Original subtitles

Ton�ght, we present a landmark �n telev�s�on enterta�nment.

Roots. rhe tr_e story Alex Haley uncovered...

.. .�n h�s 12-year search across seven generat�ons of h�s ancestry.

After two years of product�on, we present th�s saga.. .

...�n an ep�c mot�on p�cture: Roots.

The current best-sell�ng novel �s the telev�s�on event of the year.

-from pr�m�t�ve Afr�ca to the South... -Sold.

.. .Roots sweeps across a young Amer�ca burst�ng w�th the dreams.. .

.. .�oys and hardsh�ps of a v�brant country and people.. .

.. .through the years of slavery.. .

...the C�v�l War...

-Are we gonna whup them Yankees? -Yeah!

.. .reconstruct�on.. .

.. .and the struggle to surv�ve.

We want you, nigger.

A f�lm spann�ng more than 1 OO years. Generat�on to generat�on.

Cont�nent to cont�nent. Slavery to freedom.

Hear me, oh, African. The flesh of your flesh...

...has come to freedom.

We...

...are free.

Roots. Starr�ng:

Now, we are proud to present the tr�umph of an Amer�can fam�ly.

Roots.

Omoro!

We have...

...a very strong son.

Being born is hard work.

We will give him a very good life.

We've given him life.

Good or not good, that is for Allah to say.

-What do you call him? -We call him baby boy.

We will call him that until his father chooses a name for him...

...eight days from today.

-Peace be unto you. -And unto you, brother.

-You are the most important man here. -That is true.

Tell me. You know about these things.

Should a child be named after a person or a thing?

There are no rules.

Either way he will take on attributes of that name.

A person or a thing? It shall be for you to choose.

l hope, Brima Cesay, that you won't be...

...offended if l say that you have helped very little.

Omoro, do you believe your wife has been faithful to you?

Brima, why, yes! l know she has.

Then you are truly the father of the child?

lf the child is yours, so is the problem.

l have lessons l must teach.

Kunta Kinte.

Behold.. .

...the only thing greater than yourself.

Three years at the helm of the Mary Rose. Impressive, Captain Davies.

Thanks, Mr. Vilars.

May l ask why you left the Mary Rose?

The ship was sold to another owner, who refused to honor my contract.

As simple as that?

A man keeps his word or he does not. They did not.

There was nothing to say.

Captain, your credentials are fine. The best l've seen.

Good enough to lay any doubts to rest.

Captain Davies.. .

...your vessel, sir.

_he Lord L�gon�er?

-Yes. She'll be ready by month's end. -Her cargo?

Tobacco, from here to England...

.. .hardware of various sorts from England to Gambia.. .

...there to pick up available spices.

What need of the hardware?

Our main cargo will consist of slaves.

We'll be taking on slaves.

l see.

Welcome aboard.

Kunta Kinte, Kunta Kinte! Come finish your food.

-But, l'm all-- -No, you are not. Come finish it.

Yes, Mother.

How is the she-goat?

Her belly is large. She'll have the kid soon.

Before the next moon. Maybe twins.

lf she had twins, you would find some way to take the credit.

My breakfast bowl is empty now.

Feed the goats.

-All right. -Take care.

Yes, l will.

He works well with our goats.

l know.

You might tell him so.

He tells himself often enough.

He's 1 5 rains. All boys of 1 5 rains have a partnership with impatience.

That will pass.

As quickly as yours passed, Omoro?

Kunta, it is so. l know it is absolutely so.

lf you know then, how are we taken to manhood training?

A hood is placed over a boy's head.

Then he is taken to the secret place of manhood.

When he returns he knows everything men must know.

And his foto is like that of a man's.

His foto?

The foto of a man and that of a child are not the same, you know.

But do you know how this difference gets done?

There is cutting and blood.

The she-goat!

Kunta! Come back!

Can l help?

l must do it.

Father.

The she-goat?

Yes, Father. There was a leopard.

-You're not harmed? -No. l drove it off, but--

How did you drive it off? All you have is a slingshot.

That's what l used.

-There is much you have to learn. -Yes, my father.

