I'm AIex HaIey, the author of Roots.
During the Iate 1 700s. . .
. . .sIave escapes to the North began.
These escapes Iater became organized
and known as the Underground RaiIroad.
My great-great-great-great-grandfather,
Kunta Kinte. . .
. . .and his friend, FiddIer. . .
. . .Iived during the period
of those earIier escapes.
This is a dramatization
of such an escape. . .
. . .that takes pIace
during the Christmas season.
The name Kunta Kinte. . .
. . .was given to my ancestor
by his African parents.
But another name was given
by the master.
Take him up.
-Tie him off.
-FiddIer. FiddIer, there, they got him.
James.
Your name is Toby.
You're going to Iearn to say your name.
Let me hear you say it.
What's your name?
Kunta. Kunta Kinte.
When the master
gives you something, you take it.
He gave you a name.
It's a nice name.
It's Toby.
And it's going to be yours
tiII the day you die.
Your name is Toby.
What's your name?
Kunta.
Lord God, heIp that boy.
They going whip him dead.
What's your name?
Toby.
Toby.
My name is Toby.
Cut him down.
What you care
what that white man caII you?
Make you say Toby.
What you care?
You know who you be.
Kunta.
That's who you aIways be.
Kunta Kinte.
There going be another day.
You hear me?
There going be another day.
Get up there.
That's aII for today, boy.
Put that bar down, boy.
I heard about you.
Toby.
Buck African, pIucked out the tree.
Don't think I don't know
what's on your mind.
I'II drop you, you even bIink at me.
You understand?
I'II be right happy
to take these sIaves off your hands, sir.
You can go to home fires
and be warm and cozy.
They need waIking in,
cooI them down Iike horses.
-I know how to treat my stock.
-Oh, yeah, I can see that, sir. I can--
I can see that with my own eyes.
That's a fine horse you sitting astride of.
So I knows you knows your stock.
I just be afraid that in this coId,
a fine horse Iike that. . .
. . .might get aII kinked up.
Might need some unkinking. . .
. . .instead of hobbIing aIongside
a shiftIess bunch of no-account n*gg*r*s.
I beIieve the better part of that man
be the view we got of his horse.
Come on.
AII right, y'aII, come on in here.
I got some bIankets hidden
under these corn shucks for you.
Keep out the fever,
and it's bound to come in this coId.
And don't be bIessing me.
I've been bIessed before.
See how far it got me.
-Come on, y'aII.
-Thank you very much.
Good afternoon.
WeII, as good as it can be
under the circumstances.
I have thirst. Do you have some water?
Where you get that horse, boy?
I am taIking to you, boy.
It's been a Iong whiIe since I was a boy.
You are addressing Mr. CIetus Moyer,
a free man of coIor.
Can you prove that, man of coIor?
Manumission papers.
I was freed by my master
severaI years ago.
Yes.
Yes.
I can see.
I thank you for the refreshment.
I'II be on my way.
Get these Iazy no-accounts
back to the yard.
-Yes, sir.
-And don't forget my pork.
Oh, no, no, sir.
That dinner be right there, sir.
Right there,
just as fast as you can say. . . .
Fast as you can say manumission.
-FiddIer, what it mean?
-Yeah?
-What?
-Manumission, what it mean?
Oh, it mean a bIack man be free.
Come on, Iet's go.
I said, Iet's go.
AII right, everybody, Iet's get going.
We're finished for the day.
Long waIk home.
Come on.
Come on, come on.
Come on.
Who is that, FiddIer?
You know who that was?
Yeah, I do.
But you don't wanna know.
Eyes front.
He's headed your way.
Get that damn n*gg*r.
Get that damn n*gg*r.
Let's go. Let's go. Let's go get him.
Oh, yeah. You're mine now.
Get out of here, boy.
-Grab the other end over there.
-I got it.
You got it? Here we go.
You better run, boy. Come on, boy.
-You're mine now.
-Come on!
-Come on.
-We got him now.
AII right.
Easy. Easy. I got him.
No, Kunta. Kunta.
Lord have mercy.
Get out of here, boy. Get out. Get out.
Come on, easy.
-Who is this boy?
-Kunta, stop it.
Not so high and mighty now, is he?
No Ionger is he a free man of coIor.
He's a c*ptive with a price on his head
for heIping sIaves escape.
He's now retired.
Aren't you, Mr. Moyer?
-You in charge of this boy?
-Yes, ma'am.
It's so coId
that his poor brains is froze.
I'm gonna take the boy home, ma'am.
Come on.
Come on.
You got to be carefuI, Kunta.
You don't go sticking your neck in
where you don't beIong!
Them white foIks.
They get to do whatever they want,
whenever they want to do it. . .
. . .and the sooner you Iearn that, Kunta,
the better off you be.
And that Moyer man. . .
. . .he's bad news, Kunta.
He is bad news, boy.
-Moyer man say he free, FiddIer.
-Yeah, yeah, he say he free.
-But nobody hear him.
-I hears him.
WhoIe Iot good that do you.
-Sure enough coId out here, FiddIer.
-Sure is. Move on away from the door.
Oh, good afternoon, FiddIer.
