Original subtitles

[theme music]

[music continues]

(male narrator) Last on "Roots.."

Massa made me head trainer today.

That nice.

I'm gonna make a name for myself..

...and get me some respect.

I'm gonna pit them birds until I can buy myself free.

You are gonna stay here and fight my chickens.

It don't matter how much I saved to buy myself.

You're my nigger, George.

Can't you get that through your thick skull?

It got through that time.

It'd be the worst sin.

I'm gonna kill Massa Tom Moore.

That's no more than killing a dog. Move.

No, damn it! No!

He's your daddy.

Don't know about you, George, but I wanna win that money

and be champion.

If Speckled Red wins, I'll set you free.

Massa Moore, Speckled Red, who'll be the winner?

[crowd cheering]

[laughing]

(male #1) 'The bird of Sir Eric Russell is the winner!'

[crowd chattering]

Perhaps we could resolve your indebtedness

in some mutually satisfactory manner.

In England.

We can call being square.

We can have you over there.

He says for just a few years, George

to train somebody else.

I don't want no crying. None of you all.

Your husband, your pappy and I'm telling you now.

A few years. That's no time at all.

Be back. You'll see.

[instrumental music]

[music continues]

Gloryhallelujah!

He's back!

- Excuse me, missy. - What y'all want?

Am I near the, uh, Harvey plantation?

[scoffs] Near there already.

Do you know the Harvey family?

[gasps] Oh, my!

Oh, my!

[chuckling]

What are you gigglin' at, girl?

I am gigglin' at you, Chicken George!

'My Tom don't talk about nothin' exceptin' his daddy.'

Tom?

My son, Tom?

And my man, Tom.

Then you, uh..

- You my Tom's woman? - He he he.

I'm called Irene, sir.

Irene.

Well, let's see you.

[both laughing]

I see my boy studied me well.

He picked himself a fine woman.

[chuckles] Oh, my!

Well, they told me that you was a handsome man

but they didn't say how grand you was.

[chuckling] Oh, I...I ain't nothin' special.

Yes, I am.

[both laughing]

And now..

...where's my boy?

I'll take you to him.

- Tom! - What is it, honey?

A man wants his horse shoed, Tom.

Well, he gonna have to get back. I'm powerful busy.

Well, I don't know, Tom, he don't look like

the getting-back kind.

Daddy?

- My daddy! - Ease up. Ease up.

[laughing]

You about to crush my ribs.

Ain't you somethin' to see?

You're grown about as big as bull, ain't you?

There ain't a patch on you.

Daddy, you come back in style.

Tom..

...where your mama?

Daddy, she's back in our cabin near the chicken coop.

Then I'll see you later.

[laughing] Oh, ho ho ho.

Hey, little one, you alright?

(Mathilda) 'Here, chick, chick, chickie, chickie.'

Here, chickie, chickie, chickie, chickie, chickie.

'Here, chickie, chickie, chickie, chickie, chickie.'

Here, chickie, chickie, chickie.

Here, chick..

[instrumental music]

Sometimes..

...I feared I would never see you again, husband.

There nothin' this side of hell

could've kept me away, Tildy.

My heart's beatin' so fast

about to fly all pieces.

[music continues]

Tildy.

Tildy, honey.

I's free.

Massa Moore gave me my papers.

[laughing]

George!

Oh, first he said he'd never said no such thing.

Then he said I ought to stay on and, "Help your daddy," he said.

[laughing]

But I told him I didn't have no daddy.

'You ought to see him. Old, stinkin' of corn.'

The plantation's gone all to the seed.

Mama Kizzy.

I know.

Master Moore told me.

She died last spring.

You was her joy.

Oh, girl.

I missed you sorely.

[music continues]

[all laughing]

If you take a-a-all the houses

in all of Alamance County

they still wouldn't be as big as-as that place

where that old king lived.

[all laughing]

He calls it, calls it "A castle."

[all laughing]

Alright, alright, alright. Y'all get now.

Me and daddy goin' into town for supplies. Come on.

Whoa, oh!

I wanna hear another one of 'em stories

about the grand old folks of England.