The first thing is that all men make mistakes.

l lost a goat to a lion when l was your age.

This l received from the lion, and l learned.

Now you must learn from this.

Never run toward any dangerous animal. Never.

Do you understand me?

-Yes, Papa. -You said?

-Yes, Father. -Good.

Then that is all that needs to be said on this matter.

Don't forget to bring firewood home.

No, Father. l will not forget.

We took on 250 pair of wrist shackles.

Two hundred and fifty, yes. Go on.

Same number of neck rings.

Two hundred and fifty neck rings.

-Chains and shackles to outfit. -Yes.

-Two dozen thumbscrews. -Thumbscrews?

Are those necessary?

They have an advantage. If you're Iooking to punish a nigger...

...that's one way of doing it without damaging the goods.

Have you ever seen a thumb after a thumbscrew's been used?

Yes, sir. Many a times.

But a comely nigger bitch is rarely bought for the way her thumbs look.

Thumbscrews, two dozen.

Last item. Two branding irons marked double ''L''...

...qo_ the Lord L�gon�er.

Aye, captain. Necessary.

Weigh anchor tomorrow?

No. We'll stay dockside for two more days.

l prefer to set sail on the Sabbath.

Seems the Christian thing to do.

Aye, sir. Whatever you say. Thank you, sir.

Thank you, Mr. Slater.

-Do you know what Sitafa said today? -How would l?

He said that some have heard axes in the woods.

Some think it's the white toubob. You know what l think?

l think work's being done in the place for manhood training.

That's possible.

Do you think l'm right?

Women do not know of such things.

l do not think women should be speaking of such things.

Kunta.

You have been a very good boy.

l want you to know that. A very good boy.

Our boy has just left. A man will return.

Don't fight, boy. Come on.

This way.

You must go.

Quiet!

Face this way.

Hoods off!

l am the Kintango. Kintango.

As children must not anger their fathers, you must not anger Kintango.

As dry grass does not challenge the fire, you will not challenge me.

You will do everything l tell you to do.

You will do it when l tell you, for as long as l tell you to do it.

l am the Kintango!

Children left Juffure village, if men are to return.

You must arrest your fears...

...for a fearful person is a weak person...

...and a weak person is a danger to his family...

...to his village...

...and to his tribe.

lf any are unable to become men...

.. .you'll be treated forever as children.. .

...by your families, by all in the village.

You will never be allowed to marry...

...for your offspring will be weak...

...and unworthy of our people.

l won't permit you to be unworthy.

l think he's trying to make us afraid.

-They do not have to try anymore. -l'm not afraid.

What is your name?

Kunta Kinte.

Kunta Kinte.

Yes, sir.

Sit.

lf there was a tribal war...

...and the enemy was nearly surrounded...

...what should be done next?

We will fully surround the enemy.

No. The goal of war is not to kill.

The goal of war is to win.

By surrounding the enemy, you force him only to fight harder.

lf you leave him an escape route...

...he will leave and less blood will be spilled on both sides.

For a warrior of the Mandinka, courage is not enough.

But, sir. Won't the enemy attack you again?

lt is impossible to kill an enemy.

You may kill a man, but his son is your new enemy.

A warrior respects another warrior, even when he is his enemy.

A warrior kills only to protect his family or to avoid being a slave.

We believe not in death, but in life...

...and there is no object more valuable than a man's life.

The way of the Mandinka is not easy...

...but it is best.

Everything all right, sir?

Yes, Mr. Slater. Everything seems fine.

l was checking to see if all is in readiness down here.

Everything's ready, sir. Make no mistake about that.

How many men do you think we'll be able to fit in here?

Begging the captain's pardon.. .

...we'll be taking on women as well as men.

Women take up less space than the bucks.

What you have to estimate is how many women to how many men.

There's a certain mix...

.. .that's the most efficient and profitable, sir.

How many, Mr. Slater?

A hundred and seventy, more or less.

Yes, sir. Thank you.

Tell me, Mr. Slater...

...how many voyages like this one have you made?

Oh, my, sir, that's a poser now.

l'd say...18.

Eighteen!

