Harriet (the movie)

I can't believe "Harriet" is the first movie that's been made about badass Underground Railroad conductor, union spy, civil war commander, and suffragette. After playing one of my favorite literary characters on Broadway (Celie from "The Color Purple"), British actor and singer Cynthia Erivo nails the role of Harriet Tubman in this movie.

The screenwriter/director Kasi Lemmons wanted this movie to be about freedom instead of just another movie about slavery. Consequently, some critics have criticized the movie for not showing the evils of slavery more vividly and clinging too closely to the traditional biopic habits (such as a melodramatic music score). Rotten Tomatoes shows critics rating it 72 percent vs. audience reviews of 97 percent...so what do the critics know?

What it does show clearly is that Tubman faced down every possible obstacle--as a Black woman and a slave--to not only escape herself by running over 100 miles, but also take 70+ more people to freedom, including her own family. She never lost a passenger. 

Many years ago I read the definitive biography, Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom by Catherine Clinton, but it's entirely different to see her life played out so beautifully by Erivo on screen. "Moses" relied on her faith and music to keep herself going, driven to rescue as many people as she could. She had visions and regularly talked to God through her spells (seizures). 

In writing the movie, Kasi Lemmons took some liberty with history, inserting a few fictional characters such as one of my favorite characters, Marie (of course!), played by the amazing Janelle Monae. Even if Harriet didn't have a real Marie in her life, I hope that she received some tender loving care from some kind soul when she arrived in Philadelphia...just as she does in the movie.

The end of the movie races a bit through the end of her life, and I found myself wanting to know more about Harriet as a cook, nurse, spy, and the first woman in U.S. history to lead a military expedition. I can't remember if her biography covers many of those activities, but I'm tempted to reread it.

While "Harriet" could have gone deeper into the evils of slavery and racism, I love it for the fact that it is a rare movie about an enslaved Black woman who also happens to be a true American hero. Take a look at the video below of Erivo singing "Stand Up," which she also cowrote. Next she'll take on another American hero, Aretha Franklin. She's making the rounds of talk shows and brought Stephen Colbert to tears when she sang to him. 

Go see this movie! #NaBloPoMo2019