There'll be time for storytellin'.

You got chores to do, Lewis. You too, Virgil.

Especially you, bud.

[all laughing]

I'm so glad to be home.

And I sure do love my first grandson.

[all laughing]

- Here, take this boy. - Okay.

Go on, come on.

(Tom) 'Here you go, daddy, let me give you a hand.'

Tom!

Hey, what's going on here?

Massa Harvey, this here's my daddy.

Well, I've heard a lot about you, Chicken George.

Howdy do, sir?

Looks like your family's mighty glad to see you.

Yeah.

(Harvey) 'You still over at the Moore place, George?'

My daddy's a free man, Massa Harvey.

Massa Moore gave him his papers.

Is that a fact?

Well, you're welcome to stay here

if you can mind the work, George.

Why, thank you, sir. I appreciate it.

[all laughing]

Alright, let's get on out of here now.

- Bye, bye. - Be right back.

Just do what you gotta do and get on back.

I expect you before sunset.

[instrumental music]

- Good morning, Tom. - Good morning, massa.

Well, I see folks regard you kind of highly, Tom.

Guess they likes me well enough.

Ain't too many blacksmiths in the county.

[both laughing]

Nigger!

Yes, sir, Massa Brent?

Comin', boss.

Comin'.

Yes, sir?

Uh, can't you see I'm thirsty, boy?

Yes, sir, Massa Brent.

Let this run nice and cold for you.

Our little brother's thirsty too.

- Yes, sir, powerful hot. - Uh, not you.

This old buck here.

The name's George Moore, sir.

Well, I don't care what your name is, slave.

You just fill me this dipper mighty quick.

I ain't no slave, Mr. Brent. No, sir, I ain't.

This here is my daddy, Massa Brent. He a free man.

Uh..

Uh, let's see your papers, free man.

- You want me to whup him? - You daft, Jemmy?

You can't go around whuppin' free men

like they were just niggers.

Come here.

(Brent) 'You're staying over at the Harvey place?'

Harvey say I could stay.

Do we now?

He do.

Well, Sam Harvey ought to know better than that.

What do you mean?

We got a law here, Mr. Free Man.

You stay in this state more than 60 days..

...you get to be plain nigger again.

[both laughing]

You see the look on that nigger's face?

[laughing continues]

Tom was so proud the way you stood up to Evan Brent.

Showed him what a black man could be.

Maybe I showed him wrong..

...but I learned him how to keep his head down in the dirt.

'Cause he raise it up, they sure find ways to smack it back down.

Tildy..

...I can't leave you.

I can't.

I knows, honey.

I knows how you feel.

But you the first, George.

The first in this family not to be a slave.

I remember you telling me about your grandpa.

They had to cut off old Kunta's foot

to keep him from escapin'.

You can't turn your back on them.

And you can't steal the hope of freedom

from your own children.

Then you want me to go?

Listen to me.

My man.

My beautiful man.

I got to stop myself from gettin' down on my knees

and beggin' you to stay.

It's so lonely when you was away.

I liked to dried up and die.

Tildy..

...you-you decide.

I'm married to a free man, George Moore.

I ain't about to live with no slave ever again.

[instrumental music]

War! It's war, boys!

Our boys just attacked Fort Sumter this mornin'.

It's war! Long live the confederacy!

It's war, boys! It's war!

[crowd cheering]

Well, this is what we've been waitin' for, huh, boys?

[crowd cheering]

Are we gonna whup them Yankees?

[crowd cheering]

No, no, no. I said, are we gonna whup them Yankees?

[crowd cheering]

[gunshot]

♪ Oh I wish I was in the land of cotton ♪

♪ Old times there are not forgotten ♪

♪ Look away look away look away Dixie Land ♪♪

Yoicks, sir. Tally-ho!

Yoicks, sir. Tally-ho!

[all laughing]

What'd they yell, granddaddy?

Yoicks, tally-ho.

[all laughing]

I guess that means, um, "watch out, little fox."

We after your hide.

[George laughing]

Well, it's time your granddaddy got back out into the world.

