I’ve never been a fan of remakes.
I was not impressed with the reboots of popular franchises like Psycho, Poltergeist or The Day the Earth Stood Still. But those were movies, so imagine my surprise when I see the History Channel running trailers for, of all things, a miniseries remake of Roots.
How do you bring yourself to contemplate remaking Roots, a miniseries that changed not only television but had an indelible imprint on our history and culture? I shook my head in disbelief. This for me is another example of mainstream media and Hollywood’s obsession with “slave” narratives.
My discomfort for such work started in film school when I was one of the only black students in a film theory class watching of The Birth of a Nation, the notorious 1915 silent film that casts the Klan in a positive light. I got through the film because I needed to reference it as a film theorist but I vowed I would never subject myself to sitting through it again. This ambivalence has stuck with me, although I sometimes still — for the purposes of critique — allow myself to be subjected to such visuals.
But I became almost militant against not allowing another slave narrative to breach my defenses after viewing 12 Years A Slave. I battled with my conscious for weeks after the film was nominated for Best Picture and gave in, justifying my decision by stating it was my duty as someone who critiques media and popular culture to watch a film recognized by the Academy. Boy, was I wrong.
It took me weeks to shake off the psychological funk that permeated my mind after witnessing the brutality the characters in the film endured, especially the violence inflicted on Lupita Nyong’o. The film left me feeling angry, defeated, disillusioned and off-balance. I felt like I needed to watch a marathon of Disney movies just to get back to center.
As I often do while meditating on a subject, I recently queried my social networks for thoughts on whether we really need another version of Roots. Many agree with my thoughts: that mainstream media has an agenda to support and produce narratives that show black folks being subservient that reinforce white supremacy.
And if you think this is just folks being paranoid, may I direct your attention to a recent Hollywood film, Gods of Egypt. To place the power of visual suggestion to task I viewed the film recently. I “acquired” the film, as I refused to pay and cosign what I already suspected would be a historical and culturally inaccurate hot mess. I was not mistaken. The film depicted the ancient Egyptian Gods as Caucasians ruling over darker subjects.
I remember learning about Egypt in school and marveling at how folks talked about it as some fairy tale place, never mentioning that the kingdom inspiring such knowledge, wisdom and cultural advances was indeed in Africa.
This blatant rewriting of history is intentional. The obsession with the slave narrative is out of control. We have Amistad, Django Unchained, The Birth of a Nation, the series Underground and now a new Roots.
There is a tremendous toll placed on the psyche and spirit of conscious black folks to have to watch films where people who look like them are subjected to unspeakable violence and horrors. Such narratives also give folks in the mainstream the false illusion that everything is so much better now in comparison; a dangerous falsehood. Marginalized folks are still catching hell today.
My mom required us to watch Roots when it made its historical and monumental debut on national television, still boasting as one of the most watched miniseries and programs of our time. I remember what an impact it was seeing how African-Americans lived, endured and survived slavery.
A reboot of Roots just supports a running theme of subjugation and conformity to a system of oppression. I believe the obsession with slave narratives and keeping us looking back is an attempt to distract us from real and present challenges. Those challenges include the disparity of violence against black bodies by authority figures and the ugly truth that our system will not protect us or hold people accountable for said violence, like the recent decision to clear the officer charged in the death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore. The narrative also helps distract folks from the continued insult to Trayvon Martin’s family as they watch the sociopath George Zimmerman over $100K selling the gun he used to slaughter their son.
So I will pass on Roots the remix, a further distraction. I prefer to keep my focus on the very present challenges of the here and now.
This article appears in Jun 1-7, 2016.
I agree with you Charles. There are so many other stories to be told. African American people who did great things, and their stories deserve to be told too! We know that our ancestors were slaves, and we also know the unspeakable evils they had to endure. Show us rising above all of that. Surviving even when every odd was against us!
Although I’m not a fan of remakes, I do see value in retelling our history. And we need to keep telling it, just as other cultures tell their history. Future generations need to know their history. I enjoyed the movie 12 years a slave. I read the book, which was better of course. But can you imagine how many people would not have known about that story if it wasn’t for the movie? We do need to balance our history with positive stories and messages. So you’ve graduated from film school…create something new. I’m looking forward to the new narratives.
