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“THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE HARRIET”

A Film Review

Charlene T. Atenas

Ma. Hanna Gweneth D. Valentino

College of the Holy Spirit of Tarlac

English for Academic and Professional Purposes

Media and Information Literacy

Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics

Mrs. Mylene Antonio

Mr. Ivan Balmores

Ms. Alecs Kaye Talavera

September 26, 2021

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FILM REVIEW: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE HARRIET

The Good, The Bad and The Harriet

Historical films have never been the crowd's favorite. Unentertaining and dull is what people might say. And

Harriet? Harriet is here to change your mind. With its exquisite story to the catchy musicals played along with the

movie, it is implicitly a historical film at its finest. Unlike preceding films, the movie concentrated on the emotional

violence, courage, and independence of the time rather than the bloodshed and inhumanity. As a result, the film

looked to be upbeat, evoking feelings of optimism and liberty. The storyline recounts the life of Harriet Tubman and

her journey to freedom, as well as how her strength, tenacity, and spiritual dedication led to the release and justice of

hundreds of slaves, since it is based on a true story.

The primary group of people featured in the movie have one thing in common: skin tone and most would think that

that is all there is. However, it is noteworthy that Harriet is not only black, she's a girl, and a peasant- all three major

criticisms that the society always points out, so more than anyone else. Harriet is deemed most worthy under the

category of the oppressed as she fits perfectly upon the said criteria: race, gender, and social class.Harriet's life flows

with grace in belief and a myriad of happenings that are completely scarce of visual mishaps, it is wondersome of

how things ended up within her favor, truly sublime. A true revolutionary breakthrough.

But in the world, we got the good, the bad, but also the Harriets- the evil in good. Those who thought that

what they are doing is just for the best and for the sake of many, and indeed that in the aftermath, the glory of her

revolutionary act would benefit humanity, but a few generations later, it would only give rise to more and greater

conflicts. Harriet’s move for the black may have provided them ease in the 1800s but as of today’s time the tables

have started to turn and it is the whites who are being oppressed by the blacks but more on that later.
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FILM REVIEW: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE HARRIET

Harriet is a biographical drama film that tells the historical story of Harriet Tubman, who was superbly portrayed by

Cynthia Erivo. Kasi Lemmons directed and co-wrote this film with Gregory Allen Howard. The tale begins with her as

as a young, married enslaved worker wishing and asking for a change from her white master, and from there, the

story revolves around a unimaginative memoir of Harriet Tubman's life as a brave, strong, and faithful abolitionist, her

escape from slavery, and her fearless returns to her homeland of the South, where she made peerless contributions

to abolitionism saves the lives of the number of slaves and gives hope to people in obtaining a life with peace and

freedom.

Araminta "Minty" Ross, the daughter of a slave family in Maryland who was controlled by a slave white owner, was

her identity before she changed and became the renowned Harriet Tubman whose history is being honored by many

people. Gloomy was the environment as it first appeared within the movie as it montages the scene, likewise of how

the storyline is dark and troubled. This initial impression is then proved a few seconds after, when the main

character- Harriet is seen laying across the grass field, dreaming, or rather having sparse and well-parsed flashbacks

as a plethora of bondage nightmares of what transpired to her as they are abducted by white men and sold to them

that comes with a high possibility of being separated from her loved ones for the rest of her life. However, at 2:06 the

love of her life was introduced along as how colors at the atmosphere have swiftly filled the scene as to how Harriet's

heart was filled with happiness as well, how the man gave colors to her life in hope that when they get married they

could be permitted to be free from slavery.

As the movie progressed, she found out that she was being bought and fetched by another owner, she was

able to escape with courage and compassion with the aid and support of her family and husband, as well as the

blessing and direction of a black reverend. Throughout, a lot of foreshadowing occurs. Nonetheless, the predicted

happenings are still delivered with a series of unimaginable twists. Take the part in which they were asking

permission to be freed from slavery, perhaps, they were immediately turned down, foreshadowing that Harriet shall

be oppressed throughout the film, and that was what indeed happened, but the thing is, as she was being oppressed,

she is struggling to fight back and managed to escape the chase scene which raised the thrill of the audience. She'd
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FILM REVIEW: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE HARRIET

gone through a lot, with many difficulties and troubles, and she'd rested but not given up. Furthermore, it piques the

audience's interest since the film not only highlights the cruelty and suffering of slavery, but the best thing is that it

also shows the bravery and unity of black people.

She was first scared of wandering freely in a locale with people of different races or cultures after her

lengthy and challenging travel and arrival in Philadelphia. She subsequently encountered anti-slavery campaigners

Mr. Still and Marie Buchanon, both of whom were born with freedom, and who assisted her in building her

inspirational character, Harriet Tubman. Her need for justice burns brightly, just as it did when she first became free.

