Mobutu, King of Zaire: An African Tragedy. First Run/Icarus Films,
Reviewed by Sheila Petty
Published on H-AfrLitCine (August, 2000)
Mobutu, King of Zaire is award- taking the stance that as a chief, in the Bantu winning flmmaker Thierry Michel's ambitious sense of the word, he has undisputed power to de‐ portrait of Mobutu Sese Seko Wa Zabanga, who termine what is in the best interests of his people. rose to power in the Democratic Republic of Con‐ He chides the journalists for expecting a western go in the early 1960s and was eventually ousted in style democracy and asserts that Zaire will be gov‐ 1997. Divided into three parts, the documentary erned according to a Bantu moral code. This series is based on rare archival material un‐ demonstrates Mobutu's skill in pressing the right earthed in Kinshasa and extensive interviews political hot button issues to defect criticism of conducted with a variety of participants in Mobu‐ his regime.
Although Part One, and indeed, tu's rise and fall, including members of Mobutu's the rest of the series employs "voice of god narra‐ government; CIA ofcials; members of various tion," it is generally successful as a transition de‐ foreign government administrations; and others. vice. One weakness that is evident is the fact that
Part One is entitled "The Quest for Power" the use of language is often judgmental and clear‐ and covers the years from Mobutu's birth, his ca‐ ly anti-Mobutu. In one notable example, the nar‐ reer as a journalist, and the manner in which he rator's sarcasm is transparent as he describes insinuated himself into power. What is truly re‐ Mobutu's demeanor during a visit from King Bau‐ markable is the ease with which Mobutu manipu‐ douin I: "You could say that in all aspects he does lates the media to create a mythological portrait his utmost to imitate the Belgian monarch." Such of himself as "chief" of the Zairean people. This is commentary demonstrates the documentary's evident in Michel's powerful use of Mobutu's own clear bias, which is detrimental only in the sense self-serving media interviews which depict him as that it truncates the process of discovery for the a champion of the people. For example, Mobutu's viewer.
Part Two, entitled, "The Upper Hand," use of his children in media situations is striking‐ documents the period from 1969-1988, in which ly similar to photo opportunities of American Mobutu entrenches his control and creates a klep‐ presidents and their families conducted around tocracy based on the personality cult of the same time.
Another unique aspect of the "Mobutisme." Backed by his MPR Party, Mobutu archival interviews with Mobutu is the way in assumes a godlike persona which leads to an at‐ which he employs a cultural argument to justify mosphere of absolute power and corruption. One his assuming absolute power. Interviewed by two of the most engaging progressions from Part One European journalists after the public hanging of to Part Two is the way the flmmaker demon‐ ex-prime minister Everest Kimba and three other strates Mobutu's ability to take refuge in whatever former ministers, Mobutu justifes his actions by political argument he fnds convenient at the time H-Net Reviews to explain his excesses. During an archival inter‐ tions in Romania so closely mirror those of Mobu‐ view, Mobutu moves from presenting a cultural tu. In his interview, Inongo reveals that Mobutu argument for his tyranny to turning blame back was very upset with Inongo's decision to air the onto colonialism as he charges that corruption grisly footage, presumably in fear that the Zairean was not a Zairean invention, but rather, was an people would be infuenced to undertake a simi‐ evil imported into the culture during colonialism. lar coup. Another interesting, although underde‐
Michel is especially adept at ofering both ex‐ veloped, revelation is the fact that it was widely plicit and implicit commentary on these issues believed that Mobutu used sorcery to support his through his use of narrative and aesthetic strate‐ regime. Thus, as two of his children and others gies. One of many examples occurs during the in‐ close to him die, his power is undermined as terview with Sakombi Inongo, Mobutu's former many take the position that his magic is rebound‐ Minister of Information. Michel depicts him in a ing on himself. Unfortunately, Michel does not loosely-framed medium shot that shows an un‐ provide enough of a cultural context to make this usual amount of the decor behind him for a stan‐ much more than an intriguing digression.
dard interview set-up. As the minister disassoci‐ Taken as a whole, Mobutu, King of Zaire represents a signifcant historical document ruptly profted from Mobutu's regime, the viewer of an important period in the history of the Demo‐ cannot help but be struck by the luxuriousness of cratic Republic of Congo. The power of this work the white furniture and brass sculptures set in the to engage the viewer is supported by the awards background. The obvious wealth of his surround‐ and nominations that the series has garnered in‐ ings calls into question the validity of the minis‐ cluding: Best Documentary Nominee: 1999 Inter‐ ter's denial of personal proft on a subtextual lev‐ national Documentary Association; Special Men‐ el. Although it could be argued that the series tion: 1999 European Film Awards; and the 1999 is a personal biography of Mobutu, Part Three: Prix Arte: European Film Academy. It has broad "The End of a Reign," is weakened by the narrow classroom application and would be a challenging focus on Mobutu's personal life. Unlike the previ‐ addition for flm, history, postcolonial, cultural, ous parts which document Mobutu's rise to power ethnological and African studies courses, among in considerable detail, Part Three sufers from a others. In addition, the flm series could be lack of context as the political fgures and circum‐ viewed in conjunction with such works as stances behind his fall are barely sketched. This is Lumumba: Death of a Prophet (1992) particularly problematic in terms of Laurent Ka‐ by Raoul Peck. Those interested might also wish to bila, who is instrumental in dismantling Mobutu's consult Thierry Michel's other two documentaries power. Furthermore, the lack of contextualiza‐ on Zaire: Zaire, the Cycle of the Serpent (1992) and The Last Colonials stances of the death of Mobutu's son, Konga (1995), also distributed by First Run/Icarus Films. Mobutu, raises the possibility that those viewers who are not fully conversant with the historical aspects of Mobutu's regime, will be confused as to whether this death occurred through natural causes or was a direct result of political instabili‐ ty. Nevertheless, Part Three does contribute some chilling moments of illumination. In partic‐ ular, one truly eerie incident concerns the execu‐ tion of Mobutu's ally Nicolai Ceaucescu, whose ac‐ 2 H-Net Reviews If there is additional discussion of this review, you may access it through the network, at https://networks.h-net.org/h-afrlitcine Citation: Sheila Petty. Review of Mobutu, King of Zaire: An African Tragedy. H-AfrLitCine, H-Net Reviews. August, 2000. URL: https://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=14991 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. 3