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| Unchained Memories | 
 enlarge | Directors: Edward Bell (iii), Thomas Lennon (ii), Ed Bell (iii)
Actors: Whoopi Goldberg, Angela Bassett, Michael Boatman, Roscoe Lee Browne, Don Cheadle
Studio: HBO Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.98
Buy New: $12.81
You Save: $7.17 (36%)
New (33) Used (14) from $12.81
Avg. Customer Rating:  16 reviews
Sales Rank: 8249
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 75
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.5 x 0.6
MPN: D92015D
ISBN: 0783123396
UPC: 026359201523
EAN: 9780783123394
ASIN: B00007M5KT
Theatrical Release Date: 2002
Release Date: February 11, 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand New and Factory Sealed Item Fast Shipping
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Product Description
When the Civil War ended in 1865 more than four million slaves were set free. Over 70 years later the memories of some 2000 slave-era survivors were transcribed and preserved by the Library of Congress. These first-person anecdotes ranging from the brutal to the bittersweet have been brought to vivid life in this unique HBO documentary special featuring the on-camera voices of over a dozen top African-American actors.Running Time: 75 min.System Requirements:Running Time 75 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. Rating: NR UPC: 026359201523
Amazon.com
The material used for this beautifully made HBO documentary dates back to the 1930s, when journalists conducted thousands of interviews with former slaves who'd been emancipated at the end of the Civil War. A selection of these faithfully transcribed "slave narratives" are vividly read (acted, really) here by a host of distinguished performers, ranging from Samuel L. Jackson to Oprah Winfrey, from Don Cheadle to Angela Bassett, with narration by Whoopi Goldberg. Since there's obviously no film available from the slave period, the producers use artfully edited photos, file footage, some atmospheric new film, and shots of the performers in action to bring the material to life. Add all of that to the DVD bonus features (text bios of individual slaves and a couple of lengthy audio segments), and you have a moving record of bitter, weary, yet resilient and quietly proud people living with memories that never would, or could, fade. --Sam Graham
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| Customer Reviews: Read 11 more reviews...
 A truly powerful work. July 14, 2008
I bought this for use in my middle school classroom, and am so glad I did. It was so much more powerful than I ever expected. I did not think I could be so affected by what I considered "just more information about slavery". I definitely picked my jaw up off the floor a few times. Having the perspective of actual former slaves, voiced by someone, with actual photos truly made this so touching and educational for myself and my classes, and brought the reality to slavery that nothing I've experienced before was able to. Just amazing.
(A side note for any teachers looking to use it: I showed this in 2 class periods, using the the majority of the period to watch and a few minutes to discuss. I will do it differently from now on. 10-15 minutes each day, it keeps the kids more interested and increases their anticipation to see and learn more.)
Unchained Memories September 4, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is an amazing video that has famous African-American actors reading the narratives of former slaves as they retold their experience during the American slave movement. The pace is perfect and narratives are intertwined with photos and re-enactments that bring the slave experience to life. Whoopi Goldberg is amazing as the narrator. This video is not only informative, but chilling in its retelling of one of our most traumatic times in American history.
Unchained Memories May 16, 2007
I love this DVD it is an excellent representation of the plight of African Americans from slavery until present.
Slavery Commentaries February 8, 2007
Spoken history from those who lived it. Very good book. Interesting. Educational. The facts from the slaves themselves. Awesome reading.
 voices from the past January 25, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
The end of the Civil War in 1865 freed about 4 million slaves in America, a significant number of whom lived into the 1940s. During the Depression, the Federal Writers Project hired people to interview and record first person narratives from these former slaves, the last first-hand resource that could document their experiences. Today the Library of Congress houses 2,000 such interviews, in their original "dialect" and broken English, in the simply-titled Slave Narratives. This film uses original still photographs, contemporary re-enactments, slave music, a running commentary by Whoopi Goldberg, and, most notably and thus the film's title, dramatic readings of those original slave narratives by contemporary African-American actors and actresses like Oprah Winfrey. In just over an hour you learn about the daily horrors of slave life from those who lived to tell of it--relentless work, horrendous housing and diet, the denial of education, sexual violence, and how the "masters" used Christianity to keep their slaves passive. This is a deeply moving film about our nation's very recent past. I recommend watching it in conjunction with the seven-part PBS documentary on the civil rights movement called Eyes on the Prize.
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