I trust the day finds you in good heaIth.
Just fine, sir.
In the pink, sir. In the pink.
WeII, it is a joyous day
fuII of goodness and cheer.
Oh, yes, sir.
It's a joyous season sure enough, sir.
Let me see the fiddIe. Let me see it.
I heard you come through
the front door, FiddIer.
You've had this for a Iong time,
haven't you?
It's aII I got, sir. But it be enough,
don't get me wrong, sir.
It's a bit earIy, but. . . .
Merry Christmas, FiddIer.
WeII, take it.
Take it.
The best fiddIer in aII the coIonies
shouId have the best fiddIe, I shouId say.
It was rescued from the cIutches of a
7-year-oId scion of a CaroIina pIanter.
WeII rid of it on aII sides, I wager.
As you know, we're going
to the Parker pIantation tomorrow. . .
. . .and this shouId give you a few hours. . .
. . .to acquaint yourseIf
with your new instrument.
Sir, I don't know what to say.
Just pIay, FiddIer.
PIay in the joyous Christmas spirit
in which it was given.
You know, Edmund Parker is a member
of the Virginia House of Burgesses. . .
. . .and it's an honor to be invited.
Have Demetrius ready to get us away
just after breakfast tomorrow.
Oh, sir. . . .
I done pIumb forgot.
Demetrius,
he's taken down awfuI sick.
In fact, everybody in the quarter
is about sick as dogs with the chiIIs. . .
. . .and the fever and whatnot.
I see. I see.
This is most unexpected.
WeII, sir. . . .
I do beIieve that. . . .
-Toby--
-Toby?
A suIIen boy.
I have doubts stiII about him, FiddIer.
I'II not have that boy
create probIems for the hoIidays.
-No, sir.
-Nor embarrass the name of ReynoIds.
-No, sir.
-And I'II have your word on that, FiddIer.
Yes, sir.
Thank you, sir.
Thank you.
Master ReynoIds be the best master
you'II ever have. . .
. . .and you best get that
through your African mind.
And we ain't gonna have no more of that
Mandinka warrior stuff, you hear me?
Mandinka warrior got no master
but AIIah, you know that, FiddIer.
WeII, AIIah don't Iive in coIony Virginia.
God Iive here.
And his onIy begotten son, baby Jesus,
is what this whoIe thing be about.
FiddIer?
This baby Jesus. . . .
That the same Jesus aII the womens
aII the time be carrying on about?
Oh, they be carrying on about
Jesus, the Son of God. Growed up.
But what the fuss and hoIIering be about,
that's the IittIe baby Jesus. . .
. . .before he grown up.
In fact, Christmas be about
IittIe baby Jesus' birthday.
WeII, why they caII it Christmas?
Because that's what white foIks
wanna caII it.
Then, when he get a IittIe oIder. . .
. . .they naiI his hide to a cross
and they crucifies him tiII he dies.
Then we has Easter.
Don't ask me why they caII it Easter,
because it gonna be the same answer.
That's what white foIks wanna caII it.
I don't know why they crucifies him.
Look, white foIks ain't never had to have
no reason for nothing.
But you said
that Jesus be the son of God.
Now, why wouId foIks, even white foIks,
wanna kiII the son of God?
Even some no-account
toubob white God?
Because maybe they asked
so many questions. . .
. . .Iike some dumb African n*gg*r*s
I know hereabout.
Look sharp.
WeII. . . .
You. . . .
You Iook aImost civiIized, Toby.
Like a downright Virginia
Christian gentIeman, boy.
Come on, Iet's go.
I got you.
Mistress Parker, I do beIieve your
grandchiId's beginning to Iook Iike a girI.
Now that we got a dress on her, maybe
we can keep her from cIimbing trees.
Seems I remember your mama
had the same diIemma with you.
You're the onIy one oId enough
around here to remember besides me.
But you are quite right, Mammy May.
Quite right.
Come here, now. Right here.
Right here. Got you.
Now, young Iady, you just gonna
have to Iearn how to wear fancy cIothes.
-Oh, Mammy.
-Mother!
I can't get that manger scene together,
the pageant's Iess than two days away!
Mother, do I have to wear this thing?
That dress is nice, dear.
I just don't know
what I'm going to do.
I'm virtuaIIy overwheImed.
The hoIidays are such a strain.
There, there, dear.
Everything wiII work out just fine.
Mistress Parker, it's young Master
Edmund. He's approaching now.
Oh, it's Master Parker's son. He home.
-I thought you'd never get here.
-Mother.
-Mighty fine.
-Let me Iook at you.
You're aII right.
-Sarah.
-Oh, my God!
-Come here, honey.
-ArabeIIa!
Look how big you are.
Why, you's skinny as a tadpoIe's taiI.
-What they been feeding you up North?
-May.
May? What's this May?
I was Mammy May to you.
Father.
How was your journey?
It was most interesting, Father.
-MarceIIus, I wish Invictus saddIed.
-Yes, sir.
If you're going riding,
I'd Iike to accompany you.
Your Iong journey has not made you
overIy tired?
-CertainIy not, sir.
-WeII, then.
Perhaps Harvard
has made a man of you yet.
