seething through the entire documentary, against the backdrop of a racially turbulent 1960s, is an insistence on a new kind of racial pride and unity across the diaspora, which infuses “Summer” with an honesty and realism
Questlove's documentary is powerful as both a concert film and a testimony to how the media and the public obsessed over Woodstock while, at the same time, one of the most exhilarating musical festivals ever in America played on
Questlove's directorial debut is a work of art--and time travel; One of the best things about Summer of Soul is its reminder that the joy of musical community is one of the great human experiences, a unifying truth in more ways than one
politics, music, fashion, history, religion – this is one of those super-smart cultural documentaries that has entry points from all sides, but one thing's for sure: this magical, essential event is forgotten no more
in "Summer of Soul", Questlove pulls off an extraordinary feat turning these endless hours of footage into not just an exciting concert film, but an elegant and essential historical document of a particularly fraught and powerful moment in history
"Summer of Soul" is not just a great music documentary but an exhilarating time capsule; Questlove makes a spellbinding directing debut; a revelatory documentary that exhilarates and dismays in almost equal measure
"Summer of Soul" captures a moment of the past that was launching itself into the future in a way that feels wholly relevant and inspirational to the present. The movie is a gift
by Jamie Ludwig [Chicago Reader ]
by Chris Hewitt [Minneapolis Star Tribune ]
