NF I Saw Harriet

[matthew mckeon]

I saw Harriet yesterday. Its a different movie of the African American experience. Glory was about heroic sacrifice, Selma was a triumph foredshadowed by the tragedy of King's murder, Twelve Years was unrelentingly harsh, and had the saddest 'happy ending' as Northrup, escaping bondage, looks back at his companions still mired slavery. Its not a comic book shoot em up, like Djano Unchained.

 

[matthew mckeon]

Harriet is about a real human person, who escapes an intolerable situation, then returns again and again to free others. She is braver, cooler, more resourceful than her increasingly frustrated and furious pursuers. She wins again and again. There is a brief epilogue of her leading a raid in the Civil War and she wins that too. Brains, guts and faith are rewarded.

 

[matthew mckeon]

I've read some reviews about Harriet being likened to an action hero. That was not my takeaway from the film, she was convincingly a real person with fears and doubts. As far as God speaking to her, in the film its more like a flash of intuition; her brain processes information, alternatives and background at a lightning pace, and she snaps out a decision. Her faith in God's favor gives her rock solid certainty that she will succeed. As someone says about escaping slavery the main enemy isn't the catchers, its fear.

 

[matthew mckeon]

Harriet had the gift of being lost in a crowd, of being overlooked. A pious church lady in a pew, a sailor among other 'blackjacks', a humble free woman eager to assist federal marshals, a dapper young gentleman out on a stroll, she has an aptitude for quiet movement and speech.

So recommended. The music's good too.

 

[Tom Elmore]

Harriet had the gift of being lost in a crowd, of being overlooked. A pious church lady in a pew, a sailor among other 'blackjacks', a humble free woman eager to assist federal marshals, a dapper young gentleman out on a stroll, she has an aptitude for quiet movement and speech.

So recommended. The music's good too.

Those are precisely the attributes of an effective spy. Quiet, unassuming and overlooked or dismissed by those against whom they work.

 

[lupaglupa]

Thanks for the review. I hope to see Harriet soon. Sometimes it seems the only way to get young people to focus on history is to show them a gripping visual story. I lump my own teen into that group who just don't get why history is gripping on the page but respond to it in a film. I get frustrated when movies play fast and loose with the facts - I hope that isn't the case here. More people should know the story of this incredible woman.

 

[Rusk County Avengers]

Thanks for the review.

 

[hoosier]

I saw Harriet this past Saturday. Thought it was a good movie. Very interesting character study. A shame that there wasn't more publicity - I didn't even realize it was in the theaters until at least one and maybe two weeks into its run.

It touched only briefly on Civil War military matters, specifically the Combahee River Raid. Clearly, this raid was an actual historical event in which Harriet Tubman played a role. Wikipedia is somewhat ambivalent about her involvement, stating that she "became the first woman to lead an armed assault during the Civil War," but following that up by stating that Tubman "served as a key adviser and accompanied the raid," which doesn't sound like the same thing as leading an assault.

The movie depicts Tubman dressed in a uniform, standing in front of a group of colored soldiers and addressing them. I wondered about the accuracy of that scene, but there seems to be evidence to support it. The infantry involved in the raid were 300 soldiers of the 2nd South Carolina (African Descent), so they certainly were colored soldiers. Wikipedia indicates that the official Union reports of the raid have never been found, but at least one newspaper account from a pro-Union paper says that the commander of the regiment, Col. James Montgomery "was followed by a speech from the black woman who led the raid" (obviously Tubman).

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

Read my first Tubman book aged 10 or heck, 8. Smitten from that day. It's tough remembering the sequence of events ( it was awhile ago ) but I think she was behind a childhood determination to be a spy when I grew up. Then discovered spies get killed a lot, re-thought the idea.

Almost never go to the movies, will make a point to see Harriet. It sounds amazing, thanks for the review!

 

[Northern Light]

I heard somewhere that the first choice for an actress to play Tubman was Julia Roberts. Is that true?

 

[Copperhead-mi]

I heard somewhere that the first choice for an actress to play Tubman was Julia Roberts. Is that true?

Julia Roberts once floated for role as African-American slavery hero Harriet Tubman

A Hollywood movie studio executive once suggested that Julia Roberts could play Harriet Tubman, the 19th century escaped slave who is seen as an African-American icon.

www.reuters.com

 

[Northern Light]

Julia Roberts once floated for role as African-American slavery hero Harriet Tubman

A Hollywood movie studio executive once suggested that Julia Roberts could play Harriet Tubman, the 19th century escaped slave who is seen as an African-American icon.

www.reuters.com

Good God! Well, at least it wasn't seriously touted for this picture!

 

[matthew mckeon]

Good God! Well, at least it wasn't seriously touted for this picture!

Yeah, that seems crazy. But we live in a crazy world.

 

[DixieRifles]

I saw Harriet this past Saturday. Thought it was a good movie. Very interesting character study. A shame that there wasn't more publicity - I didn't even realize it was in the theaters until at least one and maybe two weeks into its run.

