Sankofa (1993) User Reviews

Outstanding

[realredundant · 8/10 · 20 January 2007]

There is no better movie on that period in history. It shows the African spirit not only as passive and accepting or merely as a vehicle to be brutalised by an antagonist who is given all the lines but here the Africans are allowed to be people. We see a real portrayal of people with feelings, emotions and lives.

It touches on some of the aspects of mental slavery that other movies avoid, such as the biracial son of the master and a slave being indoctrinated with the church to hate his black mother and her spirituality. The scenes with him gazing longingly at white Madonna and child imagery in a church being attended to by a white priest telling about his wicked heathen mother really ring home.

From start to finish this is definitely the black perspective on slavery. Amistad is nothing to this. Amistad was about a court case, did nothing to the actualities of slavery or the deeper issues as Sankofa did with panache and feeling.

Pretty good movie

[modom1914 · 8/10 · 1 October 2009]

The only thing this movie lacks from is more mainstream actors but would a mainstream studio publish this movie? Love it or hate it, this is a movie made for an audience of African descent with the intentions of bridging the gap between both sides of the Atlantic while simultaneously forcing African Americans to question their ways and identity. The perspective of the film maker can be questioned. One could complain that slave owners and Christianity was portrayed in too brutal of a light, as many of the other viewers have done. But must a film produced to explore the dehumanizing aspects of slavery along with the attempts by the slaves to reclaim their humanity also be one that reconciles the image of the enslavers? Of course not. This film was not published in a bubble. It is a part of a larger canon of slavery films, many of which have already highlighted the benevolence or at least mixed feelings of the master (see Roots, the Patriot by Mel Gibson, or even worse Jefferson in Paris).

In all, this film was a brave attempt at complex and fairly unveiled aspects of slavery. It has its flaws but the biggest flaw is that many of these topics still go unrepresented on the big screen. Imagine how amazing a film of Nat Turner's Rebellion or the Hatian Revolt would be?

This move is Beautiful!!

[kswright1 · 10/10 · 24 January 2007]

The first time I heard of this movie was in College. I then purchased myself a copy. This movie is Amazing, Probably the truest, realest movie regarding Slavery. It told of the horrors and abuse African people who were brought to this country endured.. I believe this is a must see for everyone regardless of races..The strength alone of the people, to deal with what they faced and to still rise above that is absolutely Incredible. It is a shame that this movie got no recognition in the US . I guess it would cause people to deal with the reality of the horrific brutality human beings faced during this darkest era in American History.

Why Brothers wear Dark, Dark glasses.....

[Zeech · 26 August 2001]

Na mate, in my usual style, I won't touch on the plot, characters etc .. This is about me and 3 brothers who went to see this film. Some of us were West African, some Horn African (Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia etc), some Caribbean etc.

These usual jovial, come let we make jokes, guys went to see this film. Throughout the entire film we did not look at each other ONCE, at the end we avoided eye contact as we filed out. My jaw was aching from how hard I must have had it clenched to prevent it from opening and releasing floogates of emotions. Those emotions... man, that film showed me just how much pain there is in us, which we have not faced up to (before we were not allowed, but now we can if we are Lion enough to). I'd like to say we all got a wake up call from that film, and went on to find out more about the middle passage which was whitewashed outta of our schooling. But no, interestingly enough unlike the film's shallow model who does face up to the enslavement past, and grows from it. Some of my friends did the opposite and remain just like the model was like in the begining of the movie. And After watching the film -- again and again -- I can understand why.

Brilliant and passionate.

[James B. · 10/10 · 30 August 2000]

I saw this film in Washington, DC in 1995 and have since purchased the tape. It is a blast of African pride and anti-slavery vigor from Ethiopian-born director Haile Gerima. Gerima is a professor at Howard University in DC and his films confront the issues of race, integration, and violence in Africa and America. "Sankofa" is available through Mypheduh films (Gerima's production company) in DC.

The story begins and ends on a small island in West Africa, where 'Mona', an African-American fashion model, is in the present day. The middle of the film consists of Mona, through magic realism, being transported back to a slave plantation in 18th-century America. For those of you who wonder about what it was like to be a slave back then, under those barbaric and intolerable conditions, this is your chance. "Sankofa" is not for the faint of heart. Yet its violent scenes are never overdone, and the film's final 'message' is a positive one.

