Directed by Jeffrey Levy-Hinte.  Cinematography by Paul Goldsmith, Kevin Keating, Albert Maysles, and Roderick Young.  Edited by David A. Smith.  Featuring: Muhammad Ali, Celia Cruz, the Spinners, the Platters, Miriam Makeba, Bill Withers, Don King, B.B. King, and James Brown.  Released by Sony Pictures Classics. Running time: 93 minutes Rated: PG-13 

Kinshasa, Zaire, 1974 and sports fans—particularly boxing aficionados—will recognize the time and place of “the Rumble in the Jungle” where Muhammad Ali regained his heavyweight boxing crown by defeating George Foreman.  This was also the time and place of a three-day music festival called Zaire ’74 featuring some of the biggest names in African and Afro-derived music such as the Platters, the Spinners, Miriam Makeba, Bill Withers, B.B. King, and the Godfather of Soul himself James Brown.  The music festival and the championship boxing match were originally planned to happen at the same time, but then Foreman sustained an injury that forced the fight to be postponed for several weeks.  However, the extended celebration of African heritage and culture that would combine the championship fight with a spectacular music festival did not materialize as the music festival could not be moved as the performers had other commitments in their schedules that they needed to fulfill. 

Though a film was clearly planned right from the inception of scheduling the fight and the musical performances in Zaire, director Levy-Hinte has had the honor of poring through a treasure trove of film footage more than 30 years after the events to construct a film that finally tells the story of how Zaire ’74 came together and then gives us bits and pieces of the show that went on without all the glitterati and the hordes of fight fans that would have been there if the original plan had been maintained.  There are absolutely terrific vintage performances from some fabulous artists.  One may wish for more of the performers since this 93-minute film has three day’s worth of music to present and the film meanderingly begins by showing all the work and wackiness that goes into putting a major concert together.  Despite the slow build-up, by the time the film ends the film viewer has witnessed a very exhilarating film. 

While this film needs to be seen on the big screen to be fully appreciated, it is a film that could have a very intriguing DVD.  The bonus features could include lots of additional performance footage and perhaps a featurette to tell the story—possibly worthy of its own feature-length movie—of why it took more than 30 years to put this film onto the big screen.