Interweaving lecture, personal anecdotes, interviews, and shocking revelations, criminal defense and civil rights lawyer Jeffery Robinson draws a stark timeline of anti-Black racism in the United States, from slavery to the modern myth of a post-racial America. In WHO WE ARE — A Chronicle of Racism in America, Robinson faces his largest audience, asking all of us to examine who we are, where we come from, and who we want to be.
For in-depth thoughts on Who We Are: A Chronicle Of Racism In America, please see my colleague Shawn Paul Wood’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
Who We Are: A Chronicle Of Racism In America comes to Blu-Ray in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio from a gorgeous high definition master. The film mostly consists of new interviews and lectures with a substantial amount of archival footage and photos. The documentary footage looks as technically excellent as it can look in high definition. The transfer appears to have plenty of room to breathe and there are no issues with compression artifacts, banding or other digital nuisances. The footage of the older material seems to be the best version of it that would be possible, with most of it looking at least decent. Interview segments look sleek and clear with natural skin tones and detailed facial features. The colors featured in the film are natural and vibrant as they provide a nice visual pop on screen. Black levels are appropriately deep and give way to a nice amount of detail in shadows. I do not see how this release could have been improved visually. It’s a beautiful transfer handled with care by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray comes with a stellar DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that captures this content perfectly. Dialogue is the driving force of the film, and it comes through crisp and clear without being clipped by any competing sounds. The filmmakers do a really great job of capturing their subjects when they are out in the world and making sure all this information comes through with supreme clarity. The music establishes the mood of the film, and it is resolved well here as it fills the room. Environmental sounds are limited but what is there is replicated perfectly. You could not have asked for a better audio presentation for this one. There are optional English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles included for those who desire them.
Special Features
- Trailer: The two-minute trailer is provided for the film.
Final Thoughts
Who We Are: A Chronicle Of Racism In America is an endlessly engaging and enlightening look at one of the most vital issues we face as a society. Even if you consider yourself an “ally” or progressive person, it is necessary that you take time to really listen to what Robinson is saying and understand where we are as a society and what we can do better. This material should not be viewed as “homework”, but rather an opportunity to enlighten yourself and live your life in a more considered manner. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray with a stellar A/V presentation but not much in the way of special features. Interest in this may not extend far beyond those already intrigued by the subject, but it is a feature that would benefit anyone who wants to be a little more mindful of the state of modern society. Recommended
Who We Are: A Chronicle Of Racism In America is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