It's a shame that this film at this time has an IMDB "rating" of only 5 or so, because 31 of the 44 votes cast have been "10"s, including mine. I guess this film has alienated a few people, but most powerful films do that. A very important film from a gifted and underrated director.

Spirit of the dead, rise up.

[ulygraves · 10/10 · 13 January 2009]

As an African-American male this film really hit home for me. It upsets me that there aren't more films like this from the perspective of the oppressed. I can't believe I didn't hear of this film until recently, the same as I never heard of great Africans and people of African descent like Dr. Cheikh Anta Diop, Dr. John Henrick Clarke, Dr. Amos Wilson, Dr. Chancellor Williams, Dr. Carter G. Woodson and many others like them until recently. This film shows how life today among blacks strongly resembles the life of slaves on the plantation. We think we are free but our minds are stuck in self hatred. I recommend this movie to people of all races and backgrounds, very eye-opening and educational. 10 times better than any Roots or Amistad or Color Purple that was made by people not of African descent

Well-made, but abhorrent

[Ringbearer852 · 1/10 · 3 October 2005]

In a way it would have been better if this film was terribly made, because then nobody would pay attention to its horrible message.

To talk about the good, the cinematography was well done. Some of the shots of the landscape and sky were breathtaking. Though the lack of a decent budget shows, the talent of the film crew is able to overcome that.

However, despite the talent that went into the production, I cannot give the movie a higher score, because of its intolerable message.

This movie purports to show the mistreatment of African Americans at the hands of white men. In some aspects this is certainly helpful. It is good to remember the horrors we have inflicted on others, to guard us against doing so again.

But the movie falls into propaganda with its heavy-handed treatment of its characters. The noble Nunu, an African who zealously follows the paganism of her ancestors, is presented as a saint without flaw. Meanwhile, her mulatto son, Joe, a faithful catholic, is unloving, murderous, and a traitor to his people.

This is not a movie in which all people are shown as corrupted, fallen beings. This is a movie in which all African Pagans are savage heroes, and all whites are licentious hypocritical Christians. The white characters are never anything other than cardboard cutouts, two-dimensional scapegoats for all the ills of the Africans. I don't even want to get into the unspoken insinuation that it's Joe's white blood that has corrupted him.

Now, you might say I'm being unfair. After all, were there not corrupt priests, slave owners who raped their slaves, and traitorous mulattoes? Undoubtedly. But this movie never gives us a hint that there is anything but those things. This movie gives us no reason to think not all priests aren't racists, that not all slave owners are rapists.

Furthermore, the movie forces us to associate good Africans with paganism, and evil whites and traitorous African Americans with Christianity. Joe kills his mother because she throws away his necklace of Mary, and because the priest tells him his mother is the devil. Shola doesn't join the "good" side until she attends the pagan ritual in the caves.

Not to mention the portrayal of Africa as paradise, where nothing bad ever happened to anyone. No, before whites enslaved them, there was certainly no murder or rape among the Africans. Not to say it was as bad as slavery, but the movie's equation of Africa with heaven is ridiculous.

That the movie ends with the slaves slaughtering the slave owners shows the depravity of the movie. They have unfortunately agreed with the philosophy of Farakkhan and others who think that going back to Africa, and cutting off any connection with other races, is the correct path.

In the end it is a movie that argues that outwardly choosing a religion makes you either an evil person or a good one, and that the correct way to respond to injustice is with revenge.

African American history from African American perspective

[liselotte · 10/10 · 12 December 2003]

Hailes Sankofa is the first and best movie about slavery ever made. Forget Amistad go see this movie if you can find it. The director of this movie could not get funding for this movie as the content was considered 'too controversial'. He made the movie outside of Hollywood and this resulted in a honest view on the history of slavery. This movie had bad distribution and no advertisement but it sold out at the box offices in America. The movie is named after the bird Sankofa. This bird is always looking back to where it came from. This massage is important throughout the movie; for a better understanding of the present and the future you need to know where you came from and how history has treated you.

Why would they do this?

