“Roots” was a phenomenon for television and still relates so well today. Featuring top-notch performances from the likes of LeVar Burton and Louis Gossett Jr. amongst many others, this is well worth watching even for younger viewers though I suspect some will navigate toward the recent remake.
“Roots”
— 40th Anniversary —
(1977)
Genre(s): Drama, History, War
Warner Bros. | NR – 587 min. – $42.99 | June 7, 2016
Date Published: 06/10/2016 | Author: The Movieman
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THE MINI-SERIES |
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Plot Synopsis (partially from back cover): Forty years after it became a publishing and television phenomenon, Alex Haley’s profoundly impactful Roots resonates so well today as it did back then. Beyond the story, however, the performances all around were top notch. The landmark miniseries follows Haley’s African ancestor Kunta Kinte (LEVAR BURTON), forcibly brought to America in 1767, and the lineage he established despite unspeakable hardships in an unforgiving new land. Through the lends of one family, Walper’s adaptation reverberated across the globe and received numerous awards, including an astounding 37 Golden Globe nominations, and nine wins. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 4.5/5 |
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This 3-disc set is housed in a standard Blu-ray case which side slides into a sturdy outer box. Included is a 32-page book and redemption code for the Digital HD copy. Roots: The American Story Continues (27:06; HD) – Celebrities, historians and others reveal why the 1977 miniseries was not only a game-changing chapter in U.S. history; its relevance continues in our lives today. Interviewees include Whoopi Goldberg, Blair Underwood, James Earl Jones and others. Roots: The Cast Looks Back (29:01; HD) – The stars of the original miniseries — including LeVar Burton, John Amos, Louis Gossett Jr. and Ed Asner — share their memories of filming, its impact on their lives and on figures such as Barack Obama, and its continuing importance. Crossing Over: How Roots Captivated an Entire Nation (20:33; SD) – This is an older featurette which includes more interviews with members of the cast, crew and historians. Connecting with the Past (13:21; SD) looks at the story behind the source material and features more interview footage conducted at the same time as in the previous featurette. The Struggle to Make Roots (22:58; SD) chronicles how the miniseries ultimately got made. Also included is the LeVar Burton Screen Test (8:04; SD), an Interview (36:42; SD) with Alex Haley conducted by David Frost and Roots: One Year Later (47:37; SD) television retrospective. |
VIDEO – 3.75/5 |
| “Roots” is presented in its originally televised 1.33 full frame aspect ratio and given a decent enough 1080p high-definition transfer (AVC codec). It’s not the most vibrant looking video though considering it was filmed and aired in the mid-70s, it’s hard not to look on the dated side. Still, detail isn’t bad and it appears to be a clean transfer free of major instances of debris, dust marks and other flaws. |
AUDIO – 3.5/5 |
| The series comes with a low key but effective DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo track which provides for clean dialogue levels throughout while the music/score did tend to top out at times. Although this isn’t the most robust or depth-filled lossless track, it’s perfectly serviceable and for a miniseries going on 40 years, it’s fairly impressive all things considered. |
OVERALL – 4.0/5 |
| Overall, “Roots” was a phenomenon for television and still relates so well today. Featuring top-notch performances from the likes of LeVar Burton and Louis Gossett Jr. amongst many others, this is well worth watching even for younger viewers though I suspect some will navigate toward the recent remake. This 40th Anniversary edition offers some great bonus material and fine video/audio transfers. |
Check out some more screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.