That's 1 7 more than l've made, so l would imagine that...

...below decks, you're the expert.

That's very kind of you, captain.

What are they like...

...the blacks?

They're just a different kind of breed, sir.

A man breeds a dog for hunting...

...and breeds another sort of dog for his family.

Blacks are slow-minded but strong.

They're made for slavery like you're made to run this ship.

The natural order of things, eh?

Yes. Yes, l could understand that, l suppose.

lt's good for them, us taking them like that.

They're better off for it, sir.

l'm not sure l understand that part, Mr. Slater.

For one thing, there's Christianity.

We're bringing them to a Christian land.

That's better for them than the heathen Allah they got now.

That's the first thing. Second is...

...we're saving them from being eaten by their own kind.

They do that, you know. Cannibals, all of them.

As l said before, Mr. Slater...

...below decks, you're the expert.

-l'll get us there and back. -That's good.

l'll keep as many alive as can be kept alive.

Well, then...

...we'll both be doing our job, Mr. Slater.

Surely that's as it should be.

Aye, aye, captain. You leave the cargo to me.

l speak their language, you might say.

Their language?

So to speak. They have no language-- No need of it.

Just grunts and groans.

Ability to wrestle is ability to uphold the honor of your village.

lt is a test of strength.

The stronger you are, the more honor to your people.

You learn to shoot a bow by watching.

You learn to track prey by listening to hunters.

But there is only one way to learn to wrestle...

...and that is to do it.

Who will be first?

Kunta Kinte.

Very well.

Who will be next?

And now who will be next?

l'm not strong or brave enough to be a man.

We're all strong enough.

We will all be men. You will see.

Kunta Kinte.

Kunta Kinte...

...a panther has courage. So does a wart hog.

Which kind of courage should a man have?

The best kind.

lf it is for certain that you are not yet a man...

...and that is for certain...

...then you are certainly not a philosopher.

''The best kind'' is not an answer, Kunta Kinte.

-Well, a wart hog's courage. -Why?

A wart hog never retreats or gives up.

-Hunters admire the wart hog's courage. -That's right.

-They say a wart hog is very brave. -That's right.

And all the hunters usually end up killing that wart hog.

They all usually end up eating that brave wart hog.

l should have given up when we were wrestling?

We were not wrestling. l was wrestling.

You were charging and flying and landing.

You were the wart hog, Kunta Kinte.

Thank you for teaching me these things.

You may go.

-Thank you. -You already thanked me.

Oh, yes, sir.

Kunta Kinte.

l can teach you many things, but l cannot teach you courage.

Not even a wart hog's courage.

That is something you will take with you wherever you go.

What did he say?

He wanted me to tell him a few things about wrestling.

Land ho!

Where away?

Three points off the port bow, sir!

-Congratulations, sir. -Thank you, Mr. Slater.

Africa.

Kunta K�nte, here �s your task.

You are to leave th�s camp and catch a b�rd.

Not k�ll the b�rd, m�nd you, but catch �t...

...and return w�th �t al�ve and well.

Ow! Wait!

-Look what you did! -Sorry!

-l didn't mean to-- -Father! Father!

But, sir, l am a Mandinka warrior!

l no think you Mandinka warrior. Not yet.

l'm training to be a warrior and l'm assigned--

To speak to your elders without giving your name?

No. l am Kunta Kinte, a Mandingo, from the village of Juffure.

Peace to you, Kunta. l am Kadi Touray.

l am traveling with my family to Kerewan. Is it far?

l have been assigned to catch a bird without using a weapon and--

And to knock over my midday meal and not apologize to my daughter?

No, l have been assigned to--

Kunta Kinte, my daughter, Fanta.

-Peace to you. -Peace to you, Kunta Kinte.

My daughter that you were going to apologize to...?

l'm sorry for not apologizing louder when you hit me.

lt's one day to Kerewan.

-Peace to you. -Peace to you always.

Peace to you, warrior. l hope you catch your bird.

Keep moving!

Go on, move! Move!

Damn it!

Kunta Kinte, are you to be a child forever?

