If the story of Harriet Tubman offends you in any way then it’s likely that you’re not going to enjoy the movie, but otherwise it looks as though it could be in line for an Oscar already since this has to be one of the most powerful and meaningful stories in American history given what happened and what was undertaken by a single woman that inspired so many. As you can see from the trailer it would seem that we’re going to be given as brief a story as we can get while still getting the pertinent details that will tell the tale of a woman that did something that was unprecedented at that time and, as a result, became a hero to the people as a result. As Kendall Trammel of CNN shows this movie is going to be something that will likely pull at the emotions of just about anyone and everyone that watches it.
Granted, there might be those naysayers that will walk out of the theater and try to drop history bombs on people about how ‘this didn’t really happen’ or ‘that part didn’t really happen’ but the sad part is such folks will be missing the point entirely since the story of Harriet Tubman is one of inspiration and hope that something as wicked and distasteful as slavery could possibly be ended. The fact that it’s being brought out as a biopic isn’t too much of a surprise given the political landscape that greets us every day, but how it might be used by either side is going to be interesting indeed since as you can imagine this movie will hit a lot of hot topics that people will or won’t want to talk about. It’s a bit maddening that politics keep being allowed into movies but from the trailer thus far it would almost seem as though we’ll get more story and less political leaning, though it would seem that there will be some elements within the movie that will gladly remind us just what era we’re living in and how it’s going to be represented on the big screen. In this case however it seems more than needed since Harriet Tubman, being a woman, and a strong-willed woman at that, is someone that is still a figure that can be looked up to since she was a pioneer in her own time and a risk-taker that lives up to the phrase “Audaces fortuna iuvat”, or as others might know it, “fortune favors the bold”.
After escaping her masters and making her way to freedom Tubman felt compelled to return not once, not twice, but several times in order to liberate more and more people that she felt were being unjustly oppressed, spiriting them away to a part of the country where they could be free and would no longer live under the whips and harsh words of those that considered themselves their betters. And if this wasn’t enough, Tubman eventually served as a soldier, spy, and nurse, further putting herself in danger for the cause she’d taken up. In many ways Tubman was one of the toughest and most resolute individuals of her time since she didn’t waver in her self-appointed duties and she was willing to give everything to make certain that those of color were given a fair opportunity to survive in a world where they would no longer be considered as property to another human being. In terms of the stance on slavery this is one of the most powerful and well-known stories in this part of the country since it speaks of tremendous sacrifice and a sense of selflessness that is simply unheard of in this day and age. While the idea of it is definitely Oscar-worth it’s likely that some people might want to hold onto their opinions when it comes to handing out awards, simply because we haven’t seen everything that’s there to be offered yet.
But overall it would appear that, if the movie is just as good as it looks, that this biopic could be one of the next best movies of all time considering the subject, the story, and the manner in which it was told. From an historical standpoint it seems easy to argue that some things might not be entirely accurate since trying to piece together history from actual facts and not embellish anything is kind of difficult, not to mention that it doesn’t seem to make a solid movie all the time. The dates might be accurate, we can hope, but it’s also easy to think that the story will deviate from the truth and the known historical facts now and again if only to make it more interesting and engaging for the audience. So long as the overall story is kept intact though it should be a great movie.
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