[desertfox42 · 1/10 · 21 February 2005]

"I've got it, Jim!" "What's that, George?" "What are the two subjects we can combine to evoke sympathy from a guilt-ridden audience while still being original in an annoying Paulie Shore kind of way?" "The Holocaust and a team of break-dancing ninjas from the future?" "NO! Slavery and time-travel!" "C'mon George, no one can possibly take that seriously. In fact, that brings up a good question, why would you have to use a plot device as crazy as time travel in order to make people empathize with slaves?" "Screw you, you're fired. (To an aide) Get me some yes-men!"

That essentially summarizes my feelings about San Kofa. Why would you use something as ridiculous as time travel to highlight the horrors of slavery? Why would you put jazz music into a rape scene? Why would you put subtitles in for someone speaking English in a strange accent IN that strange dialect of English?

totally destroys the myth of the happy and passive slave of early American history

[scr99016 · 9/10 · 25 April 2001]

A very compelling story of what slavery was really like. The sometimes graphic but honest images left a very strong impression on me. No happy go lucky Uncle Toms willing to cater to the Master in all things. This film is one of my alternative favorites but is very hard to find. It should be required viewing for American history courses.

In awe.

[shicaca · 12 October 2002]

This movie best depicted conditions of slavery that I have ever seen. Hearing so many things in books and from school teachers dillutes the mind a little and makes it feel very mild from the way they speak. I was especially in awe how they made it so real yet didn't even hardly show blood at all. I watched it a second time to make sure; it doesn't!

If you are going to watch this on your own accord (i.e.- not in a class where you can't get another copy), PLEASE watch it more than once. I've heard this so many times about so many other movies, but it's awesomly true in this case! 'You can not POSSIBLY get everything w/ one viewing'.

I'm off to write a paper about this movie, but I think I must rent it once more before I get done with the paper to get even more info; there's just that much.

Superb

[jazni · 10/10 · 20 July 2000]

This movie is so complex. Never before had an African writer/director ventured into such unknown territory. This movie is incredible! A black fashion model, who is posing for a fashion shoot amidst the beautiful scenery of Africa, is transported back in time through an African slave trade castle. Great cinematography and artistic creativity. This movie is not only entertainment, it is an experience!

Tara was fiction, this is real!

[t-tomusko · 10/10 · 23 October 2005]

Most older movies and many movies in general like "Song of the South" and "Gone With the Wind" depicted Slavery as an okay instuition. In those films Slaves are depicted as Happy in that institiution, but in this film you see how Slaves really felt. Also you can see their humanity and knowledge where in older films they were depicted as ignorant.

This film is really, really neat for an independent film, and it shows a real slave castle in Gahana. Sankofa is a term that... Well, get the movie and you will learn more about it.

It does a good job of taking you through the film from a slaves point of view. The film uses that interesting "lens" to illustrate just how wrong slavery was. It also gives insight into the family unit among slaves, which may explain the black family today in America. Understanding the history of black families during slavery may be used to help understand the black family today in it's struggles to have cohesiveness.

Tripe

[byrne-justinjay · 1/10 · 7 August 2006]

This was the worst film I had ever seen (until I saw "Welcome II Terrordome"). While I understand the potential necessity of the polemic that it so burdensomely carries, Sankofa is not fit for any sort of consumption. While it does portray slavery in a brutally realistic fashion, any drama or complexity that might have at one point existed, is destroyed by one of the poorest scripts ever produced, the poorest editing and music ever seen in a film, and some of the worst acting ever to not grace the screen. Yes, this is a terrible terrible film. Yes, I know it was low budget, but the reason why is that it lacked a script that could carry it. Skip Sankofa, it is two hours of your life you will never get back.

Definitely changed my view.

[lucky_little_shamroc-1 · 10/10 · 8 November 2006]

As a Univeristy student, studying the Narratives of the Black Atlantic, I was asked to view "Sankofa" during lecture time to further get an understanding of the topic. The film was fantastic in the portrayal of the characters, the lighting and sounds were authentic to the plights of the slaves and how some of the overcame their injustices at the hands of the slave holders.

A film that definitely changed my view and made me think. I would recommend it to anyone thinking of studying the Black Atlantic although it is hard to watch, as some of the scenes depict the raping and the whipping of the slaves, all of which did happen on the plantations in the West Indies.

