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CONGO: WHITE KING, RED RUBBER, BLACK DEATH Send This Review to a Friend
In the list of atrocities perpetrated on populations the brutal exploitation of the Congo by Belgium under the rule of King Leopold ranks high. British director Peter Bate delves into the terror inflicted in his solemn, wrenching documentary “Congo: White King, Red Rubber and Black Death.”
The combination of racism and the profitable quest for rubber proved potent in the shameful abuse of the population by maiming, torture and murder. The film documents the deeds with photographs and reports. Some of it is represented by actors reciting the statements of key people who are no longer alive.
A narration by Nick Fraser mournfully and factually tells the history of the quest for rubber riches. The picture is inevitably sad and disturbing, and the narration drives home a supreme irony.
Despite all of the evidence of what the Belgian exploitation wrought, Leopold is honored today with statues in Belgium and is considered a visionary king. The film notes that some 10 million Congolese lost their lives during the period of Leopold’s domination.
The documentary indictment is a careful one, with an abundance of statements and pictures to support its position. This is a shocking film about inhumanity. Unfortunately, it is yet another layer added to the sordid history of humankind. An ArtMattan Productions release.
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