The full title continues “…or, when the revolution could not be televised” and that sums up the 2 sides of this doc. In 1969, the Harlem Cultural Festival was a series of concerts featuring a variety of Black acts, including soul, blues, gospel and pop. This footage (and the event) has been pretty much forgotten until musician Questlove created this remembrance. Many great concert films (Stop Making Sense and The Last Waltz) are effective because there’s a strong vision from the filmmakers. Sadly, this is not a great film from that perspective. It was shot on TV cameras simply to capture the event, so the sound is mediocre and direction lacks any POV. It seldom features a full song being performed, but is usually interrupted by interviews. Even so, the Mahilia Jackson/Mavis Staples duet and Stevie Wonder’s 2 performances remain incredible. Questlove has chosen to amplify the importance of this event by discussing the controversial political events that surrounded it. As a result, this proves more a fascinating and entertaining chronicle of a significant and almost forgotten event, than an outstanding concert film. NOTE: Stay thru the credits for a great Stevie Wonder moment.
(4 / 5)