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Masters of the Congo Jungle

Play trailer Poster for Masters of the Congo Jungle Released May 4, 1960 1h 28m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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This documentary explores the jungles of the area known as the Belgian Congo (later Zaire and then Democratic Republic of Congo), as filmmaker Henry Brandt shows many of the customs of the tribesmen that were previously unknown to Western audiences. However, this film delves into all the life in the region, spending considerable time with both the animals and the vast plant life of the Congo. Narrators Orson Welles and William Warfield provide information to accompany the impressive images.

Critics Reviews

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Clyde Gilmour Maclean's Magazine The photography is memorably fine, and the luminous commentary is effectively spoken by Orson Welles and William Warfield. Nov 5, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member Orson Welles sounded like he had more fun doing commercials for Paul Masson than he did narrating this dreary, uninformative documentary about natives of an isolated patch of the Congo jungle. To liven things up a bit -- or satisfy some sort of clause in Welles' contract requiring him to only do half of this movie, it's unclear which -- another voice shares duties, with a booming yet dulcet-toned series of interjections coming from black singer William Warfield of "Show Boat" fame. Warfield sounds a hell of a lot happier to be narrating this film than Welles; he's certainly more enthusiastic. Perhaps that's because Welles seems to be saddled with the monotone, dispassionate ramblings describing the wild life and environment of the Belgian Congo while Warfield is entrusted with the livelier descriptions of what the humans are up to. Regardless of Warfield's exuberance, you too will be as bored as Welles sounds watching a movie about a group of people whose relationship with nature isn't particularly noteworthy or interesting (why not go the Mondo route and just clumsily cross-cut between multiple indigenous cultures and metaphorically link them to the post-Industrial world?) and whose story is catalogued by filmmakers whose eyes for the truth are dull and whose eyes for the sensational and bizarre border on nonexistent. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Masters of the Congo Jungle

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Cast & Crew

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Henry Brandt

Director

Heinz Sielmann

Director

Jean Desailly

Narrator

Georges Aminel

Narrator

Bert Brauns

Narrator

Jørn Jeppesen

Narrator
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Masters of the Congo Jungle

Masters of the Congo Jungle (1959) Masters of the Congo Jungle (1959) Masters of the Congo Jungle (1959) Masters of the Congo Jungle (1959) Masters of the Congo Jungle (1959) Masters of the Congo Jungle (1959) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis This documentary explores the jungles of the area known as the Belgian Congo (later Zaire and then Democratic Republic of Congo), as filmmaker Henry Brandt shows many of the customs of the tribesmen that were previously unknown to Western audiences. However, this film delves into all the life in the region, spending considerable time with both the animals and the vast plant life of the Congo. Narrators Orson Welles and William Warfield provide information to accompany the impressive images.
Director
Henry Brandt, Heinz Sielmann
Producer
Jose Dutillieu
Screenwriter
Heinz Sielmann, Sam Hill, Joe Willis
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
German
Release Date (Theaters)
May 4, 1960, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 9, 2019
Runtime
1h 28m