You were sent to catch a bird. Did you forget?

l did not forget.

Then you decided to disobey--

l saw white men.

What did you say?

l said, l saw white men.

Slater!

lt's been six months. How are you?

Older but not wiser, Mr. Gardener.

Meet Captain Davies. Captain, this is Mr. Gardener.

Bring any rum?

Yes.

Fine, let's talk.

To your health, captain.

A welcome to Africa, you see.

Thank you, Mr. Gardener. Very kind of you.

Now then, captain...

...can you tell me how many blacks your vessel will hold?

One hundred and seventy.

One hundred and seventy? You people think this is easy to do.

lt ain't. There's ships slaving everywhere.

Competition the likes of which you ain' t never seen.

lf l can't catch enough blacks...

...l buy them from their own chiefs, and they're pricey.

l have neither time nor temperament to hear your price-raising maneuvers.

Moneys will be discussed later.

The question now is, can you capture or buy 1 70 healthy blacks...

...and deliver them to my ship?

l'll capture some. l'll buy some, l'll fill your hold.

l'll deliver.

For the rest of your lives, you must be on guard...

.. .against white toubob and their black traitors.

Listen closely to me and do as l say...

...or you may be stolen and taken to a place outside our world...

.. .forever.

Never be alone when you can help it.

Never be out at night when you can help it.

And if you are alone, always keep away from any high weeds or bushes.

lf ever you see much smoke away from any village...

...it is the white man's fires, which are always too big.

And when you are close to where he was...

...his scent remains in the air. It is a smell like a wet chicken.

And most importantly, remember that Kunta Kinte saw the white man.. .

...less than two days' walk from where we are now.

The white man...

...is here.

There now remains but one more test on the path to manhood.

lt has to do with your fotos.

You have seen that a man's foto and a child's foto are not the same.

This change will be made in our traditional way by cutting.

Hold out your fotos.

This paste takes away the feeling, so there will be less pain.

This thing to be done...

...also was done to us and our forefathers...

...so that you will also become, all of us, men together.

You will soon return as men to your homes and to your farms...

...and in time you will marry...

.. .and life everlasting will spring from your loins.

Which of you will speak to be first?

l have your things all packed for you.

You are a man now, and a man must have his own hut.

-You cannot stay with us now. -l know that.

Yes. Your things are inside.

Here is your spoon and bowl and cup...

...as well as your sleeping mat. Ah, sleeping mat....

Now that there is room in this corner...

...your father will build a shelf for my needles and threads...

...so that your little brother will not lose what l need, and--

Your father built a hut for you. It is next to Brima Cesay.

-l will find it. -And you will thank your father.

A woman should not tell a man what to do.

Excuse me.

Here are your things.

Thank you.

Grandmother, peace unto you! What are you doing?

Warrior! Hunter! You were a dirty- bottomed baby when l first saw you!

When you forget that, l'll remind you again!

You can grow as tall as a tree, l will still be your grandmother!

And you will still respect me, do you hear me?

l hear you.

And do you understand that you do not know everything...

.. .cannot do everything.. .

...and that Allah is still considered greater than you?

l understand that, yes.

That's good.

But now that you are a man...

...what will you do?

Sit under that tree with the other men...

.. .and make important decisions?

-ls that it? -l do not yet know.

Well, while you are waiting to see...

...there is a good thing you can do for your mother.

There were tears when you were away.

There was sadness, Kunta.

She mentioned building a shelf but said Father would do that.

What about Lamin, your baby brother?

ls there something you can give him?

A gift for him would touch your mother.

Do you think he would like a drum?

Oh, l know he would.

Good. l'll make a drum for my brother.

Tomorrow l will hunt for a log to make such a drum.

Again!

Get back in line!

Get in there! Get in there!

Hurry! Hurry!

Come on, move!

Come on!

Get in there!

Move!

Put more irons in that fire!

Move!

Come on!

-Next! -Get in there!

A week or two more, sir. Unless you wait to carry 200.

l expressed my wish.

Aye, that you did, sir. It's all a matter of philosophy.

-Philosophy? -Aye, sir.

lt's a question of loose or tight pack.

lf we used tight pack, we'd pack them in laying on their sides...