Misrepresentation of the Ghana Tradition and culture

[daveshee2012 · 4/10 · 27 March 2023]

I recently watched a movie that had a great story line and was really engaging, but unfortunately fell short in its representation of Ghanaian culture. Although the movie was well-made and enjoyable to watch, I couldn't help but feel disappointed by the lack of attention paid to the accuracy of the costumes and cultural elements portrayed.

It was clear that the writer had drawn inspiration from American plantation slave workers, and while this might have been a fascinating angle to explore, it did not do justice to the Ghanaian culture that the movie was meant to represent.

Despite this shortcoming, I still found the movie to be a great watch. The acting was superb, and the story line kept me hooked from start to finish. However, as someone who is interested in Ghanaian culture, it was a letdown to see the missed opportunity to showcase its unique and rich heritage.

In conclusion, while the movie was definitely worth watching, it was a missed opportunity to represent Ghanaian culture as accurately as possible. The lack of attention paid to costume design and cultural details left me wishing for a more authentic portrayal.

One of the best films made portraying the African experience.

[ehun40 · 10/10 · 18 February 2006]

In terms of the the African experience in the west, in relation to slavery and all the bigotry and racism suffered by us, particularly today as we continue to struggle for equality in all areas of our lives, Sankofa is a true and honest depiction. There has been many films made about our experiences and none of them has touched on this reality or even offered a suggestions as to how we free ourselves from this slave mentality which causes us not only to self exploit but to take part in the exploitation of our brothers and sisters. The character Sankofa is representative of 99.9%of black females across Europe and the Americas. This point relates to the character at the start of the film before she goes back to the past. Haille Gerima has a spirit and a soul that generates throughout the movie that the end is one that is positive and not filled with bitterness. It is very understandable why he could not get financial backing as the film is in the eyes of the Hollywood suits, too controversial. Very similar to Spike Lee when making Malcolm X: black people all over loved it and many white people did not, why it failed to win the Oscar. Although the cast of Sankofa is relatively unknown, with the exception of a couple of the American actors in it, don't be put off, everyone plays their role exceptionally well. The film is not only educational in its value but an important film for young and older black women. A film we should all have in our DVD home collection. I will be looking forward to viewing more of his works.

A brilliant film

[Moviedrop1 · 9/10 · 15 September 2005]

I have seen this movie four times and each time I view it I learn something new.I wish that this movie was shown in American history classes, to educate our children. I think that the more that people learn the true horrors of slavery they will no longer be able to ignore it. This is the sort of film that will lead people, both Black and White, to really discuss the wrongs that have been done in this country. I hope that others will not be turned away because some have said it was not executed right. What they do not understand is that this movie was made with not a lot of money. Unfortunately, these types of stories are not what Hollywood wants to produce. Although it is not the best quality it should be watched for its important message. Hopefully, if more of us show interest in these type of films Hollywood will make them and they will be of a better quality aesthetically .

We all could learn from this film

[akalvig-2 · 10/10 · 15 October 2006]

Sankofa is a film that every American should see (no matter what one's ancestry), as it portrays slavery and the middle passage more frankly than any other film to date.

The music is brilliant, and the film is beautiful despite the ugliness of slavery. Never have I been moved as much as when I watch this film.

Symbolism is rampant throughout this should-be masterpiece... from the importance of color red to the element of flight, the representations made subliminally as well as those made in the forefront are incredible. Because of this, one can view the film several times, and still not see everything it has to offer.

I've shown this film in my ENG 101 courses dozens of times. It's that important.

Go see it. Now.

Great story and message, poor execution.

[endo_zen · 7 January 2003]

i have to say first that i have the complete and utmost respect for this film and the message it conveys. i am writing a large paper about it for my english class and i have put much thought into the story and characters. yet as much as i love

what this film does for showing viewers a real and raw account, i cannot help but notice that this film is, for lack of any other word...cheap. i feel that with a better budget haile gerima could have wokred wonders. however, sadly, the fact still remains that the acting is mediocre at best, the music is horrid and the editing is amatuer. i feel bad about putting these things into writing, however when i critique a film, i cannot ignore the quality of aspects of the film because of it's great social importance. i would like to see more from gerima in the future.