Review: ROOTS 30th Anniversary Edition DVD Verses the Book

Deneale K. Williams, Yahoo Contributor Network
Sep 19, 2007

Long ago, when I was a child- I watched Roots with my parents. It was a weeks event, shown on public television, and everyone watched it, and talked about it for weeks on end.

 

 

Recently the 30th edition of the movie and book were released. Because I had seen it so long ago, I decided to get the book first, and see what was or was not in the movie. Then I watched the movie again.

The book is more in depth, as you know it would be. And I feel the very start, you needed to see and understand the hard times that the African's were put through. They didn't show you that in the movie. They didn't include the death on Kunta Kinte's grandmother, and other events that I found important. And I think they should of, but then again- the movie was already quite lengthy.

Alex Haley put a lot of work into the research of his family. And in the 30th anniversary edition, Alex's own son Williams Haley, speaks with LeVar Burton, joining the Historians and creators of Roots. This is hosted by Louis Gosset, Jr. who plays the character-Fiddler in the movie. This was quite impressive, and heart felt.

I think every person who hasn't seen Roots, needs to. And for those of you who actually like to read, you need to read the book. It is more in depth, much more explicit and revealing then the movie in some cases. I knew it would be, when a writer writes a book, and it is put to a movie, things are lost. But the producer of the movie: David L. Wolper- did do a descent enough job, making things known, and what not.
This movie, and book, are an important part of our history. I give the book-on my typical scale of one through ten- a ten, and the movie a nine. I know a lot of hard work went into the production of the movie, but I still feel things needed to be made known- to properly understand. You needed to know, that the Africans were sick and dying off, and had their fair share of misery. That helps you to understand why some of the slaves, unlike Kunta Kinte-state, "I don't want to remember. I am fed, and I am healthy. I don't want to remember Africa." The two go hand in hand.

I am glad that this movie, and book are being re-released because people need to know their history, and the history of others. This is a big planet, and the more educated we are-the more we understand one another better.

The movie is not rated and lasts 573 minutes. Alex Haley died in 1992.

 

Published by Deneale K. Williams