Blu-Ray Review: ‘Soul Power’ Lacks Substance, Compensates With Soul

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CHICAGO – What can you say about a documentary that lands in theaters thirty-five years too late? “Soul Power” consists of footage from the historic three-night music festival in Zaire, meant to coincide with the heavily hyped “Rumble in the Jungle” between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. The events took place in 1974, and were filmed in order to spread African culture to the masses.

Footage from the epic match was assembled into 1996’s Oscar-winning documentary, “When We Were Kings,” which was a vital historical record that didn’t devote enough of its screen time to the actual fight. “Kings” editor Jeffrey Levy-Hinte took the directorial reigns of “Soul Power,” another vital historical record that doesn’t devote enough screen time to its central subject: the actual concert. But the music it does include is so good that it makes the film essential viewing regardless of its shortcomings.

HollywoodChicago.com Blu-Ray Rating: 3.5/5.0
Blu-Ray Rating: 3.5/5.0

To his credit, Levy-Hinte opts to use only original footage filmed at the event, making the film look and feel like a long-lost gem from the ‘70s. The concert was filmed by the same four cinematographers who later recorded the fight six weeks later: Paul Goldsmith, Kevin Keating, Roderick Young and the legendary Albert Maysles. Their onstage coverage of the performers brilliantly captures their vibrant life and exhilarating energy, as the rhythm and music reverberates through their bodies, inspiring some of them to literally dance with their instruments. It was the intention of South African musician Hugh Masekela and American record producer Stewart Levine to bring together the most renowned African and African American artists of the day in “their common homeland,” thus resulting in one of the most formidable groups of musicians ever to play on the same stage.

Soul Power was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on January 26th, 2010.
Soul Power was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on January 26th, 2010.
Photo credit: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Younger viewers who aren’t familiar with many of these performers may become lost while watching the film, since most of the musicians aren’t even identified by name until the end. Yet perhaps that was part of the filmmakers’ goal: to blend the artists from Zaire and America together in order to make them sound like one big musical family. James Brown was the biggest star of the moment, and the cameras focus on him with a religious reverence. His persona in front of fans is as larger-than-life and electrifying as that of Ali. Other show-stoppers include Bill Withers (delivering an utterly hypnotic rendition of “Hope She’ll Be Happier”), B.B. King (who charges through “Thrill Is Gone” with spectacular energy), the Crusaders (whose riff on “Put It Where You Want It” includes a great keyboard solo), and the Fania All-Stars (featuring the exuberant Celia Cruz). My two personal favorite performances came from Big Black (his mastery of the bongos is guaranteed to mesmerize) and Miriam Makeba, whose lovely introduction to her infamous “Click Song” is one of the film’s highlights.

The two main problems with “Soul Power” are: 1.) The concert footage doesn’t start until about 35 minutes have passed, and 2.) The non-musical footage doesn’t provide enough insight into the event’s history or relevance. There’s lots of talk about the “importance” and “greatness” of the concert, but all it amounts to is talk. Ali ends up delivering the film’s most provocative statements, claiming that he wants to use his title to “uplift the black man in America” (a goal certainly shared by concert organizers). It’s a shame the footage couldn’t have been released sooner to the moviegoing public, but the fact it’s been released at all is certainly reason enough to celebrate.

“Soul Power” is presented in 1080p High Definition (with a 1.78:1 aspect ratio), accompanied by English, Spanish and Portuguese audio tracks, and includes the BD-Live feature “movie IQ,” which allows viewers to bookmark songs and email them as a customized playlist. Music buffs eagerly awaiting the film’s Blu-ray release in order to view additional concert footage may be somewhat disappointed. Though the disc’s 42 minutes of deleted scenes include performances from Brown, Sister Sledge, Abeti and the Pembe Dance Troupe, too much time is once again devoted to “concert logistics.” Some of the best moments involve footage of local Zairians singing in the streets, and the performers jamming before rehearsals. There’s also wonderful feature-length commentary from director Levy-Hinte and music/festival producer Stewart Levine, who provides some heartfelt insights and historical background information that truly enhance the overall viewing experience.

‘Soul Power’ is released by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and features The Spinners, B.B. King, Celia Cruz, Bill Withers, Miriam Makeba, The Crusaders, Big Black, James Brown, Don King and Muhammad Ali. It was directed by Jeffrey Levy-Hinte. It was released on January 26th, 2010. It is rated PG-13.

HollywoodChicago.com staff writer Matt Fagerholm

By MATT FAGERHOLM
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
matt@hollywoodchicago.com

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