‘HARRIET’ REPRESENTS A TOUGH TIME IN HISTORY

The movie “Harriet” outlines the story of Harriet Tubman, one of “America’s greatest heroes” who escapes from slavery and through her bravery, frees other African-American slaves in the 19th century.

Tubman was born into slavery as Araminta Ross in Maryland in the 1800s. She spent years working and getting beaten by slave owners until in 1849 she escaped to freedom in Philadelphia.

This film tells her story as she hops on wagons and travels north from Maryland to Philly, keeping out of sight from those who might be looking for her. She finds a home for refuge and stays there for a while, but then travels back to Maryland, under the radar, in order to rescue more family members.

Her initial plan was to rescue her husband, but by the time he got back, he had already remarried and didn’t want to travel “up north.”

However, in 1850, the Fugitive Slave Act was passed. This meant the authorities were on the lookout for slaves and that if caught, they would be sent back to their owners in their original state. This in turn caused many former slates to travel to Canada for refuge, rather than stay in the U.S.

The film tells Tubman’s story with visual settings, as the movie is set to the mid-1800s with costumes, shacks, older machines, bathtubs, and more. This film strongly represents this time period and what it was like for slaves, which really opened my eyes.

It also was suspenseful, as I was always on the edge of my seat and didn’t know what to expect. 

The music and underscores in the film were also beautiful and greatly connected to the tone and mood of the scenes. For example, the song “Goodbye Song” by Terence Blanchard and Cynthia Erivo is sung by the main character, Harriet (Minty was the name she used as a slave, and Harriet was her name after becoming free), in the scene where she says goodbye to her family and friends and runs to escape to freedom.

Tubman is portrayed as a brave soul, and her courageousness is admired. Throughout the movie, she risks her life and freedom in order to give others that same independence as well. She does this by returning to Maryland numerous times to bring family and friends back to Philadelphia with her. She is remembered in history and will continue to be remembered for her nobleness and the difference she made in this movement.

This movie was an amazing insight into some of the history of American slavery and Tubman’s experience, as before watching this I didn’t really know about her or her story.

I would highly recommend this film. For those looking for a historical or meaningful movie, this one’s for you. 

For more information on Harriet Tubman and her life: math.buffalo.edu/~sww/0history/hwny-tubman.html