Harriet
Focus Features | Release Date: November 1, 2019
7.1
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 169 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
109
Mixed:
28
Negative:
32
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
6
tropicAcesNov 1, 2019
It’s an important movie, but it’s also a very safe one. It’s historically accurate, but not realistic. The whole thing just comes off like a TV movie, and Ervio is outshined in her own film but Odom and Hunter Hall.
2 of 13 users found this helpful211
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4
GreatMartinNov 1, 2019
I knew very little about Harriet Taubman and except for the ending credits I didn't learn more about her. I was caught up in the movie, and the performance of Cynthia Erivo as Harriet aka Misty and Moses, until her first time as a leaderI knew very little about Harriet Taubman and except for the ending credits I didn't learn more about her. I was caught up in the movie, and the performance of Cynthia Erivo as Harriet aka Misty and Moses, until her first time as a leader sneaking slaves from Baltimore to Philadelphia.

It has been said that Harriet had been beaten so badly as a child, including having a metal weight thrown at her head, that gave her a traumatic head wound that would make have her strange visions and revelations from God. Without getting into a discussion of religion her walking across, not on, a river took me out of the movie and the other visions and too many coincidences.

From the beginning, and through the movie, there is a repeated scene of 3 girls being taken away from their family and somehow until just now when I read wikipedia about Harriet Taubman I didn't know that they were her sisters.

"Harriet" in many ways is a by the book, Hollywood biography and skips many heavy issues regarding slavery, the Underground Railroad, how both black and white societies worked for and against her and what I was expecting to be a very emotional movie. We don't get to know what she is thinking or feeling before, during and/or after her 'visions'.

I am glad I went to see "Harriet" because it made me more interested into getting her true story, if it is known, and the performance by Cynthia Erivo plus some very strong performances from supporting performers.… Expand
2 of 20 users found this helpful218
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5
foxgroveNov 21, 2019
Dull and conservative film making that thinks it's saying something important. The lead performance is over rated and the running time goes on forever. Only some pretty cinematography manages to capture the eye. Please don't give this awardsDull and conservative film making that thinks it's saying something important. The lead performance is over rated and the running time goes on forever. Only some pretty cinematography manages to capture the eye. Please don't give this awards as it is not deserving and would smack of insincerity.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
JLuis_001Jan 8, 2020
Its conventionalism could have killed it, but the performances, its subject figure and the confection achieve a commendable effort worthy of attention.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
CrimsoncriticNov 20, 2019
The problem with Harriet is that by being PG-13, it can’t get across its message against slavery as effectively as it could. Slavery needs no introduction; it’s slavery. So if you’re gonna make a movie about slavery, you need to go balls toThe problem with Harriet is that by being PG-13, it can’t get across its message against slavery as effectively as it could. Slavery needs no introduction; it’s slavery. So if you’re gonna make a movie about slavery, you need to go balls to the wall and truly capture the horror that slavery was. But because this movie refuses to do that, when it goes on these monologues of children slaughtered and ruthless treatment of slaves, the audience can’t relate because we didn’t see it. The movie just thinks we can easily visualize the tragedy of slavery in order to be invested in its message; and I mean, yeah, we can. But the movie should’ve shown us what slavery was instead of just telling us.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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4
zNeverSleepingJun 13, 2020
Oportunidade desperdiçada.

A obra perde uma oportunidade incrível de transpor a profundidade da Harriet, limitando-se a uma narrativa "sessão da tarde", onde nada parece ter consequência, os vilões são burros como uma porta, nenhumOportunidade desperdiçada.

A obra perde uma oportunidade incrível de transpor a profundidade da Harriet, limitando-se a uma narrativa "sessão da tarde", onde nada parece ter consequência, os vilões são burros como uma porta, nenhum personagem é devidamente desenvolvido, tampouco os diálogos.

