The extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman's escape from slavery and transformation into one of America's greatest heroes, whose courage, ingenuity, and tenacity freed hundreds of slaves and changed the course of history.
Cynthia Erivo received two Oscar nominations this year for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role and Best Original Song for Harriet. "No Small Parts" takes a look at her career.
Based on the thrilling and inspirational life of an iconic American freedom fighter, Harriet tells the extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman's 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.Written by
Focus Features
Cynthia Erivo and Leslie Odom Jr. won Tony Awards at the same ceremony for different shows. Erivo won Best Lead Actress in a Musical for "The Color Purple," Odom won Best Lead Actor in a Musical for "Hamilton." See more »
Goofs
After the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act, William Still gives a speech saying that it allows slave catchers to seek slaves in any state in the Union. Slave catchers had always been able to retrieve slaves from the North, under a law from decades earlier. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 did not legalize slave hunting in the North but expanded the powers available to slave catchers (including forcing Northern law enforcement to aid them) and weakened the protections available to those accused of being escaped slaves (such as previous requirements that a suspect's identity as a slave be verified by a jury trial). See more »
"You'll be free or die!" Harriet Tubman (Cynthia Erivo)
After so many films about arguable heroines, it's fine to have one about a true one, "super" in modern parlance. In the 1849 antebellum South, Harriet Tubman is on her way to becoming "the slave stealer" and eventually "Moses." During the first part of this emotional and reverential biopic, Harriet needs to leave her family by way of the 100 miles from Maryland, mostly on foot to a slave free Pennsylvania.
Director and co-writer Kasi Lemmons does an admirable job of showing this relentless heroine begin to become a conductor and eventually leader of the Underground Railroad by saving a few friends and relatives from the tyrannical and torturing whites. Eventually she will have led over 70 black slaves as far as 600 miles to Canadian freedom.
The film romanticizes and beatifies this historical heroine, aided by Terence Blanchard's telegraphing, swelling score, with too little depicting her struggles as a slave or as a woman in later life reaping the glory of her experience and pain. Her rapturous direct connection with God adds to the pious, preachy tone.
However, the gifted Erivo (a Tony winner among other honors) quickly draws the audience to Harriet's side as a caring and resourceful future leader, a Nina Simone's "Sinnerman" perfectly supports a rousing montage of Underground escapes. Her facing down authority is not as early as could be expected; she is compliant and obedient for a leader who emerges in her 20's as a liberator and an historical saint.
The movie Harriet is a glowing tribute to a real hero. Seeing her in action as an armed assault leader in the Civil War would have been the right realist touch to offset the preponderance of seemingly excessive adulation.
Her face will be on the $20 bill if this positive biography has anything to do with it.
"Now I've been free, I know what a dreadful condition slavery is. I have seen hundreds of escaped slaves, but I never saw one who was willing to go back and be a slave." Tubman
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"You'll be free or die!" Harriet Tubman (Cynthia Erivo)
After so many films about arguable heroines, it's fine to have one about a true one, "super" in modern parlance. In the 1849 antebellum South, Harriet Tubman is on her way to becoming "the slave stealer" and eventually "Moses." During the first part of this emotional and reverential biopic, Harriet needs to leave her family by way of the 100 miles from Maryland, mostly on foot to a slave free Pennsylvania.
Director and co-writer Kasi Lemmons does an admirable job of showing this relentless heroine begin to become a conductor and eventually leader of the Underground Railroad by saving a few friends and relatives from the tyrannical and torturing whites. Eventually she will have led over 70 black slaves as far as 600 miles to Canadian freedom.
The film romanticizes and beatifies this historical heroine, aided by Terence Blanchard's telegraphing, swelling score, with too little depicting her struggles as a slave or as a woman in later life reaping the glory of her experience and pain. Her rapturous direct connection with God adds to the pious, preachy tone.
However, the gifted Erivo (a Tony winner among other honors) quickly draws the audience to Harriet's side as a caring and resourceful future leader, a Nina Simone's "Sinnerman" perfectly supports a rousing montage of Underground escapes. Her facing down authority is not as early as could be expected; she is compliant and obedient for a leader who emerges in her 20's as a liberator and an historical saint.
The movie Harriet is a glowing tribute to a real hero. Seeing her in action as an armed assault leader in the Civil War would have been the right realist touch to offset the preponderance of seemingly excessive adulation.
Her face will be on the $20 bill if this positive biography has anything to do with it.
"Now I've been free, I know what a dreadful condition slavery is. I have seen hundreds of escaped slaves, but I never saw one who was willing to go back and be a slave." Tubman