Black History Series: Roots Remake 2016

Disclaimer: This post contains spoilers

I remember watching the original Roots series over a decade ago when I visited my uncle in the US. I was in his living room and saw the Roots DVD set which caught my eye. I had never heard of Roots before but looking at the cover I saw it was about slavery. I was very curious because I had never watched a film about slavery before so I decided to watch it. It was definitely an eye opener, though some scenes were difficult to watch it was something I needed to see and I'm glad I did watch it. This mini series was a journey which started in a small Gambian village ending generations later in America after slavery ended.

When I heard about Roots being remade I was quite excited. It was very controversial because many people were against it being remade. Primarily because the original was such a classic and usually a remake never does it any justice. Another reason why people were against it was because it was another slave narrative being shown in the media.When it comes to films about black history it tends to be about slavery or the civil rights movement i.e. 12 years a slave & Selma. Many people are sick of the media showing these types of films especially where black people are portrayed in subservient roles. We rarely see films where black people are rulers, successful or in high positions of power and this was a point raised by Snoop Dogg. I agree that the media do need to diversify the black narratives they show.

However, I can honestly say that after watching the 2016 version of Roots I think its even better then the original. The story telling was captivating. The whole production, the imagery and the cinematography was outstanding.  I liked the choice of cast and the way the main characters were developed during this story. This version of roots contained stories that were not included in the original 1977 version.

In the beginning the concept of slavery happening in Africa prior to the European involvement was adressed. Slavery in Africa was when people were made to be indentured servants which was very different from chattel slavery. It was not as brutal and most of these servants became free are a few years.

This version had more focus on Kunta Kinte's life in Africa. His journey into manhood, his love interest and even his dreams and aspirations of going to the University of Timbuktu to study. This made his character very relatable. I also felt like this version was more authentic when showing the scenes in Africa. The black actors in these scenes had Gambian accents unlike the original where they had polished american accents. Even when Kunta first came to America he was speaking Mandinka and slowly began to learn english which was very realistic. I think that Malachi Kirby did a very excellent job of playing Kunta Kinte.

There was a big focus on Mandinka traditions. One recurrent tradition was the naming of a baby, where the child is held up towards the sky in the middle of the night and the parent makes a declaration. This was very symbolic as it represented each new generation.

Roots is very emotive and there were many tough scenes to watch. One of these  scenes was  Kunta Kinte being whipped for trying to keep his name. He suffered and fought to keep his identity. It made me think of Africans now who change their given African names to a westernised name which is upsetting. This scene made me think how lucky I am to know my identity, which I do take for granted at times and how I should be proud of it. Another difficult scene to watch was when Kizzy was trying to resist being raped by her owner who then proceeds to say "this is MY right". The fact that as a female slave you had no control over your own body emphasised how much slaves did not have any rights.

I think one of the most powerful scenes for me was during the American Civil War where the Union soldiers (which had both black and white soldiers) surrendered against the confederacy soldiers. They lowered their weapons, put their hands up and said "don't shoot!" , the confederacy army then proceeds to shoot every black soldier in the union army while sparing the lives of the white soldiers. This immediately reminded me of the Michael Brown story and the police brutality that goes on in America today.

Overall I do recommend watching Roots. While watching this it made me think what could possess some of the white Europeans at the time to be so brutal towards Africans who had done nothing to them. These people were pure evil and had no type of empathy towards Africans. They felt no way mutilating, lynching and raping them as well as selling slaves away from their families. Despite all the brutality and evil that slaves had to endure they still stayed strong and still rebelled until they became free (I like the fact that this version mentioned the Nat Turner slave rebellion). Kunta was a Mandinka warrior and this warrior spirit has transcended through generations. Africans  overcoming slavery illustrates their strength and dignity which is something to be proud of. As much as the slavery narrative may be played out I think Roots 2016 was needed for the new generation who may lack knowledge about this part of history.