Educational Media Reviews Online

This film examines the history of the central African country of the Congo, from its independence in 1960 to the mid 1990s. It explores the many problems that have faced the country, including the violence and corruption that have often plagued it.

The Congo’s colonial period is briefly described. This period began when Belgium colonized the country in the mid-1880's, and lasted until 1960. In spite of Belgium's attempts to improve Congo's infrastructure and control disease, its administration was nevertheless racist and undemocratic. The people lived in extreme poverty, and any opposition to Belgian rule was brutally put down. After World War II, the Congolese began agitating for self-government. Belgium ignored this for the most part. Then in 1959, anti-colonial violence broke out in the Congo, and the Belgians were finally forced to negotiate with the various independence movements there. It was eventually agreed that the country would become independent in 1960. This was in spite of the fact that the Congolese couldn't agree on what form the new government would take! More importantly, there were few Congolese qualified enough to fill the government positions in their country that the Belgians would be vacating. Elections held shortly after independence made Patrice Lumumba the Prime Minister, and Joseph Kasavubu the President. A succession of disasters then befell the country. The army rebelled against Lumumba, the province of Katanga seceded from the country, and a power struggle developed between the President and the Prime Minister. Lumumba was eventually captured by the army, handed over to the rebels in Katanga, and assassinated.

Afterward, the government was for all intents and purposes in the hands of the commander of the army, Joseph Mobutu. He would eventually make himself President, and rule the Congo for the next 30 years. In 1971 he renamed the country Zaire. His government was extremely corrupt and inefficient, and it left the country economically and socially broken. The support of western countries, chiefly the United States, kept him in power. Mobutu was a staunch anti-communist, and this made him a friend of the U.S. during the Cold War years. By the early 1990's however, the Soviet Union had collapsed, and Mobutu's western support had evaporated. His foreign friends had come to see his corrupt government as an embarrassment. By 1996 he was overthrown, and the country's name was changed back to the Congo. His departure has not brought the Congo happiness however, as the country has since been plunged into civil war.

This film is well made. Voiceover narration leads the viewer through the film in a clear and direct fashion, and its picture and sound qualities are good. Newsreel footage is not in English, but subtitles are provided. Although the film is informative, and at times even insightful, some students of African affairs may complain that it tends to gloss over many of the more brutal aspects of Belgian rule in the Congo. For instance, during the reign of King Leopold II millions of people were either killed or maimed as a result of the forced labor imposed on the citizens of the Congo. The Belgians of that time saw the Congolese as little better than animals, and the scars left by this attitude are still felt in the country today. These are subjects that the film barely touches on, and which are important to understanding the problems of the Congo since independence. That being said, the film portrays the key events and political players in post-independence Congo in an effective way, and may be useful as a partial introduction to that part of Congolese history. This film is suitable for high school, undergraduate or graduate students, and will be of the most interest to those studying political science, or the histories and/or current affairs of either the Congo or Africa.

Recommended