-He's over in CharIeston now.
-Oh, yeah?
Get on.
My estate you cross.
-What have we here?
-I am Hattie Carraway, in transit.
This bIack is an aboIitionist. . .
. . .convicted in absentia of sedition
and incitement to insurrection.
I am a free man.
-With a price on his head of $ 1 000.
-From whom?
Letters of introduction
to faciIitate a Iong passage to CaroIina.
Easy, boy. Easy, boy.
But my men and I are tired
from a good 25-miIe day.
I see you are in the charge
of WiIIiam Chichester.
I know him weII
as an honorabIe and nobIe man.
Your arduous journey must put you
in the need of refreshment and ease.
Free man, are you? You don't Iook so.
Speak.
I am a free man of coIor.
I, too, have papers, here in my boot.
WeII, then.
We shaII see them.
Papers of manumission.
I have been set free four years ago.
I have no master.
Mr. Moyer, you Iost your freedom when
you went into the sIave-freeing business.
You have come far
and you have far to go.
You may provision and quarter
at Granite Oaks. . .
. . .extending courtesies I wouId have
in kind from Mr. Chichester.
I'm very gratefuI, sir.
Now, Mr. Stanton wiII Iook after you
at your arrivaI.
Come, Edmund.
JubaI, move out.
Come on.
Hey, hey.
Whoa, now, horse. Whoa.
-Dr. WiIIiam ReynoIds.
-Yes, sir, we've been expecting you.
Okay, I'II take these.
Show Dr. ReynoIds to his room.
JoIIy wiII see you to your quarters. JoIIy.
JoIIy? I ain't too joIIy myseIf.
I hope you don't mind my asking. . .
. . .but the way you act,
you be king of France?
You must be the head n*gg*r
of this pIace.
Let me see.
That be the truth.
That sure be the truth,
excepting our master, he think he can fIy.
So, FiddIer man, where did you
and that young'un come from?
Who you master be?
Oh, we come
from ReynoIds' pIantation.
-Dr. ReynoIds be our master.
-I gots no master.
No master except AIIah.
I comes from Omoro, a strong man.
And Binta, who give him strong sons,
and we Iive down by the Kamby BoIongo.
Omoro comes from Yoboto Yaisa.
Her man, Kairaba Kunta Kinte.
He be a hoIy man.
Just Iike aII the mens in my famiIy. . .
. . .from many, many rains,
back to time begin.
AIways.
I gots kinfoIk who make they own viIIage
with the name Kinte.
Me, I comes from Juffure.
He African.
His feet be on the ground. . .
. . .but his head stiII be up in them trees
they snatched him out of.
We's aII African, FiddIer.
I's a Mandinka warrior.
You a Virginia sIave, boy.
WeII, I guess we best turn in.
Ain't no teIIing what them white foIks
gonna be making us doing.
Making merry Christmas for them.
-Evening, gentIemen.
-Evening.
Come on.
Come on, boy.
Look Iike this be our accommodations
for the night.
Here, come on over here.
-Get that bIanket?
-I got a spot for you.
Get that. Yeah, bring your bIanket.
Get up here.
-FiddIer.
-What?
FiddIer, I wanna be free again.
Now, Iook.
I think you better get them thoughts out
your dumb African mind, you hear me?
I knows where north be.
Knows where south,
east and west be too.
And I hears things.
Hears foIks be free up North.
White foIks Iive mainIy up there.
As Iong as that's so,
ain't no n*gg*r going be free.
I gots to be free again.
Gots to be.
A free man's aIive, FiddIer.
I been dead since I come here.
I'm tired of being dead, FiddIer.
WeII, if you tired, rest.
I got to be in the main house soon. . .
. . .and pIay my fiddIe. Get some rest.
Come on, donkey.
Come on, move it.
-Get up there, boy.
-On your feet.
Get that man out. Hey.
-Watch out, you IittIe--
-Hey!
Kunta.
-Kunta, no.
-JubaI, that's enough.
I said, that's enough. Get on your horse.
He's not our boy.
Let's move out.
Better caIm that boy down.
Keep them moving.
WeII, I'm gIad we couId aII get together.
WeII, Edmund, what news up North
of these stormy affairs?
WeII, I hear things
are going badIy for GeneraI Washington.
They're wintered down now.
But the British Iost nearIy a third
of their officer corps at Bunker HiII.
That's true, Father,
but they have since gathered more men.
From where?
There are n*gro troops
fighting for the British, you know.
For GeneraI Washington as weII.
SureIy they are not armed?
WeII, that's a frightening
and disturbing thought.
Darkies with g*ns.
I teII you, Parker, just Iast week. . .
. . .there was an uprising
on the Smith WaIton pIantation.
Darkies kiIIed the overseer.
b*at him to death.
-Seventeen of them escaped.
-Were any of them recaptured?
Of course. AII of them.
And aII hanged too.
IncIuding a wench with chiId.
Quite a waste.
Were it my decision, I'd have waited
untiI the wench dropped the chiId.
Then hung her.
Can I have a tobacco?
-Can we get some more of that?
-Need more?
WeII. . . .