I done told all the stories I got to tell

and I gotta go find me some more.

[laughing]

Virgil.

- Y'all be good boys, you hear? - Okay, daddy.

Okay.

Somewhere somebody's saying

"If I only had a trainer like Chicken George."

[laughing]

I don't know where it is.

I don't know how far away.

It don't matter.

'Cause I'm coming back for you, wife.

Don't you never give up on me.

[mellow music]

[horse snorts]

[horse neighs]

First slave..

...he weren't always a slave.

Before he's the slave

he a free man...in Africa.

And he was called Kunta Kinte.

But one day he went to the jungle to fetch some wood

to make a drum.

There, the slavers, they catch him..

..and they sold him into slavery.

Then they chop up half his foot

so he couldn't run away.

And Kunta Kinte had a daughter.

Kizzy.

And he teach her some words he brung from Africa.

He teach her...Kamby Bolongo.

'Mean a river.'

He teach her ko mean a fiddle.

And she remembered, and she teach her own son.

[instrumental music]

[horse neighing]

And the son of Kizzy

was the man folks called..

...Chicken George.

And he raised hisself from slavery..

...and became a free man.

My daddy.

[music continues]

Why ain't that sixth platoon shoed up yet?

I's doin' my best--

My troop's tied down. You finish.

- I'll get them ready, sir. - And you better, quick.

'Army don't like you working for it anymore'

'than you like workin' for us.'

The faster you get finished

the sooner you go back to your master.

Yes, sir.

Hah! Go on.

[rattling]

[clanking]

Get out of my way!

What's goin' on here?

There was a white boy, captain.

Trying to steal some food.

Massa, I swear.

I swear there was a white boy in here stealin'.

I don't see no boy.

Any of you see a white boy?

All I see is a full-grown darkie

with his hands full of stolen grub.

What's the matter, nigger?

Ain't we been feedin' you sufficient slops?

Captain, sir, I s-swears to God.

[dramatic music]

Evan, I think you hit it right on the head.

It's a fact.

We ain't been feeding this nigger proper.

[gasps] Oh, you is skinny. He-is he skinny?

Why, look at them ribs.

Now look at that rib poking out right there.

- See that rib, Evan? - Hmm.

Why don't you just tuck it in for him?

[groaning]

Nigger, why you ain't nothin'

but skin and bones.

[groaning]

[knock on door]

Excuse me, ma'am.

Please?

Maybe y'all got some scraps I could eat?

Poor child.

Come on in.

I'm much obliged, ma'am.

Sit right down here while I fix you somethin'.

Thank you.

I ain't no beggar, ma'am.

'I've been workin' a small patch of land'

in South Carolina with me and my wife, Martha.

Then the fighting started and we had to, we had to get..

The-the war rui-ruined the crops and everythin' so bad

even the rabbits left.

Since then, it's been nothin', but walkin'

and askin' folks for food.

And you takes it too when you gets the chance.

'Ain't that true, boy?'

Come back here. I said, come back here!

Tom, what in the world is goin' on here?

This here, thievin' boy, earned me my cracked ribs

you wrapped up so pretty.

I was just hungry.

Finish your plate.

I've been hungry in my time too.

Go on.

[bleating in distance]

Well, what's your name, son?

George, ma'am. George Johnson.

Well, we already got one George.

And you so young.

I reckon we'll just have to call you Ol' George.

[laughing]

Eat up, Ol' George.

You-you reckon you got enough here for another helpin', ma'am?

You reckon you got belly enough for another helpin'?

It's not for me. It's, um, m-my wife, Martha.

Your wife with you?

Yes, sir.

Outside.

[neighing in distance]

Martha, come on.

Come on, honey, it's alright.

It's alright.

This is Martha.

Pleased to meet you.

[instrumental music]

Well, I couldn't let you work in the fields.

That wouldn't do.

Maybe you could be an overseer.

Sure, I can do that, sir.

Now, I couldn't pay you much.

Just, uh, good food and a place

big enough for you and your wife to sleep.

Oh, tha-that fine with me, sir. Mighty fine.

That good. I'd-I'd like to see you get started right away then.

