‘Harriet’ is a powerful film that shines a light on a mighty figure

Posted on November 8, 2019

By MARK VIOLA

Harriet Tubman, one of the most successful conductors on the Underground Railroad during the decades leading up to the U.S. Civil War, is one of those towering historical figures I read about in school but never really knew all that much about beyond the basics.

That has now changed with the release of the new film, “Harriet,” which recounts her initial escape from slavery to freedom, and her subsequent returns to help others escape. Directed by Kai Lemmons (“Black Nativity”) with a script co-written by Lemmons and Gregory Allen Howard (“Ali,” “Remember the Titans”), the film is a soaring success thanks to a powerful story and a wonderful lead performance from Cynthia Erivo (“Widows”) as Harriet.

The story begins in the late 1840s, with Harriett, then known as Araminta “Minty” Ross, living with her family in Maryland as slaves to the Brodess family. When it becomes clear that Minty is to be sold and separated from her family, she sets out alone to escape north to Pennsylvania, a dangerous trek that will run nearly 100 miles through territory teeming with slave catchers. She eventually arrives in Philadelphia, where she changes her name and ultimately becomes involved in the efforts to free others still in bondage further south.

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