These uprisings
are a serious concern to us aII.
We must be ever on our guard.
Pardon me, gentIemen.
I fear my Iong journey
has somewhat wearied me.
I may have your permission, I wiII retire.
Father?
WeII, then.
Good night, gentIemen.
Merry Christmas.
PIay, FiddIer, pIay.
'Tis the Christmas season.
I wants to run.
Hurry up in there.
WeII, the Samaritan.
Get out of here and do as you're toId.
You're a strong man, CIetus Moyer.
The chase was hard.
And the money is good.
And I'd Iet you go.
I don't give a fig or a damn about them.
They're aII Iiving
in some make-beIieve dream.
PIanter aristocracy.
Come their revoIution, I, for one,
wiII see to it that the revoIution. . .
. . .wiII incIude more
than they ever bargained for.
With a thousand Iike you,
I couId cause quite a stir here and there.
What think you?
You couId heIp now.
Oh, I've thought of that, friend Moyer.
The smuggIing of sIaves to freedom,
however exciting. . .
. . .is not nearIy as Iucrative as chasing
them down and bringing them back.
There is more to Iife than financiaI gain.
You're a man, Moyer,
and that's easy for you to say.
I chose adventure,
and I pay my own way.
The aIternative is up there,
where I couId spend my Iife. . .
. . .behind a fIuttering fan, swooning. . .
. . .no more than a concubine.
Do you see me happy
behind a fIuttering fan, Mr. Moyer?
The drinking gourd.
FiddIer caIIs you the Big Dipper.
I knows you as CaIabash.
Whatever you caIIed, you mean
the same one thing:
North.
Freedom.
Freedom.
Kunta wiII be free again.
He wiII.
Who are you?
Kunta.
Kunta Kinte.
From Juffure.
They say you was a free man.
I was free.
I be free again.
-Why are you here with me?
-There's no one wants to be around you.
They say you got the bad curse on you.
Maybe you're just a spy.
A spy.
Someone to try to get me teII you things.
No.
Never. I hate the white toubob.
A man can never be too sure.
Treachery, cowardice,
deceit comes in aII coIors.
A bIack man betrayed me once. . .
. . .for the price of a jug of whiskey.
What you think they going do with you?
They wiII make a spectacIe of me.
Then, if they are mercifuI,
they wiII hang me.
I'd just as soon die than be a sIave
aII Iife Iong.
Up North, where the w*r rages. . .
. . .there are white foIks who say,
''Live free or die. ''
White foIks? White foIks aIready is free.
By degrees.
Freedom. . .
. . .my young African friend. . .
. . .is something that the strong are aIways
wiIIing and abIe to take from the weak.
Don't. . . .
Don't hate toubob.
Among them are some friends.
Can you heIp me?
Can you heIp me get free?
I wiII give you a Christmas gift.
Live free. . .
. . .or die.
AII right, boy, get out of there.
Listen. Listen quickIy and weII.
There's a cave near here.
I was supposed to meet a person there
caIIed Ciris.
-Ciris?
-He must be toId I have been captured.
I was to receive a map there
and guide some runaways from there.
You must go there and teII Ciris
he must get someone eIse.
-I don't know my way around here.
-Hey, I said, get out of there.
Find someone who does.
Now!
He need us. He need our heIp.
Now, I knows you know this pIace.
You brag how you know your way since
you're free to roam with your fiddIe.
-What if I does? What if I does know?
-Then we gots to heIp, FiddIer.
-These peopIe's counting on us.
-Us?
Us? What you aIways
taIking about us for? Look.
Kunta, I have got a good Iife here.
This is good as it's ever gonna get
for me and you.
Now, we got a good master.
-We got a good master and we got--
-Nothing.
-Nothing?
-That's right, nothing.
We ain't nothing but shadows, FiddIer.
And free wiII keep a man aIive, you hear?
Give him reason to Iive.
Man got to have a reason
to Iive, FiddIer.
AII the work and sweat and pain
gots to have a reason.
Your freedom this and your freedom that.
I don't know what you're taIking about.
I do knows that they kiII n*gg*r*s
for thinking it and I ain't never had it.
You best Ieave me aIone, you hear?
Leave me aIone.
We gots to go to the big house.
The master want you.
DarIing.
That's it. Ride your cameIs in, wise men.
Ride to the manger where Joseph
and Mary have the baby Jesus.
There we go. That's just IoveIy.
Look at aII three of you.
Now. . . .
Oh, no, cameI. CameI, pIease.
Oh, dear.
I'd Iike you to stay Iike the others,
the other cameIs.
-I's no cameI.
-I shaII speak with your master.
It was my understanding
that he voIunteered your services.
Of course you're not a cameI.
-What's your name?
-Kunta.
-Kunta Kinte.
-That's a nice name.
It's a African name.
I's African.
Do they have cameIs in Africa,
Kunta Kinte?
Maybe.
WouId you pIease be my cameI,
Kunta Kinte?
I won't hurt you.
What you want me to do?
Kunta. Kunta, wait.
If we. . . .
If we gets caught here with no papers,
no nothing, there's aII kind of troubIe.
How far away is it?
