Harriet - The Movie

by

Ali Jamal

​The courageous icon, the controversial movie. ​Long overdue, and always overlooked - until now. After the long wait, director Kasi Lemmons (“Eve’s Bayou”) brought a strong effort built around passion, drama, and the desire to bring life to a superhero(ine) right before our eyes. It’s one that involves a relentless road to abolitionism with hundreds of lives saved, after Tubman, played by the multi-award winning Cynthia Erivo, escaped from the hands of her slaveholders in the Maryland of 1849 at great risk to both her and her family. 
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She steadily became a fearless, and relentless conductor of the Underground Railroad.  The embellishments of characterization drove the film's controversy, but did not take away from the context, the overall story-line and the triumphant journey to freedom.  Lots to discuss about this film - let's get to it!