Congo: White King, Red Rubber, Black Death

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03/27/2014 White King, Red Rubber, Black Death is a very accurate, organized documentary on the Belgian agendas in the Congo, and why rubber was such a valuable asset to their economy. It manages to tell the story from the oppressed side's point of view, most of the time, a side not looked at in these kind of documentaries. See more 10/15/2013 I fell asleep in class watching this. I wasn't even that tired. See more 03/01/2013 The most incredibly sad story of exploitation of the Congo - where nothing good has happened since this event. See more 04/27/2010 Even without the brilliant direction of Peter Bate the need to tell the brutally true story merits Congo: White King, Red Rubber, Black Death beyond critique. The western world has once again played the amnesia card regarding the murder of over 10 Million Congolese during the reign of King Leopold's Congo Free State (1885-1908). Bate takes the audience back to murky spot in history scarcely a century old and tells the story of Congolese women being raped as they are held hostage while their men attempt to bring back 10 kilos of rubber to temporarily buy by their freedom and escape death and mutilation. Soldiers were encouraged to bring back a human right hand for every bullet cartridge they were issued as a sign of efficiency. Bate places the profiteer Leopold II in a mock trial setting across from Edward Dene Morel, the political operator and writer largely responsible for the exposure of such atrocities to Europe. Exposure that lead to a commission to inquire to the situation during which a chief brought 116 twigs to represent the 116 of his people murdered by the company, and named each one to the commissioners present. Although that chief was executed this commission ended in a suicide of one of the inquirers and lead to the take over of the colony by Belgium the state from Leopold who was paid 50million franks as thank you for developing the mineral exploitation industry in the country, which continued to exploit well beyond Leopold's death a year later, in one form of rhetoric or another. See more 03/15/2010 Movie asks what if Leopold II had been tried for crimes against humanity. Interesting look at early colonialism in The Congo but ignores both the responsibility of colonial officials on the ground and tacit approval by the rest of Europe (and the US) in granting Leopold the right to the colony in the first place. See more 10/19/2009 Documentary performed in a courtroom setting with an actor playing King Leopold of Belgium. He ruled the country in the last part of the 18th century and first part of 20th century. He claimed the Congo as a colony and exploited the people and resources there to enrich himself. The brutality exhibited by his appointed administrators was instigated at his demand and the disclosures shocked the world. 10 million people died because of his greed and yet he is still revered in Belgium as a heroic figure. It is agreed today that the first Human Rights movement was spurred by what happened in the Congo! See more Read all reviews

Congo: White King, Red Rubber, Black Death

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