Soul Power (Blu-ray)

(Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 1.26.2010)

Assembled entirely from archival footage shot in 1974, this strikingly grainy and energetic concert film recalls the good vibes of Dave Chappelle's Block Party and the film that inspired it, Wattstax, but with even better music and much more provocative political content. Most of the latter comes from Muhammad Ali, who mixes good humour with unapologetically confrontational -- and generally accurate, if a bit sweeping -- anti-white rhetoric.

But the film's greatest asset is its incredible concert footage. Much of this documents African musicians who won't be immediately recognizable to North American audiences, but blasted at an appropriately loud volume (ie. 11), the effect is stirring. The same goes for James Brown, the endlessly cheerful good cop to Ali's bad cop. Brown's appeal has always eluded me to some extent, but his performance here is utterly electric.

Extras on this terrific disc include deleted scenes, a commentary by director Jeffrey Levy-Hinte and music/festival producer Stewart Levine. We also get movieIQ, a not-especially-enlightening BD LIVE feature that Sony's been including on their recent Blu-rays. On sex, lies, and videotape, this mostly meant we had instant access to the film's credits and a few familiar anecdotes about the production, but it's a bit more useful here, as all the songs and musicians are identified when they appear onscreen. Still, on first viewing, it's probably best to leave this off and go for the fully immersive experience. You won't regret it. -- Jonathan Doyle