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Roots,
1977, 573 minutes, Not Rated
By Marona Lowe
Spanning
over 100 years and several generations, Roots chronicles the journey
of Kunta Kinte and his descendents from enslavement through
emancipation. Roots presents messages of hope and triumph in the
face of adversity that penetrate the soul. A six-episode mini-series
that premiered in 1977, Roots endures not only as a dramatic saga of
the Kinte clan, but also as a cleverly structured history lesson of
American slavery and its immediate aftermath. MORE >>>
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A
proud Mandinka warrior, Kunta Kinte is captured by slave traders in
West Africa and sold into bondage in the United States during the
18th century. Although enslaved, Kunta steadfastly resists captivity
and, in the griot tradition of his forefathers, he passes on to his
descendents tales of his homeland and the inextinguishable desire to
break the physical and psychological chains of slavery.
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The mini-series opens with an
expansive look at life in Kunta’s Gambian village, introducing
customs that are handed down for ages. Portrayed with equal
dexterity in the first hours of the mini-series is the complex
enterprise of snatching humans involuntarily from their homeland;
transporting unwilling Africans along the Middle Passage; and
forcefully creating slaves out of haughty men and women. But as is
indicative of the visceral scenes of Kunta Kinte’s resistance to
capture on a sandy African beach, it takes an overwhelming power to
restrain the spirit of a people willing to courageously stand in
defiance of oppression.
In addition to depicting
scenes that reflect the grim realities of slavery, the mini-series
highlights the diversity of experiences and attitudes that defined
the lives of Southern Americans of African descent in the 18th and
19th centuries. From the big house to the slave quarters and the
cook to the field hand, the mini-series presents a wide spectrum.
Roots, which is based on
the book by Kunta descendent Alex Haley, features a multi-talented
cast. While newcomer LeVar Burton shines most brilliantly as the
teenage Kunta Kinte, the veteran actors that round out the cast
deliver exceptional performances and create household names out of
the characters they portray, including Louis Gossett, Jr. (Fiddler),
Ben Vereen (Chicken George), John Amos (Toby) and Leslie Uggams (Kizzy).
M
May 2007
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Director |
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Marvin J. Chomsky, John Erman, David Greene and Gilbert Moses
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Writer(s) |
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Alex Haley (book), William Blinn (adaptation), M. Charles Cohen, Ernest
Kinoy and James Lee
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Stan Margulies |
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Producer |
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David L. Wolper |
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Executive Producer |
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LeVar Burton |
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Kunta Kinte/Toby (as
teen) |
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Louis Gossett Jr. |
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Fiddler |
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Leslie Uggams |
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Kizzy |
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Ed Asner |
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Capt. Thomas Davies |
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John Amos |
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Toby/Kunta Kinte (as
adult) |
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Madge Sinclair |
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Bell |
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Maya Angelou |
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Nyo Boto |
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Cicely Tyson |
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Binta |
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Ben Vereen |
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'Chicken' George Moore |
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Georg Stanford Brown |
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Tom Harvey |
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Robert Reed |
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Dr. William Reynolds |
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Lorne Greene |
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John Reynolds |
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Chuck Connors |
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Tom Moore |
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Stevan Larner and Joseph M. Wilcots |
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Cinematographer(s) |
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James T. Heckert, Peter Kirby and Neil Travis |
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Editor(s) |
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Gerald Fried and Quincy Jones |
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Music |
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Lynn Stalmaster |
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Casting |
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Jack Martell |
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Costume
Design |
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Distributor |
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Warner
Home Video
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Filming
Location(s) |
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Newberry Springs,
California, USA
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San Bernardino,
California, USA
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DVD
Extras |
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“Crossing Over: How
Roots Captivated An Entire Nation” .
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“Remembering Roots”
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Video Highlights - Key
cast members relay their memories of filming particular scenes.
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Audio Commentary -
Feature-length commentary by key cast members including Le Var
Burton, Cicely Tyson and Ed Asner.
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CD-Rom Content –
Roots’ Family Tree
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