An edifying glimpse at a moment in black history when the world really was looking on.
Soul Power (2009)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:9
Fresh:8
Rotten:1
Average Rating:7.2/10
Consensus: Featuring some incredible performances from many 70s soul legends, Soul Power is an exhilarating snap-shot of a bygone era.
Rated: 12A [See Full Rating] for some thematic elements and brief strong language.
Runtime: 1 hr 33 mins
Genre: Musical & Performing Arts
Theatrical Release:10-07-2009
Synopsis: Though the eyes of the world were on "The Rumble in the Jungle" in 1974, their ears should have been on Zaire '74, the mammoth music festival that took place in the shadow of the battle between... Though the eyes of the world were on "The Rumble in the Jungle" in 1974, their ears should have been on Zaire '74, the mammoth music festival that took place in the shadow of the battle between Mohammad Ali and George Foreman. This documentary takes the stellar cut footage from WHEN WE WERE KINGS and chronicles the concerts from big names such as James Brown, B.B. King, Bill Withers, and Celia Cruz. Though Zaire '74 might have been overlooked in favor of the legendary fight, SOUL POWER still packs a serious punch for music fans. [More]
Starring: James Brown, B.B. King, Bill Withers, Celia Cruz
Starring: James Brown, B.B. King, Bill Withers, Celia Cruz, Don King, Muhammad Ali, Miriam Makeba, Sister Sledge, Crusaders, Spinners, Fania All Stars
Director: Jeffrey Levy-Hinte
Director: Jeffrey Levy-Hinte
Producer: Jeffrey Levy-Hinte, David Sonenberg, Leon Gast
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics
Reviews for Soul Power
As a concert film it’s unparalleled: a stunningly photographed, soul-stirring celebration.
Brilliant archive footage and blistering live performances - an exhilarating concert film.
The documentary gives us a tantalising taste of what appear to have been some incredible performances. Such is the quality of the footage and sound recording that you rather wish the film was longer.
Leon Gast's documentary When We Were Kings, about the 1974 Ali-Foreman fight in Zaire, now has a great companion piece.
The concert footage is excellent, with Brown in decent form, even if in truth he was already a decade past his creative peak. Good music movie, thin documentary.
Offers a vivid glimpse of a fascinating moment in musical history, racial politics and global pop culture.
While there's an awful lot to like about this infectious celebration of a remarkable event featuring some superb, larger-than-life performers at the top of their game, the enterprise comes across as a bit of a missed opportunity.
Latest News for Soul Power
July 09, 2009:
Critics Consensus: Bruno is Certified Fresh
This week at the movies, we've got Austrian audacity (Bruno, starring Sacha Baron Cohen) and graduation gratification (I Love You, Beth Cooper, starring Hayden Panettiere and... More...
May 09, 2009:
Images of James Brown, Celia Cruz, B.B. King, Don King, Miriam Makeba from this star studded event ![]()
More...
May 03, 2009:
Trailer & Poster review ![]()
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