A thinly-disguised biography of African leader Patrice Lumumba, here called Lalubi. Lalubi, a Christ-like leader determined to save his people, by passive resistance, from the dictatorial regime propped up by European colonialists, is imprisoned and tortured, along with a thief who comes to a greater understanding through his contact with Lalubi.
Acting
Woody Strode's silent suffering — career peak.
Cinematography
Prison cells that feel like suffocating tombs.
Direction
Zurlini's unflinching anti-colonial rage.
Director
Valerio Zurlini
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Woody Strode, a former NFL player turned actor, was so committed to the role he reportedly fasted to achieve Lalubi's gaunt appearance. The Italian crew called him 'il santo nero' — the Black saint.
Released just seven years after Lumumba's actual assassination, the film was banned in several African countries for fear of inciting anti-colonial violence — which was exactly Zurlini's point.
IT