Thanks, sir. Much obliged.

[clucking]

Well...I is the overseer.

Well, ain't that fine?

Yeah, I re-I reckon it a-alright except..

Except what?

Tom, what exactly is overseer?

- You fooling me? - No, sir.

Then you is the most ignorant white boy I ever did see.

'Ain't there no slaves where you come from?'

Not hardly. Just mostly poor white people like me.

[birds chirping]

- Lewis? - Yeah, Tom?

Gonna learn Ol' George here about overseeing.

Huh?

Why should we?

I mean, white folks make enough trouble for us as it is.

Now, George don't be overseer

maybe massa find someone who knows how to do it.

Who likes doing it.

Now, you being the overseer, first thing you need is a whip.

Can't be an overseer without no whip.

Supposing this here your whip.

And, uh, suppose you want this here slave..

...to fetch..

...yonder bucket of water.

'How you gonna get him to fetch you that bucket?'

Go on, go on, show me.

Excuse me, Lewis

y'all mind fetching me that bucket of water?

[laughing]

That ain't exactly how you goes about it.

Now you watch me, hmm? Watch me good.

I'm gonna show you how you talks to slaves.

Nigger!

Yes, sir.

Come fetch me this bucket of water.

Aw, massa! Ask some other nigger.

I is powerful tired.

Tired is you, you black trash?

(Lewis) 'Yes, sir.'

Well, maybe this here is gonna perk you up a little.

'Oh, no, sir, massa, don't.'

Please don't whup my old black body!

- Is you tired? - No, massa, massa.

I's right lively.

Now, see how-how lively I is, massa.

See, massa.

Please, please, massa.

Please, please, please don't whup me.

I'll be good.

You watching and learning, boy?

No. I couldn't do that.

I couldn't whup Lewis.

I don't want you to whip him either.

You gotta makes like you got the mind

to whup him if you wants to.

No! I likes Lewis.

Like him or don't like him, you're the overseer

he the slave.

'You canst never forget that.'

Are you teaching me to be mean, Tom?

I'm teaching you how to stay alive

'and how to keep some skin on our backs.'

Don't you ever call me sir again.

'Do you hear?'

Yeah.

Massa.

Nigger.

[instrumental music]

[horse neighs]

[music continues]

(Evan) They're wearin' us down, sir. they're wearin' us down.

We been fightin' as well as in the good years.

But they just got too much of everything.

'We kill off a company'

'seemed like they send down five companies'

to take their place.

We capture a cannon, they ship a new battery.

(Jimmi) Now, brother's right.

We just gotta hold on long enough to turn this thing about.

Sam, we need everybody

to rally around the confederacy

'and I don't mean just moral support.'

Well, we'll give all the help we can of course, Evan.

Frankly, we're out of cash

but of course, I'll give all the horses and food I can spare.

The confederacy can have my silver service, Sam.

Lila. Lila, are you sure you wanna do that?

'You know what that service means to you.'

(Lila) Confederacy is entitled to anything we have.

Mathilda, come with me.

[panting] Tom, Irene, somebody, hurry.

It's me.

It's Martha. She's gonna have a baby. Hurry!

Oh, well, I'll go get Mathilda. Don't worry.

What should I do?

Ol' George, looks like you already done it.

[instrumental music]

Tom..

...what keepin' that baby?

Ain't no particular time for a baby

to be birthed, Ol' George.

Well, maybe I just ought to go in there.

Why don't you let Mathilda and Irene look after.

There ain't nothin' they don't know about birthin'.

Give us a smoke of your pipe, Tom.

Thank you.

Your Martha's fine, Georgie.

She's sleeping now.

I ain't heard no baby cry.

Martha's a young girl.

She got plenty of time for more babies.

[crowd humming]

[humming continues]

I ain't no preacher

'but I'd like to say something.'

This here little baby..

...we don't know what he might have been..

...but we knows one thing..

...if he like his daddy

he'd a growed to be a good man.

(all) 'Amen.'

(Martha) 'Amen.'

[birds chirping]

Youse all m-my friends.

