On April 23rd, Blue Underground releases Goodbye Uncle Tom, one of the most graphic and notorious films ever made, on Limited Edition 4K UHD and Blu-Ray.
Originally released in 1971, Goodbye Uncle Tom is an Italian mondo-docudrama based on true events about the rise and revolt of slavery in America.
Directors Gualtiero Jacopetti and Franco Prosperi (Mondo Cane) used period documentation and historical accounts to recreate the antebellum south and the horrors of the slave trade. The film was so shocking in its detailed look at the atrocities of slavery that distributors in the US forced Jacopetti and Prosperi to cut it and radically re-edit the film before release.
Even in its truncated form, Goodbye Uncle Tom created a stir amongst critics. Roger Ebert called it, “… the most disgusting, contemptuous insult to decency ever to masquerade as a documentary.” while Pauline Kael said, “the most specific and rabid incitement to race war,” and The Detroit Chronicle hailed it as “a graphic, moving, nerve-paralyzing film.”
Watch Goodbye Uncle Tom Trailer
Goodbye Uncle Tom can now be seen more than five decades after its initial release in both its original uncut Italian version, alongside its drastically different English version, both fully restored in 4K from their original camera negatives. Includes a bonus Blu-ray disc with a wealth of supplemental features that give context to the staggering and violent look back at this horrific chapter of American history.
Special features
The 4K UHD and Blu-ray Extras special features include feature-length documentaries; never-before-seen interviews with writers/directors Gualtiero Jacopetti, Franco Prosperi, composer Riz Ortolani and others; rare behind-the-scene footage; English and Italian trailers; still galleries, including Giampaolo Lomi’s behind-the-scenes photos; a bonus CD of the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by Riz Ortolani; and a collectible booklet.
