The life of Kunta Kinte, a strong and intelligent African warrior, has been changed completely, upon selling him to the Americans as a slave, as he suffers from the racial discrimination he has according to his color and origins, that makes it difficult for him to find a suitable place for him in such society.
For the viewers, and how much more so for the actors involved, the knowledge of that past only heightens the involvement in this nuanced and poetic telling of America's (and Britain's) most shameful history.
As Kunta/Toby, Malachi Kirby has a magnetic presence and brilliantly negotiates the transition from foolish young pup to stern rebel who makes his bid for freedom on a white charger. He's the most compelling reason to keep faith with this new adaptation.
Indispensable, infuriating, and inspiring, Roots masterfully finds the hope and humanity in its heartbreaking, harrowing depiction of slavery, and in doing so provides an update worthy of the original.
The effort put forth by the writers, actors, and filmmakers have updated and reimagined the miniseries to be a powerful reminder of the past and how stories like Roots deserve to be retold.
Just as the original Roots had a powerful emotional impact on Americans, the new one is likely to do so as well, especially given that questions of race are at the forefront of discussion as much now as ever.
The new series brings new light to the misperception that popular culture has done a good job telling stories about slavery and black history in the decades since Roots first gripped the U.S.
This new adaptation of Roots may have a fair amount of downtime throughout its six and a half hours, but it rises on the strengths of its emotionally powerful narrative and outstanding cast, making this a version that does justice to its source material.