@Gena Power That is my point exactly. It is not that we do not honor our history but it becomes problematic when only a small portion is of that history is only shared. Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts.
@evelyn It is the balance that is in question and the agenda to why we do not see more affirming stories supported in mainstream media. But if you are looking for alternative stories please check out my series on a Black nerd growing up in the 1970’s ,,,,smile Thank you for reading and sharing your views.
https://www.amazon.com/Misadventures-Urban…
Charles, I respectfully disagree. The utter failure of US schools to teach this part of history that disproves all of the ideals America likes to proclaim its built on leaves a knowledge void in the general population. Pop culture is filling that void (however unevenly and inaccurately) so that people at least have an idea of what happened. I personally don’t think the films go far enough, showing the true conditions and their impact. “12 Years a Slave?” How about the folks who had to endure “90 Years a Slave?” I’m encouraged by the slow-swelling trend of stories of resistance, like the upcoming Nat Turner movie, and Betty DeRamus’ magnificent books “Forbidden Fruit: Love Stories from the Underground Railroad” and “Freedom by Any Means: Con Games, Voodoo Schemes, True Love and Lawsuits on the Underground Railroad.” We need to learn the ways in which we fought and WON.
@Emiene Wright I am not against exploring those narratives but it becomes problematic when it becomes a limited filter in which we get to experience our cultures history and contributions. And yes I believe it is intentional to control how we see and others see us. I just want more balance. Thank you for reading and sharing your insight on this topic.
Shamefully after I said I would watch another slave narrative film I accidentally watched it, and I regretted it immediately. The quickly blamed the network for that trash, I blamed some A list and B list actors for not acting like they just came out of Africa, I blame the directors and cinematographer the most. I couldn’t get jiggy with the camera angels and the story. It was just a trash film and I hated it they really should have asked me to direct it.
Yes, the surge in slave narratives is somewhat troubling…It appears that Hollywood is more apt to bankroll our pain, instead of our UPLIFT…However, I think this Roots remake is essential for this young generation…I remember the spike in interest in not only our history but our genealogy and lineage when the first “Roots” came out…I also remember it being a topic of discussion with my family as we sat at the dinner table…We need to put the cell phones down at the dinner table and connect with our families again…I’ve been impressed by what I’ve seen thus far…
The roots remake when I heard about it disappointed me so much because I feel like it’s just laziness on the production companies part and it just feels like such a waste of time to spend time, money, talent that could be in something new and powerful for 2016 for the black community but they took what I guess was considered the easy route and remade an already classic film that didn’t need a remake at all.
First things first. The original version was better, however, the West African accents and casting of Africans are on target in this re-telling ( no shade, Will Smith: “Tell de troot.”)
I get why the slave narrative is (seemingly) prevalent. It is a profitable, proven formula. Fortunately, the formula also benefits us in that it fills the void that lazy parents and schools create when they fail to thoroughly educate students in US History. They re-telling is necessary and timely in an era when, despite the messaging that BLack Lives Matter, many brothas are not their brothers keepers as evidenced by daily crime reports and films like Chiraq. History, including slave and civil rights narratives, reminds us to ‘remember’ our selves. That’s a positive in my book and I much prefer such narratives to Empire, the shock value of productions like How to Get Away With Murder and Scandal, and the shallow predictability of Tyler Perry and barber/beauty shop comedies (for lack of a better term).
That said, there is room for new narratives and no one’s stopping us from creating them. Documentaries are the next, great, accessible frontier for anyone with a camera and a story to tell. I will support well planned, quality productions about us and pray Spike Lee and Ava Duvernay keep them coming.
I am tired of the constant reboots of originals from years past. If it wasn’t broke, then why fix it thought. Besides, you are so correct Mr. E, it maintains the mentality of an already bias film and television viewer to see the African-American as one under. It also attempts to keep women of any color even further down the line of equality. Have no desire to see the “new” ROOTS. I saw the original and cried. Same with 12YEARS A SLAVE.
