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- Jul 3, 1997
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- Real Name
- Ronald Epstein
ROOTS
"The ancestors of all of us came across
that same ocean in some ship. We must learn
not only to live together, but learn to see
one another as people rather than stereotypes."
-Alex Haley-
I love Father John Banahan's quote inside the
packaging of this newly released 3-disc set that
so rightfully describes the impact of the Roots saga:
"An Experience similar to watching the first men
walk on the moon". Amen, Father!
On January 23rd 1977, Roots made television
history. 103 million people witnessed master
storyteller Alex Haley's chronicles of
his own family across many generations, from
the kidnapping of an African warrior by American
slave traders to eventual post-Civil War freedom.
His family became our family. They were characters
that became part of the American language and national
consciousness.
The series ultimately garnered 9 Emmy Awards
including Best Limited Series.
Warner has packaged this landmark series in
a cardboard package with slipcase insert that
slides out and opens into a 5-gatefold that
features 3 DVDs housed in plastic. The insert
has the full index of each 2-sided DVD broken
down by chapters. There is also a text breakdown
of all the contributors (Directors, Producers, etc.)
on each disc as well as those that provided
running audio commentary.
Starting with Disc One/SideA, we are greeted by
a non-animated standard menu. The viewer has the
option of watching Roots with running
commentary from a wealth of contributors including
David L. Wopler, Levar Burton and
Cicely Tyson, as well as the Directors
and screenwriters that put it all together.
There is also running VIDEO commentary. This
was an option I had a problem with. Allegedly, a
ROOTS LOGO appears in the corner of your screen
during various points of the presentation that lets
you open a window that shows you the individual
giving the running audio commentary. Most of the first
two discs that I scanned through for this review
failed to show that logo. I was able to watch
HIGHLIGHTS of the video commentary through
the Commentary Video Highlights option off
the Main Menu.
How does the video look and audio sound?
In general, the video looks good, though not
pristine. The video is often littered with small
amounts of dirt and an excessive amount of grain.
Colors look faded, and the overall feel of the
presentation looks dated as a result. Perhaps
this works to the advantage of a story of its time
period. Overall, I don't think anyone is going to
be terribly unhappy with the video quality.
It was very nice to see that the original broadcast
ROOTS introduction was included in this release (which
is shown just prior to the start of the first
episode). I believe this was omitted from the
VHS versions that have been previously available.
While the audio is presented MONO (as originally
broadcast in 1977), it sounds generally good.
I actually had the opportunity to listen to
much of the running commentary on Disc 1. If you
have already previously seen Roots, I would
opt to start watching it immediately with commentary.
Producer Frank L. Wolper talks about how he
approached Columbia and Warner brothers about the
original project. Levar Burton talks about
how he never wanted to get into TV and film and
was a drama student at USC when he was approached
to do Roots. He talks about the awe of
working with acting royalty. Ed Asner gives
some very stern insight into the black hole of
slavery and how it became the economic staple of
the new world.
Remembering Roots is a collage of recent
interviews with the principle actors, actresses
and Producers/Directors done exclusively for this
DVD. Ed Asner, Sandy Duncan, Cicely Tyson,
Levar Burton, Georg Stanford Brown, Beverly Todd,
John Amos as well as the many writers and
Directors contribute their thoughts on what Roots
means to them and this generation. There is also
a segment where each actor gives their rememberences
of Alex Haley.
Finally, a simple Family Tree traces the
Haley family back to its ancestoral roots.
Final Thoughts
Never before nor after had a miniseries made such
an impact on everyone that was witness to it. This
was a story that made us laugh, cry, and even rage
with anger.
Warner Brothers has done an admirable job of
bringing this series to DVD. The amount of
interview material from the surviving actors
and contributors who participated in this DVD
presentation shows the monstrous effort that
the studio went to in order to preserve the
integrity of this series.
This is a DVD that belongs in every collection.
Do not hesitate to purchase it.
Release Date: January 15, 2001
