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.
I’ve heard the story of Harriet Tubman my whole life and have seen many documentaries on her courageous escape to freedom. I felt this film offered a beautiful narrative of a woman whose strength began in her decision to be free or die. Married to a free man named Johnathan (Zackary Momoh) Minty/Harriet Tubman (Cynthia Erivo) fears for the lives of their future children and asks slave owner Edward Brodess (Michael Marunde) to grant them freedom when they are born. Edward declines her request then suddenly dies and when she finds out the family has put her up for sale, she begins plotting her escape.
Leaving her husband behind in the middle of the night, she informs her family that she is escaping. Her father Ben Ross (Clarke Peters) sends her to Reverend Green (Vondie Curtis-Hall) to receive a prayer for a safe journey. With help from the reverend, Minty heads out but not before long the Master’s son Gideon (Joe Alwyn) has already sent out a hunt for her return. Finally cornered on a bridge, Gideon pleads with her not to jump, promising he will give her a better life. Knowing that a life enslaved is no life at all, Minty jumps into the water and swims to safety while everyone assumed she had drowned.
Having said to have seen clear images flashing before her, Minty felt those were messages from God. She makes it past the Delaware River right to the Philadelphia border, ending up at the office of William Still (Leslie Odom Jr.), the chairman of the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society and conductor on the Underground Railroad. Mr. Still kept details of every escaped slave that walked through his door and when Harriet came in he was shocked to see she had made it all by herself. He helped her pick what he called a freedom name, which she chose Harriet after her mother and Tubman her husband’s last name.
Determined to go back for her husband, Mr. Still helps her with an escape plan that results in Harriet returning with a group of slaves. With many journeys back and forth to Maryland, Harriet creates allies that would eventually turn into an army helping to invade plantations, taking slaves right from under their Master’s nose.
I did enjoy this film and thought it was a great story. It did have a very strong religious tone to it as Harriet believed a higher power guided her so intricately through her journey, and the gospel hymns that became a signal of her arrival were an important part of the story as well. One thing I will never understand is her willingness to forgive and give mercy to the man who enslaved her when finally confronted with a gun. This is probably the only scene I didn’t like and I’m not sure if that actually happened or if it was a fictional piece that was added to the story. If it was fictional, I still wonder why that was necessary. Anyway, you will enjoy this one!
In Theaters Friday, November 1st