This is a fairly saintly portrayal of Patrice Lumumba, a key player in the Congo’s independence from Belgium in 1960. Because of that I didn’t fully trust it, but I appreciated the movie anyway. Even if Lumumba would not have been a savior to the Congolese, he certainly lived during the most hopeful period for a united Congo. I think the movie helped me understand the forces working against this outcome, forces that helped form the Zaire where my wife grew up. That, along with many historical points that are accurate, easily make up for the dramatic devices used.