A wise man once said that a plantation is just a concentration camp with a prettier front office. That's why Harriet seemeed to be such a familiar movie. We're all used to seeing Third Reich resistance movies that involve extrarordinary idealists hiding from and tricking the Nazis and their collaborators, unexpected sympathizers, false papers, narrow escapes, and, in the better ones, a smart and motivated villain who understands exactly what he's doing and believes in it. This is that movie, except that instead of SS men with tommy guns we have everyday white Americans wearing "U.S. Marshal" badges and carrying Colt revolvers. Its a worthwhile reminder that until the Civil War slavery was the law, that it had the power of the federal government behind it, that it was founded on violence, and that large numbers of white Americans believed it was essential and right and were willing to kill and die to preserve it.
This is also a vindicated Cassandra movie. Like the heroine of Zero Dark Thirty, Tubman is patronized by well meaning men who sympathize with her cause but don't take her seriously and mistakenly believe that they know better because she is only a woman. The heroine defies their advice that she doesn't know what she's doing, goes her own way, proves them wrong and then makes them admit it.
It has the usual artistic license of movies on historical subjects, compressing and simplifying events and adding drama. Fine performnce from the lead actress, and solid work from everyone else in the cast, who seem to believe in the project instead of phoning it in for a paycheck. It's a good afternoon's entertainment, and it may provoke some viewers to go learn Tubman's actual story, but it won't be remembered 5 years hence.
This is also a vindicated Cassandra movie. Like the heroine of Zero Dark Thirty, Tubman is patronized by well meaning men who sympathize with her cause but don't take her seriously and mistakenly believe that they know better because she is only a woman. The heroine defies their advice that she doesn't know what she's doing, goes her own way, proves them wrong and then makes them admit it.
It has the usual artistic license of movies on historical subjects, compressing and simplifying events and adding drama. Fine performnce from the lead actress, and solid work from everyone else in the cast, who seem to believe in the project instead of phoning it in for a paycheck. It's a good afternoon's entertainment, and it may provoke some viewers to go learn Tubman's actual story, but it won't be remembered 5 years hence.