Hello fellow readers and movie goers and welcome to another Movie Review Monday! This past weekend, I decided to go and see the new movie "Harriet" which depicts the escape of Harriet Tubman from the south and how she continued to go back as a conductor on the Underground Railroad to liberate others. This woman was a major historical figure, and I am a sucker for historical pictures, so when I saw previews for this, I was genuinely excited. Let's see if the movie lived up to the hype.
"Harriet" (Director: Kasi Lemmons)
The movie "Harriet" depicts probably one of the most well known females of our entire history, no matter the color of our skin. I do not think there is a person alive today who didn't somehow learn the name Harriet Tubman in a history class. The woman was a force of nature when you read about her, and she obviously had such a major impact on many lives back then and now, that when I was watching this movie, I expected PASSION. Passion to show that this woman believed in her cause and believed in doing what was right, no matter that she risked her life over and over again to free those who were in the same situation she was once in. However, I didn't get passion. What I got was a well-written script with half-hearted performances.
Cynthia Erivo is depicted as Harriet Tubman herself, and there are plenty of times where she starts to show passion in some of the monologues she gives, but sadly, they fall flat. She has one expression for the majority of the film, and while I get that she has to remain bland in certain situations, I wanted more from this woman. In fact, I got more out of Janelle Monáe as Marie Buchanon in the extremely short time she was on screen.
There were plenty of times when the script felt rushed along, and to an extent, I understood the need to rush it along, in order to show the passage of time. But honestly, I wish there were times when the movie SLOWED DOWN! I wanted more about her escape, I wanted more about maybe a time or two when she went back down to free more slaves. Heck, I would have even taken more at the very end, when they showed her at the Battle of Combahee Ferry. Instead, I got a not so rowsing speech and her showing her gun to the enemy.
For real, while the content of this movie was FANTASTIC, and there was SOOOO MUCH that could have worked, it didn't come across. In all honesty, much of the movie felt disjointed, and shows that this movie has a long way to go before it could remotely win any sort of Oscar.
There were plenty of times when the script felt rushed along, and to an extent, I understood the need to rush it along, in order to show the passage of time. But honestly, I wish there were times when the movie SLOWED DOWN! I wanted more about her escape, I wanted more about maybe a time or two when she went back down to free more slaves. Heck, I would have even taken more at the very end, when they showed her at the Battle of Combahee Ferry. Instead, I got a not so rowsing speech and her showing her gun to the enemy.
For real, while the content of this movie was FANTASTIC, and there was SOOOO MUCH that could have worked, it didn't come across. In all honesty, much of the movie felt disjointed, and shows that this movie has a long way to go before it could remotely win any sort of Oscar.
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