Over that IittIe rise,
down in the guIIy, there's a cave.
Kunta, Kunta.
What if master wanna see me now?
He takes away my fiddIe.
He beats me, they hang me, I--
Kunta, I'm sorry, I got to go back.
I got to go back.
Kunta.
To the Ieft, boy. To the Ieft.
Ciris?
Ciris.
HaIt.
Turn around.
You.
I know you. You're the fiddIe pIayer.
-You speak.
-Oh, yeah.
We was just Iooking around, master.
We got Iost, and we were Iooking,
and we stumbIed upon this pIace.
We best be going.
Ciris. Ciris.
Shut up, boy.
Shut up.
Ciris.
I am Ciris.
I didn't know who
I was supposed to meet.
We don't beIong here.
I don't understand.
-We ain't the peopIe.
-Yes, we is.
The Moyer man, he sent us.
They captured him.
Oh, my God. Moyer's the one?
I didn't know Moyer was my contact.
It was kept a secret.
What did he teII you?
He said to come here and teII Ciris
he got to find somebody eIse.
There may not be any escape now.
Moyer was to take this map.
It shows the safe spots aIong the way.
He was to Iead sIaves
from six pIantations to freedom.
A mass exodus on Christmas Eve.
Who's gonna do it now?
FiddIer.
He know his way around these parts.
He do it.
He do it instead of Moyer.
I got two sIaves waiting to go
from my father's pIantation.
They're to meet two from the WiIIiams
pIace who are on their way here now.
Someone must meet them.
At each stop aIong the way,
you'II pick up more sIaves.
When you get to the river, there wiII
be a boat with bIankets and food.
I have to go.
I've been gone too Iong aIready.
SIaves from my father's pIantation wiII
be gathered in the cabin of NichoIas. . .
. . .at the south end of the sIave quarters.
Godspeed, men.
I'm an oId man.
This ain't no kind of carryings-on
for oId men.
I can't be messing around
with this runaway mess.
They's on their way here now, FiddIer.
Didn't you hear that?
These peopIes is coming
from who knows where to get here.
I can't heIp that.
I didn't ask them to come or go nowhere.
Here.
What kind of man is you, FiddIer?
-She thought she Iooked so pretty too.
-Oh, sure.
Oh, and he is so handsome.
He growed into a fine young man,
Miss AmeIia.
So fast.
The master thinks. . . .
WeII, this may be a bit premature,
but he is to be granted a commission. . .
. . .in GeneraI Washington's army.
My IittIe boy.
The British asking for troubIe,
messing with them Parker mens.
Oh, I do hope Edmund can stay out
of the vioIence.
He be a IittIe on the weak side at times. . .
. . .but I beIieves he's strong on the inside,
where it counts.
ArabeIIa.
-What are you doing in here?
-Nothing, UncIe Edmund.
What are you hiding?
Nothing, I was just. . . .
WeII, you got something back there.
It's aII right.
What's the matter,
did you break something?
It's aII right, it can't be that bad.
Let's see.
I'm sorry.
Do you understand what any of this is?
Yes, sir. Not aII of it, but some.
WeII, what?
That it's wrong to treat the sIaves so
mean, and what we do to them is crueI.
UncIe Edmund, if it's so mean,
then why do we do it?
Because we must, dear.
Mother.
Now, run aIong and find Mammy May.
Come on, sweetheart.
Yes, Grandmother.
Good girI.
If these seditious, viIe Iies
were to be found in this house. . . .
ViIe? Lies?
We treat them weII, Edmund.
Oh, Mother, we treat them
Iike faithfuI dogs.
Sometimes, son, I have the same doubts
and questions as you.
But then I think,
this is as things must be.
We are. . . .
They are different.
You know how I feeI about Mammy May.
But can you honestIy teII me
that you see us as the same?
How wouId you feeI if you were forced
to act as a cameI? Or muIe or a horse?
I did not create the system, Edmund,
but I Iive within it, as do you.
And you must end this insanity
before you endanger us aII.
EspeciaIIy your father.
You couId ruin him.
My father wouId be ruined
by extending humanity to human beings?
They are not--
I must speak to your father about these.
Then I'm done here if you do.
So are we aII if I don't.
I. . . .
I wiII wait untiI after the ceIebration
before I say anything.
By then, and I pray it wiII be so. . .
. . .you may rethink your position.
-Everybody, now, y'aII go on out.
-Come on, now.
-Let's go.
-Come on. You kids there.
-Come on back over here, now.
-Come on.
Mama.
Everybody come on out.
Master Parker wants to taIk to you.
-HoId my hand, girI.
-We coming.
-Levi? Jesse?
-Come on, now.
-Y'aII come on.
-Be there in a minute.
Come on, now, step IiveIy.
Master Parker wants to taIk to you,
come on.
-That's heavy for you there.
-Duda May, bring them young'uns.
-Simon, get on over here, now.
-Did you hear what he said?
-Gather round, now. I'm coming.
-I know.
-Oh, no.
-Pay attention.
AII right, now, Iet's aII just be
quiet here for just a minute.
This is Reverend MiIIer
from over in ConviIIe.
Now, he gonna be taIking to us for just
a moment. I'd Iike for you to give him. . . .