Charles I will check out your work. @emienewright thanks for the list of movies. I’ll seek those out as well. Loving my black history now that I didn’t get growing up.
I agree that there should be more historical artworks for people of color that dont show us in inferior roles. I feel that, it’s something we are too used to seeing. We are never shown in a good light with fewer character flaws and unfortunately we are obsessed with being flawed due to the slavery mentality that has been engrained in our subconscious. I did start watching the show because I never watched the oringinal, Roots. It’s apparent that the show is destined to showcase the breaking of Kunta Kinte’s legacy for generations. The world at large, can most definitely use a less graphic narrative for people of color. To see women being taken for the pleasure of anyone who could care less about our virtue is a difficult thing to witness even in a fictional television platform. However, I think it has information athat our youngest generation needs to witness so that they understand that they are more than meets the eye. As a youngster, watching things like this made me angry but its also quickened my souk conscious to understand thay I have mkre depth than meets the eye. Its totally about how you percieve it.
@Daisean Mills I think you might have more current and affirming stories that you would want to explore….smile Thank you for reading and sharing your perspective as a filmmaker.
@Tre McGriff I see your point and I grew up and experienced the first Roots and saw the incredible and immediate impact it had on folks black and white. I still want more balance and also understand that the decision to bank roll such narratives comes with an agenda that is psychological in its intent. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
@Tiffene Love Screenwriter I agree that yes the same resources and money could have been used to produced something new and exciting but I also know the powers that be have an agenda to keep the same narratives going. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this topic.
@Tameka You raise some very valid points that they can help to educate folks but when the narratives that explore a particular culture are so narrow that education can sometimes be flawed. And there are some great independent projects done but they do not have the marketing budgets to get mainstream distribution so there impact is minimal. Thank you for your thoughts on this topic!
@Sue Johnson I believe we are of the same mind set on the impact such narratives have on women and minorities. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this topic.
@Evelyn You are so welcome and thank you for sharing your views. Let me know what you think about the Urban Nerd series….smile.
@Cole Butler Your points that it has serious impact on the soul and psyche are so valid. I would encourage you as a student of film and a cultural critic to watch the original Roots as well for an appropriate frame of reference. Thank you for your insightful thoughts and insight.
Okay, Uncle Tom. Yes, let’s erase our history. Unbelievable.
Just watched Roots. Well worth the watch. Beautifully done and the story is brought up to date; more historically accurate. The timing of this production is great for this generation. We have to keep telling our story.
Hi Charles,
I agree that slave narratives are produced to do exactly what your saying. I’ve asked several of my friends and co-workers if they have or will watch roots and they’re response was “No”. I remembered my grandmother telling us to watch the original Roots and I had some hard feelings towards the other side for a while. We have so much rich history that could be told, but are not because we are continued to be portrayed as pimps, thugs, and drug dealers. Let there be a “ROOTS” about how an African American have become the President of the United States!!
@Kizzy 2016 You obviously do not follow my work and did not get the intent of the article. I want more balance in the narratives that are being explored about black culture. The current narrow filter is intentional to keep only certain themes expressed. Thank you for reading.
@evelyn I am glad you enjoyed the production and I hope it does reach a younger audience. I guess for me I will check it out when I see more diverse topics explored. Thank you for sharing your experience.
@Warren Sally We are definitely on the same page. My mom insisted we watch Roots and it was hard to process for a very long time but I appreciated the cultural awakening it had on folks. I too am ready for some affirming stories like the journey to being the first Black President. Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts.
For me, Roots, the original was both an experience and an ordeal. It was like watching the life of my own ancestors played out on television night after night, and once was enough; although, I must say that I was also inspired. I felt no shame, I felt no sorrow or pity. It helped me to better appreciate and internalize their ordeal, but I’m not stuck there. I saw it as more than a slave narrative; it was inspiring; it gave me hope and courage, but for some it was an invitation to a continuing pity-party, and that’s unfortunate. Such thinking does no justice to Alex Haley or his story. The remake is about economics—money, which is what slavery was all about in the first place, so why would we want to do that again.