Harriet (2019)
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom Jr., Joe Alwyn
Runtime: 125 minutes
Synopsis: 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.
Performances: 6/10
Screenplay: 4/10
Costumes/Makeup: 6/10
Editing: 5/10
Cinematography: 6/10
Score/Soundtrack: 6/10
Verdict: Harriet Tubman is a fascinating historical figure that I only very recently learned about. I was excited to check out the very first film to be made about her, mainly because I wanted to understand the struggles faced by the character more thoroughly. But unfortunately, I can't really say that Kasi Lemmons' dramatization of her story is one that did her justice.
"Harriet" was not bad per se, but was a very safe adaptation of a person whose story deserves much more. It had the production of a cheap TV movie and a script so cheesy that it was impossible to take most of it seriously. A shame when telling such an important chapter in modern history. I sadly felt that the film was less about telling Harriet Tubman's story, and more about highlighting Cynthia Erivo's acting skills by giving her as many "Oscar compilation moments" scenes as possible. And while I'd say that her performance was the best aspect of a movie that quite honestly didn't have much else to offer, it did feel that she overdid it at times. Every other character wasn't given nearly as much attention as the titular one, and most of them even felt like parodies of themselves.
"Harriet" was definitely disappointing, and I truly hope that we get a better adaptation of the unsung hero's story at one point that feels less like a safe Disney adaptation (which I unsurprisingly learned it was at one point) and more like a genuine attempt at telling a story that needs to be seen by a lot of people.
"Harriet" was not bad per se, but was a very safe adaptation of a person whose story deserves much more. It had the production of a cheap TV movie and a script so cheesy that it was impossible to take most of it seriously. A shame when telling such an important chapter in modern history. I sadly felt that the film was less about telling Harriet Tubman's story, and more about highlighting Cynthia Erivo's acting skills by giving her as many "Oscar compilation moments" scenes as possible. And while I'd say that her performance was the best aspect of a movie that quite honestly didn't have much else to offer, it did feel that she overdid it at times. Every other character wasn't given nearly as much attention as the titular one, and most of them even felt like parodies of themselves.
"Harriet" was definitely disappointing, and I truly hope that we get a better adaptation of the unsung hero's story at one point that feels less like a safe Disney adaptation (which I unsurprisingly learned it was at one point) and more like a genuine attempt at telling a story that needs to be seen by a lot of people.
FINAL GRADE: 4/10
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