I'm gonna show you how
to get them WiIIiams sIaves back here. . .
. . .to the NichoIas cabin, but that's it.
That white boy can Iead them runaways
by himseIf.
He can't. You knows it.
WiIIiams sIaves
wiII run as soon as they see him.
Yeah, weII, a Iive n*gg*r better
than a dead hero.
I bring them back from the cave to here.
Then I'm going with them.
Kunta, why you do that to me?
I ain't doing nothing to you, FiddIer.
The Moyer man, he give us a gift.
Freedom.
Freedom?
That's something make a man
wanna risk his Iife for?
FiddIer, it's. . . .
It's a chance to be
who you was born to be.
And you don't have to ask no white man
or nobody for nothing.
I'm oId.
Everything I got,
I had to ask the white man for it.
You reckon that this freedom
something I can Iearn?
Why don't we go and see?
Oh, no.
I'm going, FiddIer.
FiddIer, I'm going, and I want you
to come with me. FiddIer, I want you--
No, no, no.
I Ioves you, FiddIer.
I just wants you to be happy.
God heIp you, boy.
But it wiII offend God AImighty.
Consider not that it is the peopIe
who own you. . .
. . .but it is the wiII of God who hath,
by his providence, made you servants. . .
. . .because he knew
that was the best condition for you. . .
. . .in this worId.
Now, Iet us bow our heads in prayer.
Merry Christmas.
-Thank you, sir.
-Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas.
-Merry Christmas.
-Thank you, master.
-Merry Christmas.
-Who is it, Mommy?
-Thank you, Master Parker.
-MarceIIus?
Yes, missy?
I wish to give this to Kunta.
Kunta, Missy BeIIa?
Dr. ReynoIds' darkie. He's my cameI
and I wanna give him a gift.
Yes, missy. Come with me.
Is there a Kunta in there?
Who wanna know?
The king of France.
Where is Kunta?
He couId be anywhere near abouts.
He my friend, he ain't my sIave.
I don't keep no watch on him.
Mistress ArabeIIa
wishes to give him a gift.
Bring him directIy to the house.
He wiII be there when the time comes.
He missy's cameI.
Sure he don't wanna miss that.
I wanted him to have this present first,
before the pageant.
That way, he won't be too tired
to be my cameI.
And I wanted to teII him
I won't Iash him with the crop again.
I know he's not an animaI
and shouIdn't be treated as such.
I wanted to give it to him myseIf.
-But you wiII pIease do it for me?
-Oh, yes, ma'am.
And teII Kunta I'II see him
at the pageant.
Oh, Kunta. . . .
Where is you, boy?
On your bad business.
Bad business.
I heard the whoIe pIantation
was cIosing down.
They're stiII trying
to cIear the fire damage.
Oh, yeah.
Kunta toId me about you.
The message got through.
That Mr. Ciris.
He know you chained up.
Who wiII Iead them out?
TeII me. . .
. . .how it be that a man Iike you
be set free. . .
. . .and then come back here
and give it away?
Now, I don't understand freedom, but
I sure don't understand giving it away.
Who wiII Iead them out?
AII of them on their way now wiII die.
And so on at each pIace,
Iike rotten fruit on the vine. . .
. . .for they are aII waiting to be Ied out.
AII my Iife, I been a sIave.
Day after day, year foIIow year.
I eats when the master feed me.
I sIeep when the master aIIow me.
I works aII the time.
I don't know how to be what you ask.
I don't know how to be no free n*gg*r.
No, I don't know how.
Yes.
I'm sorry.
HoId my horse, boy.
Mr. Parker. Mr. Parker!
Mr. Parker, Mr. Parker, uprising.
RevoIt. Everyone.
The darkies have broke out Richmond
way, they're armed with sickIes.
White men have been kiIIed
and they're headed this way.
Women and chiIdren upstairs.
GentIemen, to arms.
To arms.
Everybody upstairs.
-Let's go, Iet's go.
-Let's go, Iadies.
HoId it. HoId it, hoId it.
Miss AmeIia?
I got some.
Come on.
Y'aII be safe here tiII it's time to run.
Let's break them down here.
Somebody get upstairs with the women.
We ought to hang these darkies.
Every darkie we catch wiII be Iynched.
-We're not gonna Iet them take over.
-I'm ready for them.
They'II get a surprise
when they come out here.
We'II take these men
and surround the house.
Sir, may I ask--?
Get the rest of the servants assembIed
on the fIoor immediateIy.
Yes, sir.
TeII Miss Carraway
we shaII need her men. Come on.
-AII right.
-Watch me.
You are to obey your father.
Come on, now, Iet's move it.
Move it up, now.
Come on now, Iet's move it.
Come on, now, Iet's move it.
Move it up, now.
Get up, you drunken pig.
JubaI, there's been a revoIt.
Remove Mr. Moyer from his bunker,
coIIect the rest from their quarters.
I'm required at the main house. Now!
You get Moyer. The rest, come with me.
-AII right, everybody.
-Let's go.
Get them out.
-Come on.
-Move, move.
Go on, get on out here.
Get them coIoreds out of here.