Youse the only friends I ever did know in all my life.

'Youse like my family.'

Martha and me, we thanks you.

♪ I'm bound ♪

♪ For the promised land ♪

♪ Oh oh ♪

♪ Who will come ♪

♪ And go with me ♪

♪ I'm bound ♪

♪ For the promised land ♪

♪ I'm bound ♪

♪ For the promised land ♪

♪ Who will come.. ♪♪

[creaking]

(male #1) 'Tom.'

'Tom.'

'Tom.'

Who that?

It's me, Jimmi Brent.

[horse neighs]

What you doing here?

We're whupped, Tom. The South is finished.

Evan and them other patriots can go on fightin' if they like

'but I'm gonna get out with my whole skin'

'while I got a chance, but you got to help me, Tom.'

Why should I help you?

Ah, I know, Tom, I know.

You're grieved at me, and-and you got a right.

'But hard times are coming, Tom.'

For white folks and blacks alike.

We got to learn a, a new way of getting along together.

Isn't this just good a time as any to start?

What you want me to do?

If I stay in uniform, Tom

there's a good chance they'll catch me

and they're hard on deserters.

Here-here's the key to my place, to company shops.

I-I got some regular clothes in there.

'Fetch them for me.'

Tom.

[instrumental music]

I knew I could count on you, Tom. I knew it.

I'll wait right here for you. Right here.

[horse neighs]

'Trust has got to start somewhere, Tom.'

'Let it be here and now.'

'Let it be, let it be us, just..'

I-I wouldn't blame you if you don't go, Tom.

But I'll never forget if you do.

[dramatic music]

Nigger.

[neighing]

Tom?

Tom, what you doin' still here, huh?

Where's Tom?

'What, what you done?'

Well..

...you sweet thing.

Oh, no, massa.

No, no.

I'm not gonna do you no harm.

I wouldn't hurt you.

No!

[crying]

Oh, I just want a little kiss.

Tom.

'Tom.'

You brought my clothes.

That's good, Tom.

Tom.

Honey, it don't matter.

Now, Tom, there ain't no harm done.

Just having a little fun.

'Makes no difference between you and me.'

I believed you.

I wanted it so to be true.

I believed you.

I got no more time for jawing.

Hand me them clothes and I'll be on my way.

I do believe you are lookin' for a whippin'.

No.

You ain't gonna do nothin' to me.

Now, how you figures that?

Because I ain't gonna let you, Jimmi Brent.

[laughing]

Ain't you now?

Ain't you?

No. No, Tom.

You one dead nigger.

Oh!

'Tom.'

[dramatic music]

Oh!

Uh!

[shuddering]

I'm gonna have to kill you, boy.

[grunting]

[music continues]

[horse neighs]

Help me!

God! Someone help me.

[grunting]

Listen to me, Jimmi Brent.

Listen to me, and take this message with you to hell.

The last hands that touched you on this Earth

was my black hands.

[grunting]

[music continues]

[horse neighs]

Him or me.

It were him or me.

[clucking]

Now, Captain Brent's brother has been missing for three days.

'Any of y'all seen Jimmi Brent, speak up.'

I know some of you must have seen my brother.

They found his horse no more than a mile from here.

Damn niggers. They won't help none if they could.

Hah!

Where'd you get them lumps, boy?

Gots me kicked by a plow horse, massa.

That's mighty curious, ain't it?

You being a blacksmith, you ought to know better.

Yes, sir.

Gots to watch out for the animals.

Even a plow horse kick out when he painin' enough.

Any animal that pains that much should be put out of its misery.

You ain't seen the last of me, nigger.

[intense music]

Hah! Hah! Hah!

Hah!

Freedom!

(male narrator) Next, the two hour conclusion of "Roots."

The war is over. Slavery is no more.

For ten hours you've lived their struggle..

Cabins, everybody, quick.

...shared their pain, their joy, their triumph..

We're gonna never get away from here.

...and next, the fulfilment of a dream.

If you bother me or my

ever again...I'll kill you.

The final triumph of an American family.

The conclusion of "Roots."

[theme music]

[music continues]