I urge anyone who hasn't seen it to do so.
I watched it last week, then went straight to the computer and ordered a copy. Can't watch it online - dialup only here.
It came in the mail today. My ten year old great grandson brought my mail in and I told him about the movie. We had quite a conversation about it. He has already learned a little about that time period at school, enough that when I was explaining about Jim Crow laws he said, like sharecropping? I know he and his 11 year old sister will find this fascinating.
We watched all eight episodes of Roots over the summer last year. I would stop the cd whenever they had a question, and they had a million questions and we discussed them all. Some days would take 4-5 hours to watch one episode. They were spellbound. They had asked to see something that would explain what it was like to be a slave, and that was the best I could think of. It worked out really well, even with the violence.
I told him this one had some violence, too, but it was in context, like Roots. They can handle it, as long as we can talk about it.
What I don't understand is why PBS hasn't hawked this documentary like they have so many, when in my opinion it is so much better than all the others. You know, in the south of my childhood this stuff was still going on, even if hidden from this little white child. I found myself in tears more than once.
I thought "The Abolitionists" was well done, but this soars above that series. Even the acting was seamlessly professional - what you'd expect in a really good Hollywood production.
If I could tie down all my white neighbors and relatives and make them watch this I'll bet I'd never get a stupid "African in the White House" email from them again.
I'm so happy to find this discussion on DU, especially since the movie came today.
Wat
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