Harriet (2019) Review

The face in this image is exactly how I felt watching the movie. It is a terrible biography and the word “history” should be no where near it. Harriet is portrayed as a psychic with the ability to see the future via seizures. Her precognitive abilities manifested when she suffered a head injury as a teen. WTF right? It gets better.

Cynthia Erivo plays the role of Harriet Tubman. The film explores her journey of escaping slavery and becoming a hero in the Underground Railroad. However, it glosses over her motivation for wanting to free others from bondage. There are a lot of liberties taken that go outside the realm of embellishment. Mainly, the ugly reality of slavery. The world I saw on-screen seemed like sunshine and rainbows.

Not once was there a lynching, a whipping, or scenarios where slaves attempted to run away. Everyone was dressed surprisingly well and Erivo didn’t seem to age at all except for a few bad wigs. The whole thing seemed so PG, as if it were made solely to keep the audience comfortable. Other historical figures appear and are introduced in throw away lines. I am disappointed in this movie. Harriet gets a 3 out of 10.

 

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