Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Soul Power Blu-ray Movie Review

Another exceptional music Documentary from Sony.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 16, 2010

I need to do my thing.

One of boxing's most anticipated fights paired with a concert featuring some of history's most talented Soul artists from the 1970s? Even the Super Bowl and its pomp and circumstance couldn't match that. Unless, of course, something were to go wrong. In September 1974, Kinshasa, Zaire was to be the host one of the most important fights of the century, dubbed "The Rumble in the Jungle," and accentuated by a concert for the ages, but a last-minute change in plans -- an injury to boxer George Foreman -- postponed the fight and threatened the show. Soul Power, a fine 2008 Documentary directed by Jeffrey Levy-Hinte, captures both the anguish and excitement of the show from several angles, the picture a skillful and engaging glimpse into the distinctive and often colliding worlds that came together to decide the fate of the show and, together, play a role in its ultimate success or failure. Examining the politics, financing, technical, and structural angles that worked to bring the show to fruition, while also focusing heavily on Zaire's local culture and, most important to the film, the performers and their performances, Soul Power is a film that's both entertaining and enlightening, offering its viewers not only highlights from a classic music festival but taking a rather detailed look at the ebb and flow and the nitty-gritty world behind the show that proves as mesmerizing as the amazing music that's the brightest star of the film.

The smooth sound of Soul.

It was the heyday of the heavyweight boxer. Names such as Joe Frazier, George Foreman, and Muhammed Ali dominated the boxing landscape, and in 1974, then-heavyweight champion Foreman was set to take on the legendary former champ Ali in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) in a fight dubbed "The Rumble in the Jungle." In an effort to cross-promote the fight with the world of music and the venue's African setting, South African musician Hugh Masekela and music producer Stewart Levine -- in conjunction with boxing promoter Don King -- organized an event that would come to be known as "Zaire '74," a showcase of talent of both African-American and African musicians. Financed not by Zaire's President Mobutu but rather an investment group from Liberia, the show was a go until Foreman's untimely injury. Nevertheless and through much wrangling, in-fighting, confusion, and chaos, the show proceeded without the fight, becoming a watermark cultural event for Zaire, Africa, African-Americans, and music, with top performers from Africa and abroad -- including Miriam Makeba, TPOK Jazz, B.B. King, The Spinners, and the legendary James Brown himself -- contributing to one of history's most memorable music festivals, a festival that almost never was.

Though boxing was but a backdrop to Zaire '74, it was nevertheless the driving force behind the formation of the concert, and Soul Power recognizes both the influence of the (postponed) fight on the music festival and the verbose and opinionated personality of one of its fighters, Muhammed Ali. Soul Power integrates several Ali snippets that feature the fighter sharing his thoughts on a myriad of subjects as they pertain to, generally, Africa versus the United States, but the film seems to incorporate Ali's comments more as a backdrop to the film, a simple documentation of a prominent figure of the time as he, his fight, and his comments pertain to the events surrounding the festival. It's a part of Soul Power's unflinching and at times brutally honest look at the ins-and-outs of the festival, the film highlighting the good, bad, and everything in between that helped bring the show to fruition but also almost destroyed it before the first note was strummed or the first lyric sung. Soul Power features everything from promotional press conferences to the sometimes tense behind-the-scenes rhetoric that's part of the oft-forgotten "backstage" work that's so crucial in bringing the actual concert or extended festival to life. Soul Power's no-fluff approach is most welcome; it's fresh and original, engaging and best described as "raw." Unscripted, unrehearsed, and as real as it gets, the film takes its audience in-depth into the world of live musical production, the film all the more interesting considering the scale of the production and, indeed, the level of talent involved.

Though Soul Power skillfully and intriguingly brings the many background stories behind the festival to life, the film is still, at its core, about the musicians and, more importantly, their music. The roster reads like a Hall-of-Fame listing, and the music's both soothing and energetic, a fabulous smooth sound that does its people and their cultures proud. Each artist brings a proud, ambitious performance to the stage, and while the varied flavors of music are distinct in origin, they seemed for this three-day event a singular voice that spoke to the world and its peoples, cultures, and customs in unison and as a demonstration of the power of music to unite peoples and styles and, for a few days, anyway, put aside differences in favor of a universally accepted and cherished art form. Though James Brown is deservedly a centerpiece in the film -- and his invigorating performances certainly worthy of the attention afforded him -- Soul Power showcases plenty of diverse musical stars that will thrill audiences both new to their names or longtime listeners that know every lyric by heart. Making it all work is Soul Power Director Jeffrey Levy-Hinte, whose expert sense of engaging storytelling keeps the audience both entertained and fascinated, the film delivering an incredible dichotomy that sees both the contentious labor and its exquisite fruits on full display. The only fault one may really find here is that, at 90 or so minutes in length, the film seems over not long after its begun, a testament to both Levy-Hinte's filmmaking skill and the dazzling array of musical performances seen throughout.