...like they was silver spoons, to get 14-inch shelf space to a nigger.

We can carry 200 of them.

How many will we have left alive, by your reckoning?

That's hard to say.

More will die...

...but we start with more.

Well, it's my responsibility, Mr. Slater.

-A hundred seventy is enough. -Aye, sir.

Some agree. Loose pack has its point.

Better chance of bringing more through the passage.

Mr. Slater.

ls there another cask of rum about?

l'm sure there is. l'll see to it.

l thought you didn't drink, sir.

l have done many things on this voyage...

...that l've never done before.

Kunta Kinte.

Omoro!

My son.

Kunta!

Come on. Stay in line, let's go.

You heard him, let's go. Move, move!

Come on, move. Yeah, move them. Move.

Bring them all over here.

Step along now, step along.

Come on, in you go, in you go. Come on.

All right, lock it up.

Kunta Kinte.

Your family?

My family is well. l know they are.

-Your family is well? -They'll be coming after us.

l know they will be.

Only you were taken?

lt was nighttime...

...but l am sure my father fought them off.

You saw my father.

He is a very great man.

A very great warrior.

Were there many who raided your camp?

Yes.

Did you hear your father cry out?

Did he call your name?

Did he just cry out?

He just cried out.

You still have two sons, Binta.

But now one is forever outside your embrace.

Forever outside of us all.

Allah!

Allah!

-Lay aloft! Check the topsail. -Aye, sir.

Hands to the braces...

.. .handsomely, handsomely.

Aye, sir. Topsail secure.

Lay the starboard sheet.

Kunta. Kunta Kinte!

Wrestler.. .

...will they come after us, our warriors?

We're too far. The canoe-house has traveled three days.

Our warriors will follow.

There is no trail to follow in the water.

Then we are alone.

There are other Mandinka men. l heard a shout.

Kunta! Kunta Kinte!

Kunta, listen to me.

Listen to me. There are other tribes. l've heard them.

The Wolof, the Fulani, the Serere, and some l do not know.

We are not alone.

Wrestler.. .

...when the boat moved, my stomach came up and spilled.

l am ashamed.

Do not be ashamed. It happened to me.

Yes. Now when my stomach comes up, there is nothing.

Only bitter spit.

Wrestler, l am a man, a warrior!

We have been chained in the white man's boat for many days.

Allah sees.

He understands.

He knows you are a man. He knows!

ls there anything else?

Aye, sir.

Time they got on deck and danced. Exercise, keep them in condition.

Gives us a chance to muck out the hold.

Their stench. A bile-puking smell down there.

We can cull out those not worth feeding.

Yes, yes, yes.

And look over the wenches.

l am Christian and l command a Christian ship!

-Aye, sir. -l will not lead men into sin.

Sin?

Fornication.

Pardon me, but you ain't never sailed a slave ship before.

What are you getting at?

You gotta give the men their ease in their off-duty.

lt don't hurt the cargo. In fact, it's good for them.

This is how we bring heathen souls to Christ?

Captain, sir, if l was you, with all respect...

...l'd leave the gospel to private prayer.

And Sunday meetings, of course.

Very well. That will be all.

Aye, captain. Do you want a belly-warmer then?

That will be all!

Aye, aye, captain.

Allah.. .

.. .Allah the merciful.

Allah.. .

.. .the all-powerful.

Allah the compassionate.

Please.. .

...hear my prayers.

Allah.

Allah, please.

Look alive. Look alive!

Lay above deck.

What is it?

l do not know.

lf they let me out of here...

...l'll jump off this boat and swim to the riverbank.

Hurry.

Come on, come on. Let's go. Move, move, move.

Come on, get out of there! Move, you monkeys.

There is no riverbank.

Wrestler, where's the riverbank?

Where is the earth?

The earth is gone!

Hurry along! Come on. Over here.

Don't blame you for standing windward. They stink fierce.

First batch on deck.

Want to look them over?

l do not.

Appear a likely cargo, sir.

We'll lose some to flux.

-Mr. Slater. -Aye, sir?