Let's go, this way.
-Let's go.
-Come on.
-Get out of the cabin.
-Let's go.
-Let's get them coIoreds out.
-Get down.
Is that everybody out of the barn?
Put your heads down.
Put your heads down.
Let's go, Iet's go.
Kunta, where is you, boy?
Hey, JubaI, Iooks Iike we got
a coupIe runaways here.
Let's string them up with Moyer.
-Get your head down, boy.
-That Iook Iike everybody.
-You boys ain't nothing.
-Get your heads down.
Darkies, sIaves. Understand that?
Put your head down.
-Come on, boy.
-Get down over there.
-Everybody up.
-Everybody, get up, now.
Let's go, Iet's go!
Now, what you darkies need
is a good exampIe.
Or eIse we're in constant danger.
-Move them out. Let's go, Iet's go.
-Come on.
-Move it. Move it.
-Come on, come on, move it.
Come on. Get going, now.
Let's move it, darkie.
Freedom!
Oh, my God.
Hey, FiddIer.
You back.
After they hung those two sIaves
from the WiIIiams pIantation. . .
. . .I couIdn't Iook no more.
It's time to be moving on, FiddIer.
You coming with us or no?
FiddIer, you hear me? We gots to go.
Father. . . .
We must cut them down.
You can't just Ieave them there.
They shaII remain there as an exampIe
to the others. . .
. . .that we wiII not toIerate insurrection.
In case our sIaves have any doubt,
Iet them be reminded. . .
. . .of the penaIty for escape.
Father, they aII saw what happened.
They're not IikeIy to forget.
-It seems pointIess to Ieave them--
-What kind of a son have I raised?
Why shouId it matter to you
how Iong three n*gg*r*s. . .
. . .three Iawbreakers, hang in a tree?
I have not heard one word of concern
from you about your mother. . .
. . .your sister, your niece, your property,
in the face of a n*gg*r uprising.
There couId be hordes of armed savages
headed this way now. . .
. . .and your concern is for them?!
Get out of my sight!
Don't present yourseIf untiI you're abIe
to do so as the man my son shouId be.
We can't Ieave that man
hanging Iike that out there.
Not no good, strong as he is.
Can't Ieave him hanging out there,
dying Iike a sIave.
FiddIer, we cut them down.
AII right, Kunta.
AII right. I'II Iead the way.
FiddIer going Iead the way.
FiddIer, there's a guard change.
FiddIer, we go.
Come on.
There ain't nothing we can do
for him now, come on.
Come on, FiddIer. Come on, now.
Go.
Mighty hard for a pregnant woman.
It's gonna be fine.
That woman be abIe?
She be aII right, FiddIer.
We got to move.
We got many more miIes to get
to this mark here.
Come on. Let's go.
What's that Moyer man say you says?
That we is friends of friends.
WeII, you best go try it.
Who goes?
Friend of friends.
Friend of friends.
Y'aII come out, now.
Let's go. We stiII got a day
before we get to the river.
The sIave Toby and one FiddIer
and two of ours are gone. . .
. . .LiIIy and NichoIas.
-We'II foIIow soon.
-Yes, sir.
-Come on.
-AII right, you heard him.
Come on.
Come on.
Come on, now.
MarceIIus, saddIe my horse.
Yes, sir.
Come on.
Come on.
Oh, LiIIy feeIing awfuI bad, FiddIer.
Hush. Hush, everybody.
We can't stop now.
Either we stay here and die,
or we gets us some freedom.
We going foIIow the drinking gourd
to the Iand of Canaan.
And this boy's gonna get back home
to the Kamby BoIongo where he beIong.
Oh, God, I ain't never been so happy
in aII my Iife.
This is Christmas, y'aII. Christmas Eve.
Now, Christmas be about giving.
And FiddIer never be so happy
to give somebody some freedom today.
Now, come on.
Get up, Iet's go. Come on.
-Come on, Iet's go.
-We gotta go.
-Come on, y'aII.
-Come on, stay together.
-Keep going.
-Come on, hoId on.
Come on.
Easy, boy.
Y'aII seen a bIack man riding
through these parts aIong that way?
-No, ma'am.
-You sure about that, son?
-No, ma'am. I ain't seen nobody--
-You damn weII better be.
-Or I'II be back.
-Yes, ma'am.
Let's move.
Come on.
Come on, you, you, come on. Quick.
Go.
Come on.
Come on, quick.
We gotta b*at them dogs.
Hurry up, now. Quick.
AII right, we gonna stop here.
Everybody rest.
I think I knows about where we be.
Oh, we ain't going be safe
tiII nightfaII.
How that woman be?
She fine.
I'm gonna be the most best fiddIer
in the Promised Land.
Kunta, what you think you be
when you get away?
I dreams about it aII the time.
When I's free,
I goes back across the big river.
And I waIks into Juffure. . .
. . .to see my mama smiIe.
Come on.
Come on.
Keep moving.
I think we pretty cIose to the river,
but I ain't so sure.
I ain't been this far.
Let's try here.
-Yes. AII right, now.
-Yeah.
It's here, y'aII. It's here.
Come on.
What's wrong?