Soul Power Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Soul Power arrives on Blu-ray with a faithful-to-the-source 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer. Most immediately of note is the film's excessively -- but naturally -- grainy appearance that reinforces the film's classic appearance and assembled vintage footage. Colors are nevertheless fairly rich -- particularly the brightly-colored local garb -- but they do look a bit faded and otherwise not quite as aggressively rendered as they might have been on footage of a more recent vintage. Exterior shots often feature more in the way of earth-toned hues that don't seem quite as reserved as the brighter hues; dirt roads and earthen building façades appear rather accurately rendered. Detail is fairly strong underneath the massive level of grain; whether fine lines in the fabric of a cloth airline seat, facial texturing, or the heavy beads of sweat accumulating and streaking down performers' faces, this 1080p transfer acquits itself rather nicely. There are a few inherent artifacts to be seen; vertical lines appear here and there, but never to a bothersome extent. All told, Soul Power translates exceptionally well to Blu-ray; the format handles the film's roughly-textured and grainy appearance wonderfully, and this is another high quality and true-to-the-source transfer from Sony.

Soul Power Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Soul Power features a sturdy DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack that's exceptional where it counts. The film opens with a James Brown performance that's sonically mesmerizing, each note and the entire cacophony of sound an exercise in audible perfection that's robust, exciting, and highly satisfying both aurally and emotionally. Bass penetrates the listening area with ease and superb clarity, the low end pleasantly but not abundantly heavy. Indeed, all of the musical presentations as heard throughout Soul Power are exceptionally realized, the low end certainly dominant and pleasantly executed with a strong presentation but never excessively or overwhelmingly played. The music is wonderfully balanced, crisp, and real, the lossless DTS track delivering a full and satisfying presentation that practically transports the listener to the stage. Additionally, surrounds are used to create a realistic ambience in many scenes. For instance, abundant applause flows through the soundstage to engender in the listener a live-concert feel, while other, lesser sounds outside on the streets of Zaire -- pedestrian chatter, live background music, or passing automobiles -- do well to bring the many locations to life. Dialogue can sometimes be a bit difficult to make out, particularly considering the unrehearsed and uncontrolled environments in which it is forced to compete with loud background noises, including music and ambient distant chatter in crowded venues. Dialogue as heard through microphones can be particularly garbled, but this is more a limitation of the source rather than a blunder in the presentation of the soundtrack. All told, Soul Power delivers a fine listen on Blu-ray that's strongly complimentary to the style and tone of the film and true to its music.

Soul Power Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Soul Power's main attraction under the supplemental tab is a commentary track with Director Jeffrey Levy-Hinte and Music/Festival Producer Stewart Levine. Even before beginning the track, listeners will note and anticipate Levine's participation, the presence of one of the festival's coordinators in addition to Soul Power's director proves a formidable on-paper tag team, and indeed, the track doesn't disappoint. Though Levy-Hinte speaks with something of a tired, monotone cadence, the comments prove infinitely interesting, particularly those that revolve around the history of the show and the impact of its musical stars. There's far more background on the show here than what's found in the film proper. Discussions include the negotiations pertaining to the formation of the festival and the opportunity to expand the world's awareness of African culture and music, the participation of James Brown, Ali's participation and perception of Africa and its place in the world, the additional styles of music and the myriad of musicians that took part in the festival, and much more. There are also some more technically-oriented tidbits, but the oft-fascinating discussion of additional background material makes this commentary truly worthwhile. Like the film, there's an honest feel to the track that's most welcome, and it comes as a recommended listen. In addition to a collection of nine deleted scenes (480p, 42:11), Soul Power also includes Sony's MovieIQ feature; BD-Live functionality; the Soul Power theatrical trailer (1080p, 1:58); and additional 1080p trailers for Michael Jackson's This is It, It Might Get Loud, Whatever Works, An Education, Steep, and The Class.

Soul Power Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Like It Might Get Loud, Soul Power is an exceptional Music Documentary that's sure to please both longtime fans of the talent involved and newcomers eager and willing to embark on a fascinating journey through the world of 1970s Soul and, additionally, the ebb-and-flow of the oftentimes contentious behind-the-scenes goings-on that almost wiped out one of history's most important music festivals before it even began. Director Jeffrey Levy-Hinte has done an exceptional job in cobbling together a fine work of cinematic art from a plethora of vintage footage and through it takes his audience on a captivating journey into the world of music through the prism of the third world contrasted with big money events. Sony's Blu-ray release excels where it counts. Offering a true-to-the-source 1080p transfer and a strong lossless soundtrack, only a disappointing lack of a lengthier supplemental package detracts from this fine Blu-ray experience, but the disc nevertheless earns a strong recommendation.