Let's get them clean, please.

Aye, sir. l believe in clean cargo.

Cleanliness is next to godliness. It pays off in pounds and pence.

-Mr. Slater. -Yes, sir.

On your feet.

Come on, you dirty heathens. Let's go!

Carry on with your duties.

Aye, sir. Heave away, bo's'n!

Get those wenches up and forward.

Handsomely!

Get them up and dance them, damn your eyes!

l want them well-danced.

l want them exercised.

Jump! Jump!

Get them up!

All of you. Keep jumping. Higher. Higher!

What is it that they're saying?

How would a white man know?

African mumbo jumbo is what it is, more than likely.

l don't understand their language but l can guess what they're saying.

What might that be?

They're telling us to sleep lightly.

But then l've not slept well since this voyage began.

l know the wherefore of that, l believe.

Possibly you do.

Hold it. You'll get some.

Kunta.

Kunta.

Kunta Kinte.

You do not eat?

When l eat the white man's food, l throw up.

So do l. But eat the food, Kunta.

Listen to me...

.. .listen carefully.

You're a warrior.

A warrior must eat, to be strong to kill his enemy.

Eat the white man's food.

Live, Kunta. Live and be strong.

Be strong to kill the white man.

Hey, Tom. We got a dead one over here.

Another one?

Yeah.

Yeah, he's dead all right. Open them.

Mr. Slater!

There goes a hundred guineas to the sharks.

Dearest El�zabeth:

lf only...

...you could...

...know...

...how much l regret having taken this command...

...not only because l am apart from you and the children...

...but because it--

Yes? Who is it?

Mr. Slater, with something for your chill.

Come in, Mr. Slater.

Here you are.

Mr. Slater!

l've told you my views on fornication.

Yes, sir. You did, right enough.

Just a belly-warmer, sir.

Little flesh, take the chill off cold sheets.

Shouldn't be a problem for you, a high-born Christian man.

l'll be by to fetch her in the morning. Sleep well.

l do not approve of fornication.

My name is Thomas.

lt's my Christian name.

Well, now--

What'll l call you?

Of course.

You don't understand anything l say, do you?

Merciful heaven... .

Kunta.

Kunta!

Wrestler, l was dreaming.

l dreamed l was hunting.

Running faster than l ever ran before.

-Listen to me. -l was hunting...

...a great bird whose wings stretched...

...from one riverbank to the other.

lt turned and flew towards me...

...and l saw it was all white.

All white.

lts great flapping wings swallowed me up.

And choked me.

They choked me.

l opened my eyes...

...and l was here.

ln the belly of that terrible bird.

We will kill the white man and we will go home.

lt's in Allah's hands.

lt is in our hands. Allah made us warriors.

Mandinka warriors.

When we were up in the sun, l counted them.

l saw 20 with knives and killing- sticks that make fire.

Ten more are in the long poles pulling the ropes and great cloths.

And the chief who stands and watches.

There are 40 of us taken up out of here together. l have listened.

Three times the Wolof beats the drums.

That means there are 1 60 people.

Some are women.

But at least 100 are men.

With 100 warriors, a chief could raid a village and take the cattle.

With chains on their feet?

You have seen the iron they put in the hole and turn...

...and the ankle-irons open? One of them wears it on his neck.

l could get it.

lf we had a plan.

lf we had a signal when we could all move.

But we're different men.

We can't talk. We're different tribes.

Men chained together are brothers.

We are all one village.

Who cannot speak the same words.

Who is Mandinka?

Who speaks the language of the Mandinka?

l am Okiyu, the wrestler, from the village of Jaihutswa.

Who is Mandinka?

l am Mandinka. l am Bowayo, from the village Kafure.

Falilu, from Ubowa.

Oetebu, from the Fatawbe village.

Listen, Mandinka.

Those who speak other words, words of the Wolof...

...of the Serere, the Fulani...

...talk to the man chained to you.

Teach him your words. Learn his.

We will be one village.

We will destroy our enemies.

And we will be one village!

We will kill!

We will win!

We w�ll l�vet

We w�ll l�vet

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