumumba is a movie that will make you feel like you’re watching a thriller, but with a historical twist. The film’s intense portrayal of Lumumba’s life is brought to life by the amazing performance of actor Ebouaney, who gives Denzel Washington a run for his money. The movie is a must-watch for anyone interested in African history, and it’s sure to leave you wanting more. So grab some popcorn, sit back, and get ready for a wild ride through the Congo’s tumultuous past!
Production Company(ies)
El Deseo Antena 3 Televisión Good Machine
Distributor
Zeitgeist Films
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Belgium
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2000
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:1h 55m
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Language(s):French, Lingala, English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jun 27, 2001 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 22, 2002
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
Lumumba, drama, political thriller, Patrice Emery Lumumba, Ebouaney, Alex Descas, Theophile Sowie, Maka Kotto, Dieudonné Kabongo, Pascal N’Zonzi, directed by Raoul Peck, written by Raoul Peck and Pascal Bonitzer, French (Canada), box office gross $684.1K, Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Dolby SR, MPAA rating, Zeitgeist Films, budget, reviewed by Ella Taylor, John Monaghan, Glenn Lovell, Marta Barber, Eric Harrison, Gary Dowell, Ed Morales, A.S Hamrah, Kelly Vance, Donald J Levit, Emanuel Levy, B Ruby Rich, drama genre, political thriller genre, African history, Congo’s independence, Prime Minister, Maurice Mpolo, Joseph Kasa Vubu, Godefroid Munungo, Moïse Tshombe
Worldwide gross: $352,296
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $611,028
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,695
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 66,633
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Alex Descas – Joseph Mobutu
Theophile Sowie – Maurice Mpolo
Maka Kotto – Joseph Kasa Vubu
Dieudonné Kabongo – Godefroid Munungo
Pascal N’Zonzi – Moïse Tshombe
Raoul Peck – Director
Raoul Peck, Pascal Bonitzer – Writers
Director(s)
Raoul Peck
Writer(s)
Raoul Peck, Pascal Bonitzer
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
3 wins & 8 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (60) | Top Critics (25) | Fresh (49) | Rotten (11)
Peck, who assayed Lumumba’s life in a 1991 documentary, now paces the doomed man’s story like the genuine thriller it is.
October 21, 2002
Ella Taylor
L.A. Weekly
TOP CRITIC
At the heart of the movie is Ebouaney’s performance as Lumumba, every bit as intense as Denzel Washington’s as Malcolm X.
November 16, 2001
John Monaghan
Detroit Free Press
TOP CRITIC
Ebouaney is easily the best thing about this import.
November 9, 2001
Glenn Lovell
San Jose Mercury News
TOP CRITIC
An engrossing film that attempts to unearth a dark period of African history and the short-lived tenure of Lumumba’s power.
November 1, 2001
Marta Barber
Miami Herald
TOP CRITIC
The vividness of the figures and situations whets the appetite.
October 19, 2001
Eric Harrison
Houston Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Ebouaney is given the daunting task of carrying a heavy film, and rises to the challenge with Denzel Washington-esque conviction.
October 4, 2001 | Rating: A-
Gary Dowell
Dallas Morning News
TOP CRITIC
Raoul Peck has emerged as one of his generation’s leading filmmakers and intellectuals.
June 28, 2021
Ed Morales
The Nation
Lumumba is framed by long, menacing scenes, lit by fire, of its main character’s 1961 arrest and disappearance.
September 18, 2020
A.S. Hamrah
The Baffler
It’s a prime example of how a historical drama can be politically correct but thoroughly embalmed. The memory of Patrice Lumumba deserves better.
August 11, 2011
Kelly Vance
East Bay Express
Drawn from life or not, film people need some flaw, some depth, a facial betrayal of emotional struggle. If not, they are the stuff of action adventure, rooted for but at once forgotten.
January 23, 2011
Donald J. Levit
ReelTalk Movie Reviews
July 10, 2005 | Rating: 4/5
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
A historically astute and politically pointed history of what really happened in the Congo in its most tumultuous moment.
March 29, 2004
B. Ruby Rich
The Nation…
Plot
“Lumumba” is a political thriller about the rise and fall of Patrice Emery Lumumba, the legendary African leader who became the Prime Minister of Congo after its independence from Belgium in 1960.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Eriq Ebouaney’s performance as Patrice Lumumba is described as “fiery” and “intense” by critics.
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