It touched only briefly on Civil War military matters, specifically the Combahee River Raid. Clearly, this raid was an actual historical event in which Harriet Tubman played a role. Wikipedia is somewhat ambivalent about her involvement, stating that she "became the first woman to lead an armed assault during the Civil War," but following that up by stating that Tubman "served as a key adviser and accompanied the raid," which doesn't sound like the same thing as leading an assault.

I saw a lot of publicity on it. Maybe all on FaceBook.
My wife wanted to see it and we went last Friday. As we were coming out of the movie, I asked---- "How much of that was True?" She thought all of it was.
I had not heard much details on the Combahee River Raid but I also wondered if she "lead" the raid as a commander---meaning she made all the tactical decisions--- or she lead it as a scout.
I also wondered:
Would an escaped slave carry a pistol for protection?
Did Tubman shoot one of her owners? Even if it wasn't an owner, did she shoot one of the managers of the slaves?

There was a lot of story line to this which is okay. But how much of it is accurate?

 

[JOHN42768]

Thanks for info.

 

[hoosier]

I saw a lot of publicity on it. Maybe all on FaceBook.
My wife wanted to see it and we went last Friday. As we were coming out of the movie, I asked---- "How much of that was True?" She thought all of it was.
I had not heard much details on the Combahee River Raid but I also wondered if she "lead" the raid as a commander---meaning she made all the tactical decisions--- or she lead it as a scout.
I also wondered:
Would an escaped slave carry a pistol for protection?
Did Tubman shoot one of her owners? Even if it wasn't an owner, did she shoot one of the managers of the slaves?

There was a lot of story line to this which is okay. But how much of it is accurate?

Can't answer all of your questions, but I think the depiction of Tubman's clothing at the time of the raid was inaccurate.

The film showed her wearing what looked like a uniform coat or cloak, complete with brass buttons.

According to the following article, Tubman herself said afterward that she had been wearing a green dress.

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Raid_on_Combahee_Ferry&oldid=926233529

(Scroll down to the "Aftermath" section.)

 

[DixieRifles]

The film showed her wearing what looked like a uniform coat or cloak, complete with brass buttons.

I wonder why she would be armed with a Hawken rifle and not some US Army issue.
If she was leading the raid, why even be armed?
Was she in the military or a paid scout?

 

[byron ed]

The movie, and the actress chosen for the HT role, Cynthia Erivo, are exceptionally believable, imho. Sure, there is "Hollywood" stuff in there; constructed scenes, camera angles, minor prop variances and dialog; but none of it distracts from the true history, and I've studied it a lot.

If you don't watch the movie for any other reason, the civilian costuming (if that's what it's called) seems particularly well done. Very interesting and seemingly accurate and appropriate to the characters and the time -- but hoping someone that really knows that stuff will chime in here about it.

I'm not sure "Harriet" will get much traction beyond history mavens like us, but perhaps as much as the other war-related historical movies already out or soon to be: "Midway" and "1917."

 

[Yulie]

I saw a lot of publicity on it. Maybe all on FaceBook.
My wife wanted to see it and we went last Friday. As we were coming out of the movie, I asked---- "How much of that was True?"

Harriet is Hollywood. The director took a lot of license, but the essence is still there. One should not look at this movie as a documentary or a docudrama. Both Smithsonian.com and NPR have highlighted the fact vs fiction aspect.

"The True Story Behind the Harriet Tubman Movie" by Melan Solly, gives a good review of fact v fiction:

The True Story Behind the Harriet Tubman Movie

“Harriet,” a new film starring Cynthia Erivo, is the first feature film dedicated solely to the American icon

www.smithsonianmag.com

I have seen it twice and it's a good movie laced with factional history.

Spoiler alert: Harriet escapes enslavement and lives free first in Pennsylvania and then Canada West, and returns south several times to free a whole bunch of folks and then becomes a Union spy and lives a very very long life in New York.

-Yulie

 

[mobile_96]

Wikipedia indicates that the official Union reports of the raid have never been found, but at least one newspaper account from a pro-Union paper says that the commander of the regiment, Col. James Montgomery "was followed by a speech from the black woman who led the raid" (obviously Tubman).

Although Wiki is correct in not find Montgomery's actual report I did find the following in the OR's
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH,
Hilton Head, Port Royal, S.C., June 3, 1863. s1 vol XIV (S#20) pg 463
Hon. E. M. STANTON,
Secretary of War, Washington, D. C.:
SIR: I have much pleasure in transmitting to you herewith certified copy of a telegraphic report(*) just revived from Col. James Montgomery, commanding Second South Carolina Regiment, of the result of the first of a series of raids upon the main-land, now organized and in process of being carried out.
From the report you will see that Colonel Montgomery, with 300 men of his regiment and a section of the Third Rhode Island Battery, commanded by Captain Brayton, penetrated the country of the enemy 25 miles, destroyed a pontoon bridge across the Combahee River, together with a vast amount of cotton, rice, and other property, and brought away with him 725 slaves and some 5 horses....
D. HUNTER, Major-General, Commanding.
(*) report not found
Nothing is noted by Hunter of anything about Harriet.