Harriet

Oscar season is fully underway as there's nearly a new film every week that is attempting to garner enough praise to warrant awards consideration. Harriet's marketing campaign was less than stellar, and without a lot of buzz, I figured it was going to be a throwaway period piece about an iconic American hero. Luckily, Cynthia Ervo and a great ensemble help put this fill over the mediocre edge and instead boast a crowd-pleaser of a film. One that audiences seem to be on board with, and rightfully so. It's certainly not re-inventing the biopic formula, but it's undeniably engaging.

7.0/10

Fantastic job on the FIRST feature film about Harriet Tubman. All of the actors did a great job bringing this historical figure to life. This film deserved more accolades than it received.

I wonder if the people giving this film a "nine" or "ten star" review or rating even saw this film? We are rating the film, not the person. If there is a botched and problem ridden film on da Vinci we don't rate the bad film highly because we like the person who is putative its subject.

Please. The scripting is insultingly lowbrow, almost patronizing. The acting talent has a good record in other productions but in this film is unrealized due to the other problems. There are quite a few ahistoric, frankly false, events in this film which are not needed and make the film more a less than credible hagiography as opposed to the plenty sufficient bravery, courage and strength of Tubman herself. Why maker her some kind of mythical comic book type character???? Is this the story about a real life hero, or about a graphic novel superwoman who people will just assume is fictional?

Lastly, I am not a religious believer. I am a confirmed atheist. But I find it troubling that Tubman's deep religious feelings and expression, whihc she used as the main, if not sole lens though which she saw the world, and which motivated her, is discounted.

The film is not a total loss, but Tubman deserves better, much better, as do contemporary audiences.

It's a partial biopic of Underground Railroad conductor Harriet Tubman (Cynthia Erivo), mostly set from 1849 to 1863 in Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Upstate New York, and briefly in St. Catharines, Canada. The story begins with house slave Araminta Ross's marriage to John Tubman (Zackary Momoh), a free African American. "Minty" is owned by Edward Brodess (Mike Marunde) and his wife, Eliza (Jennifer Nettles). Their oldest son, Gideon (Joe Alwyn), plays a prominent role in pursuing Harriet throughout the film.

When the Brodess family threatens to sell Minty further south, she decides to flee north. Along the way, she receives help from a secret African American abolitionist pastor (Vondie Curtis-Hall), Quaker abolitionist Thomas Garrett (Tim Guinee), and William Still (Leslie Odom Jr.), an African American abolitionist in Philadelphia. After this first success, Araminta, who then takes the name Harriet Tubman, returns multiple times to Maryland to rescue her family and other enslaved people. Pursuers include Gideon Brodess, Bigger Long (Omar Dorsey), an African American slave catcher, and Walter (Henry Hunter Hall), another Black slave catcher.

"Harriet" has a lot going for it. Cynthia Erivo is outstanding and brilliantly reflects the changes in Harriet Tubman's self-understanding as she changes through the years. It does an excellent job with her visions, and the cinematography throughout is striking. The rest of the cast is somewhat stereotyped, probably to let Harriet shine. Joe Alwyn and Omar Dorsey are appropriately villainous. The other abolitionists are mostly backdrop. Nevertheless, "Harriet" makes a profound emotional impact.

The script plays quite a bit with history. The Fugitive Slave Act passed in 1850, very soon after Harriet's first escape; the film makes it appear to take place much later. The Brodess family did not have a son named Gideon. Araminta married John Tubman earlier than depicted in the movie. The film does not note an earlier Araminta Tubman escape attempt. There is no note of the financial abuse she suffered later in life in Upstate New York. Some of these are minor details but underscore that "Harriet" is not a true biopic.

No documentary is perfect, and besides, this is not a documentary--it is a movie. I'm sure some facts were not accurate, but I'm also sure they did Harriet justice. The movie was moving and thought provoking. My only real criticism was the score. They must have saved money there. The acting was good as were the other cinematic elements. Skip the fake superhero movies and watch a real superhero...and if you don't think Harriet Tubman was a superhero, I can't help you with any review.