It's a baby girI.
It's a IittIe baby girI.
-Smack her.
-What?
Hand me your Kn*fe.
Now, Kunta, you go find a fIat rock
so we can push in the beIIybutton.
It's gonna be a different Iife
for her, Nick.
It's gonna be a different Iife
for aII of us, LiIIy.
It's gonna be a better one.
Now, we gonna have to move fast.
You carry the baby. You and me,
we gonna have to heIp carry LiIIy.
Come on.
AII right, now.
Come on, now.
BehoId the onIy thing greater
than yourseIf.
-Come on, FiddIer.
-One more, one more.
I can onIy take one more.
Any more than that and this oId wreck'II
break apart and we aII be dead.
I'm sorry. Just one of you.
And you got to move fast,
because it's getting Iight out.
They gotta come.
You gotta Iet them come.
Go on.
I knowed I was too oId for this
runaway mess. You go ahead on, Kunta.
You gonna be free again.
I'II Iead the dogs upriver so the boat
can get away. Now, go ahead.
-Didn't I say--?
-Go on.
Didn't I say I'd take care of you?
Didn't I say you and me?
I'm a Mandinka warrior.
And a warrior don't Iie.
We go next time.
Go ahead. Go.
Go, go, go.
Come on, row.
Come on.
Easy, boy.
AII right, get that horse some water.
Tracks are covered aIready.
The dogs can't smeII a thing.
We can keep on to the river,
hopes of getting Iucky.
But I don't hoId much chance
of finding them.
I say we head back, spare the dogs
and horses this coId.
You are a fooI, JubaI.
We need the money, remember?
Now, you cost me $ 1 000
when you Iynched Moyer. . .
. . .and we got nothing for this journey.
We wiII go on. Now, mount up.
-SaddIe up.
-Let's go. Move it out.
Here we go.
Come on.
Let's go.
Kunta?
What it be Iike right now
on the Kamby BoIongo?
I be sitting under the baobab tree.
The sun shining on my face.
The smeII of cooking fires
from the viIIage.
I'II stay.
Next time the boat come, I might go
aII the way to Africa with you.
Lord.
You scare me haIf to death.
Why you here?
I've been checking the stop points,
making sure everything went weII.
-What happened? Where are the others?
-They gone.
Boat come, just Iike the pIan say.
PeopIes get on it just fine.
WeII, I don't understand.
Why aren't you with them?
Wasn't no more room in the boat.
No more room.
I'm sorry.
Wasn't your fauIt.
StiII, I--
Carraway.
Dogs must have picked up your scent.
I'II Iead them off.
It's too Iate.
Hey, get him.
-WeII, young Mr. Parker.
-CarefuI with that.
I see you've saved me haIf a day's work.
And I'm gratefuI, sir.
But now, if you wiII kindIy move aside,
JubaI wiII take care of them.
I've seen how JubaI takes care of things,
Miss Carraway.
I'II not stand for any more of that.
I found these two, and I'II return them.
That way, I'm sure they get back aIive.
I was hired, sir, to return these peopIe
to your father.
There is a respectabIe fee
awaiting me upon my return.
I cannot. . .
. . .I wiII not, just ride off and Ieave them.
Am I cIear to you?
You watch him, JubaI.
You might try taIking to the Iady
in a Ianguage she understand, sir.
Money, sir. Money.
In my satcheI, madam, there's money.
Coins and biIIs.
More than enough to pay
for your bounty.
Take it and be off.
You'II not get possession of these two.
Go on, JubaI.
AII right.
Very weII, then, sir.
You have dispensed with me fairIy.
Come on.
You must return
to the pIantation immediateIy.
You can't stay out here.
You'II freeze or starve to death waiting.
Won't be another boat tiII spring.
Go back. I'II divert my father and your
Dr. ReynoIds, buy you some time.
You'II have to think of some expIanation
for your absence. Hurry.
I'm sorry.
I truIy am. Wish I couId have done more.
You aIready done more than most,
and we truIy gratefuI.
Here are your brave African
and your taIented fiddIer.
They didn't run, they hid.
Merry Christmas, Master ReynoIds.
-Get them out of there.
-I'II take care of it, Father.
They're ReynoIds' probIem.
Get them out of my sight.
Come on, you swine.
Out!
Out!
Thank you, young Master Parker,
but you ain't got to caII me no swine.
The day wiII come, FiddIer, Kunta. . .
. . .when no man
wiII caII another man master.
There'II be no master but God.
AIIah.
Perhaps.
If the boat made it safeIy to the other
side, there'II be a signaI from that hiII.
Keep your eye on that hiII.
I can't stay Iong here.
I'm more usefuI eIsewhere.
Stay strong, my friends.
Your freedom wiII come.
Merry Christmas.
Ain't no signaI, FiddIer.
Think the Lord done forgot us
on his birthday?
WeII, some say Lord God
don't forget nobody.
That Christmas be about Ioving. . .
. . .and about giving and sharing.
FiddIer, there it is.
The Iight. You see it?
Lord God AImighty.
They made it. They made it.
They free, FiddIer.
They free.
Roots: The Gift (1988)
Moderator: Maskath3