Roots

Rating:
Summary: Embellished, Propaganda- Driven, and a historical atrocity
Review: Unfortunately the lowest review that can be given is one star.

The story of Roots not only holds up the ideas of modern revitionists, but also panders to the very problems that this society must deal with daily - lies. It takes just a little research (beyond the elementary textbooks) to uncover the ridiculous lies and absurd plot that Roots uses. I first viewed a few of the episodes of Roots in the 8th grade and was astounded at the age of 13 over the historical fallacies. Living in the South, it infuriated me to say the least. Now, I believe it to be prudent to attempt to spread the word on the simple-minded and simply wrong plot of Roots. The story of the north and the South will simply not die until a few misguided ideas of slavery (an evil institution regardless) are put to rest.
First - The slave "hunters" as they are portrayed in the series chase down the africans and capture them with nets and other assorted weapons. Please. The african chieftains are human too and desire the same things whites do - wealth and power. When Europeans began coming to africa in search of the profitable slave trade, the african leaders quickly began selling the abundance of POWs and unwanted members of there own society. Did slave traders ever chase down africans personally? Perhaps. Was every "slave hunt" performed in such a matter? Obviously not. Think before you believe.
Second - The brutality shown to slaves shown throughout the movie. It is simply illogical thinking to believe that most let alone every slave owner beat his slaves. Did some slave owners beat their slaves? Most definately. Were the actions shown in Roots typical? Absolutely not. Let's think about it. Slaves weren't cheap - costing thousands of dollars for a large male. What plantation owner in search of profit would beat and maim (as shown through the cutting off of Toby's foot) that large of an investment? It simply makes no sense. It is irrational, illogical, and downright absurd.
Should you watch this series? I will leave that up to you, but assuming you choose too, keep these things in mind. I apologize that I cannot provide more examples, but it has been 6 years since I have witnessed any part of the movie. I simply can't stand the absurdity of it. This movie, to put it plainly, personifies the post-bellum society and the lies and deceit that go along with victor. Hopefully one day it will be reversed.

Rating:
Summary: love the show
Review: From the moment the young Kunta Kinte (LeVar Burton) is stolen from his life and ancestral home in 18th-century Africa and brought under inhumane conditions to be auctioned as a slave in America, a line is begun that leads from this most shameful chapter in U.S. history to the 20th-century author Alex Haley, a Kinte descendant. The late Haley's acclaimed book Roots was adapted into this six-volume television miniseries, which was a widely watched phenomenon in 1977. The programs cover several generations in the antebellum South and end with the story of "Chicken" George, a freed slave played by Ben Vereen whose family feels the agony of entrenched racism and learns to fight it. Between the lives of Kunta and George, we meet a number of memorable characters, black and white, and learn much about the emotional and physical torments of slavery, from beatings and rapes to the forced separation of spouses and families. Nothing like this had ever confronted so many mainstream Americans when the series was originally broadcast, and the extent to which the country was nudged a degree or two toward enlightenment was instantly obvious. Roots still has that ability to open one's eyes, and engage an audience in a sweeping, memorable drama at the same time.

Rating:
Summary: A True Classic
Review: Why is this mini-series out of print? Do the production companies actually believe that this is not an important film? A show that touched so many peoples' hearts?

It makes me mad.



Rating:
Summary: Does this include Roots The Next Generation???
Review: Can someone please post if this dvd includes the 2nd part, Roots The Next Generation? I don't want to buy this dvd and then find out that I can't get Roots The Next Generation on dvd. Help someone please. Thanks, Sue in VA

Rating:
Summary: Very interesting
Review: Roots is a very good movie. The first part of the movie depicting Kunta Kinte's childhood and his "manhood training" can be a little slow, but the story picks up after he is sold into slavery and bought by a white plantation owner. The story is fascinating as you watch Kunta become Toby Reynolds, fall in love with Bell and watch their daughter Kizzy grow up, when finally Kizzy is sold to Tom Moore and threw this has son George. One then gets the opportunity to get to watch George grow up to be "Chicken" George Moore and raise his own family with his wife Matilda or Tilde. Then one gets to see George and Tilde's son Tom Harvey grow up and become free. The last part of the movie is both happy and sad because while the Moore-Harvey family is free they have to deal with the beginnings of the KKK. Their white friend George Johnson helps the family and they eventually move to Tennessee.

Rating:
Summary: Dated, but still interesting
Review: I watched this again, after remembering it so vivedly from TV the first time around. In some ways it holds up, and in some ways it doesn't. It is not the best directed or shot film, and it really exposes itself as a TV Movie in this regard. There is no visual style. The acting for the most part is also TV quality. Leslie Uggams is dreadful as the young Kizzy. But, in fairness, there are excellent performances from John Amos and Ben Vereen.
As far as content goes, it is a bit strange, being this much older and knowing really what happened during those years. If you look at it abstractly - i.e. with no other knowledge of the time and conditions - then slavery doesn't look too bad, and they appear to be better off during slave times than after freedom! We HEAR about some bad things, but rarely do they happen to the central characters. They are all clean and well fed. In reality, slaves were sometimes worked to death, and violence was rampant, both from the owners and amongst the slaves. You don't get that feeling here. The danger and conditions are not really well represented. A new shooting of this would be much grittier!
Anyway, after all that, I still highly recommend it. It is educational and gives a glimpse into a history that a lot of people (especially black americans) really don't know much about. Sadly, most people's knowledge of the time will solely come from this.

Rating:
Summary: I just bought it...
Review: I live in the UK but a friend is over in Canada visiting so I took the oppourtunity to get Roots as it is not available in the UK. I read the book and then watched the whole movie on VHS as a teenager while living in Nigeria. The book is incredibly moving and from my re-collection the movie was true to the book. I can't wait to get it in my hands which should be in about two weeks. Hurrah! I also purchased "Gods must be Crazy" on DVD which is in a completly different genre but equally enjoyable in a different way.

Rating:
Summary: Will Haunt You
Review: A classic with timeless appeal....this has got to be one of the most emotionally powerful movies ever made. It is virtually impossible to watch it without stirring feelings of fear, anger, sadness, and bitterness. You may even find yourself squirming in your seat at times. I also found it interesting that Ralph Waite and Robert Reed (aka Mr. Walton and Mr. Brady) who I had become accustom to seeing in kind and gentle fatherly roles portraying evil and cruel men in Roots. This in itself took a little getting used to but was nice to see both of these talented actors demonstrate their wide range of acting abilities. This movie had such an effect on me that I had to fast forward through a few of the scenes that demonstrated just how cruel masters and overseers could be when punishing or even "motivating" their slaves. I for the life of me can never and will NEVER understand how one human being could demonstrate such cruelty to another human being, even if they were a slave. I would never think of treating an animal or even an insect the way many of the slaves were treated in Roots. And the kicker is many of these slave owners and ship captains considered themselves to be Christian, God-fearing men. I suppose they slept through the part of the sermon that said "love thy neighbor" and "treat others as you'd like to be treated", etc. It's even sadder to think that many of these attitudes still exist today in the form of racism. Perhaps if more movies like Roots were to be made it might help teach empathy and tolerance for other people and cultures.