Harriet

Message films have been produced for a number of decades, but not like there has been in the last 15 years or so. We've seen films professing messages of racial/slave issue films, women's rights, gay rights, political, inspirational, environmental, etc. What makes "Harriet" a bit different from other message films is that it's not only a message film, but is also an inspirational one too.

 

Based on the thrilling and inspirational life of an iconic American freedom fighter, "Harriet" tells the extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman's (Cynthia Erivo) escape from slavery and transformation into one of America's greatest heroes. Her courage, ingenuity and tenacity freed hundreds of slaves and changed the course of history. She and her family, father, Ben Ross (Clarke Peters) and mother, Rit (Vanessa Bell Calloway) were slaves in Maryland. The son of the slave owners, Gideon Brodess (Joe Alwyn) constantly berated Harriet and her family to the point that Harriet simply had to escape with hopes that she could make it to Pennsylvania where slaves are free. Through her visions she claimed were from God and  through others including Reverend Greene (Vondie Curtis-Hall), she made it to Philadelphia. There, she found assistance from Marie Buchanon (Janelle Monae) and an underground railroad activist, William Still (Leslie Odom Jr.), where she grew as a confident, and passionate conductor (those that help to get slaves to the north), that she became infamous and a person the south now had to contend with.

Others to round out the cast are Omar J. Dorsey as Bigger Long, Henry Hunter Hall as Walter, Tim Guinee as Thomas Garrett, Zackary Momoh as John Tubman, Nick Basta as Foxx, Joseph Lee Anderson as Robert Ross, Antonio J. Bell as Henry Ross and C.J. McBath as Junyan Ross.

This was passionately and intensely directed by Kasi Lemmons ("Eve's Bayou" '97, "The Caveman's Valentine" '01, "Talk to Me" '07, "Black Nativity" '13) plus TV. Obviously, being an actor helps this filmmaker be the director she is, since she knows what it's like to act and have the ability to emit the correct emotion when needed. She was truly able to bring these characters to life. She has other projects in the works which doesn't surprise me. It was solidly written by Gregory Allen Howard ("Remember the Titans" 2000, "Ali" (story) '01) plus TV, and Lemmons ("Eve's Bayou" '97, "Black Nativity" '13) plus a short, based on a story by Howard. This was grippingly, passionately and compassionately written in a way that shows the audience that, not only how suppressed it was in the mid 1800's, but also to show us how far we have come, with more improvement undoubtedly. And even though these two writers don't have a ton of experience, they were able to convey the incredible racial intensity in a way that was totally unapologetic. Other than a couple of places of continuity issues, this script was cohesive, tight and extremely riveting and compelling. I typically like to see films that are entertaining and allow me to simply escape into another place or time through different characters, but there are definitely times where a more serious film--one that teaches us and talks to us, is needed to be a more well-rounded individual, and this film does this in spades.

Racial messaged films are certainly a hot-button type of film, i.e. "12 Years a Slave", "Selma", "The Butler", so I feel that if more people watch these films and other message films, maybe, just maybe we can and will want to be more tolerable and forbearing toward one another instead of spewing hate and bigotry, which can be a lesson for all races.

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                        Rated: PG-13                                     125mins.