'King' DVD Review

Those seeking an informative, entertaining look at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the events surrounding the Civil Rights Movement, your search is over: King has arrived.

The NBC miniseries, which originally aired in February 1978, covers King's life from his days as a Baptist minister through his many marches, demonstrations, and speeches against injustice and ends with his tragic assassination in 1968.

Paul Winfield plays the role of King almost flawlessly. His physical resemblance and passionate speech make you forget that you are watching a miniseries rather than a documentary. It is dry in the artful sense but that is to be expected with a work that seldom strays from the real-life events it portrays.

Ossie Davis, the actor/activist who passed away just weeks ago, gives a stellar performance as Martin Luther King Sr. He constantly questions his son's belief in non-violent protest, bringing a somewhat different perspective to the work. Dr. King's wife Coretta is played by Cicely Tyson, who comes off as indifferent towards her husband and his actions in some scenes only to seem interested in the next. There is also a performance by famed singer Tony Bennett.

The work as a whole is very informative and entertaining, and though it leaves you with the ghastly assassination of Dr. King, the impression you are left with is one of great inspiration. Dr. King preaches, leads marches, and demonstrates against the prejudice and blind hatred of those around him. You get an inside look at the conflict behind the scenes of the Civil Rights Movement and a revealing look at the key events which helped propel the movement to the world stage.

In four-and-a-half hours, King covers: Rosa Parks, the bus boycotts, King meeting and courting his wife, personal family troubles, his non-violent philosophy, numerous trips to jail, famous speeches, famous marches, a conversation with Malcolm X, dealings with John and Robert Kennedy, and Dr. King's assassination; it has it all.