Em diversos momentos, nos vemos sem explicações do que de fato houve na cena anterior. Esses furos anulam toda verossimilhança que venha a existir e o próprio filme sabe disso quando dá importância demais para a narrativa religiosa, e o pior: acredita nela com a personagem. Não há como cair no papo de que "Deus" mostrou o caminho para ela, principalmente por que o filme não é sobre isso.

O roteiro também se mostra preguiçoso no que se diz respeito aos personagens. Ninguém de fato parece vivo, nem mesmo a própria Harriet. Depois da cena onde a mesma finalmente é livre, deixei de sentir qualquer coisa pela mesma - o que é uma pena, pois sua historia real certamente é magnifica.

Há diversos Deus Ex Machina, o que deixa o senso de perigo inexistente. Os "vilões" são ridicularizados, mas da maneira errada. É como se quem os escreveu fosse burro mesmo. A ambientação, por outro lado, me agradou. A fotografia também é interessante e a trilha sonora marca sua presença, pena que sem proposito.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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4
Mauro_LanariJul 3, 2020
(Mauro Lanari)
Not knowing Harriet Tubman's story at all, I won't touch the thorny point of the veracity or not of this biopic. Additional considerations:
1) Is the protagonist a woman? Checked. 2) Is the female protagonist black? Checked 3)(Mauro Lanari)
Not knowing Harriet Tubman's story at all, I won't touch the thorny point of the veracity or not of this biopic. Additional considerations:
1) Is the protagonist a woman? Checked.
2) Is the female protagonist black? Checked
3) Does she help herself and others on her own instead of resorting to a "white savior"? Checked.
4) Is the style terribly televisiony even in the most compelling moments on paper? Checked.
5) Harriet was a mystic and decided by trusting the visions she received. God? Today one would prefer to talk about channeling, guiding spirit, guardian angel, etc. Always better than Malick's last repulsive film that already from the first shot shows the married couple immersed in an Edenic environment while their hands in the foreground flaunt the wedding rings. Anyway, Harriet is named the new "Moses": perhaps someone has not yet understood (for example Michael Walzer in "Exodus and Revolution", 1985) that according to the Bible Moses died in Sinai together with all the Hebrews who had escaped from Egypt with him, while only who was born in the desert crossed the Jordan River and entered the so-called "promised land". That is to say that the intersection between those who had lived the Egyptian experience and those who crossed "The River" is ∅ (= empty set). Yet still now such a "Pesach" is celebrated as an indispensable event in the historical process of salvation.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
DawdlingPoetOct 2, 2022
This film tells an interesting story and indeed its based on a true story I believe but I felt like it didn't really go into too many details about things, instead giving a brief overview of the titular characters life. This is a film thatThis film tells an interesting story and indeed its based on a true story I believe but I felt like it didn't really go into too many details about things, instead giving a brief overview of the titular characters life. This is a film that will likely make you want to look up the protagonist's story and learn more about them from a historical perspective. The cast do a relatively good job and the effects are ok but it didn't really stand out. Obviously it covers a pretty dark time in history and it makes for a somewhat thoughtful watch but I'm not sure I'd say its as powerful as '12 Years a Slave'. I did feel sorry for Harriet, it would be difficult not to and no doubt she wouldn't want that (you can only imagine how bad things were for non-white females) but overall I felt this film lacked something. Its a shame as it depicts such an interesting person. No, I wouldn't recommend this film overall.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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4
KaidijekskdkNov 21, 2019
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Full of actions; only some parts no actions gud movie "Trade is cool"-E#+($, 2019… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
TedisFeb 4, 2022
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Konu çok iyi ama güzel işlenmiş bir film mi bence hayır, oyuncular gayet iyi ama duygusal bağlamda eksiklikler var neden bilemedim senaryo da kopukluklar mı var yoksa oyuncularda mı eksiklik var bilmiyorum ama drama hiç hissedilmiyor hatta gurur verici sahneler de bile yürekte ki kabarmayı hissedemedim. Ama o söyledikleri şarkılar efsane işte orda o duyguyu hissedebiliyorsunuz mükemmel bir şey.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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