She became a conductor for the subterranean railroad after joining the Anti-Slavery Society. Her fire for justice burns

brightly, just as it did when she first became liberated. She became a conductor for the underground railroad after

joining the Anti-slavery group. As a result of her missions, she earned the moniker Moses, the slave thief, among the

organization's members, her people, and the slave masters.

On the other hand, it is not adequate to view the film as it is, codes and interventions add spice to a dull

media. Fortunately, Harriet is packed with those.

A: Visuals. Choosing the proper visuals in a movie is crucial to its success, no matter how good it is. It

satisfies the aesthetic appeal that the audience long for; especially nowadays that people like to share into social

media, a part of their day through Facebook and Instagram stories, as well as fleets, Harriet throughout the film can

be called "Instagram-worthy".

Visual-wise, Harriet is amazing. Filled with chase scenes, from running to chariot movements to the following of the

main character as it walks from one destination to another, visible within the film is constant motion, and

consequently, with the help of stabilizer, shivering was not made visible, making it pleasing to the eye.
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FILM REVIEW: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE HARRIET

The rules of margin in filming, such as the rule of thirds, were utilized. However, the way the production crew follows

the rules in filming is inconsistent. This variation in the rules of margin has provided diversity within how the subject is

being centralized or rather given the emphasis.

Moreover, the movie was balanced with the conventional amount of subject. The lack of characters has paved the

way for the consumers to focus on the characters and their relation to each other.

B:Cinematography. The lighting had satisfied the craving of the audience for visual appeal. However, almost

all transitions used in Harriet made use of clean cut-takes, in which a scene would be cut and would be immediately

replaced by the next scene.

On the downside, Harriet's cinematography is too bland. Cinematographers could have made use of better

transitions utilized by John Leonetti- cinematographer of the movies involved in The Conjuring Universe. Such

outstanding cinematography would leave a mark long after the movie is watched. Also, if ever the movie fails to

amuse the crowd, the cinematography ought to save the initial evaluation for the movie.

On the other hand, camera angles that are often utilized are medium shot and medium close-up since the

film focuses more on the conversations and dramatics. These are used to emphasize face expressions and assist

viewers in comprehending the tale. As a result, the director's endeavor to capture emotions is a success, in line with

their aim of emphasizing the story. Aside from that, they employ long views and full shots, which let the spectator to

observe the surroundings while also emphasizing the actors' activities. Harriet's stealthiness and spiritual dedication

are on display during the action pursuits, especially as she flees from the slave masters and trackers.
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FILM REVIEW: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE HARRIET

C: Natural lighting and colors were employed throughout the film to give the audience a sense of belonging,

as if living during that era was innate within them. Despite the fact that they used natural lighting and color, they were

successful in capturing and portraying the mood throughout the video.

Throughout the film, there were a few colors that stood out. Dark earthy hues were primarily observed in

Harriet's childhood home to convey to viewers that evil and depravity are prevalent in that location or time. Harriet's

escapes are full of green and blue hues, with green representing new life and beginnings and dark blue representing

the harsh realities of the time. Furthermore, blue is associated with tranquility and optimism, as Harriet discovered

when she arrived in Philadelphia and visited the anti-slavery society's headquarters.

Meanwhile, when Gideon Brodess arrives in the scene, especially in the Brodess house, the color yellow is

frequently observed, which depicts deception and lunacy, which perfectly characterizes the people in those moments.

The color orange appears in moments with Harriet's dear friend Marie and, more importantly, in scenes with her

family. This hue represents the mood, specifically warmth, friendliness, and happiness, which corresponds to the

environment depicted in those images.

D. Audios and musicals. Audio that shall make up a movie is crucial for it is the initial main outlook that

represents the movie other than the posters.

In terms of the audio used, Harriet has used audio suitable for each scene. They have also made use of catchy tunes

that will leave the song stuck in our heads.

Furthermore, the film had musical exchanges between the people in the tale, which kept the audience

interested throughout the film. We felt joy and pleasure as a result of Harriet's strength and persistence, and every
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FILM REVIEW: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE HARRIET

time Harriet emancipated slaves, the film motivates its audience to pursue and hang on to a dream, to be a voice and

not just an echo, and to do what has to be done.

The first song that appeared was when they were being preached and in the song the phrase “hold on” was

kept on being repeated as if the blacks are keeping themselves motivated to hold their;ves composed because there

is a bright future ahead.

E: The supreme entity. The spiritual and divine link between Harriet and God is depicted in numerous

scenes throughout Harriet. When Harriet kneels on the grass and shuts her eyes, it is assumed that she is

connecting with God and praying for direction on their journey. When she connects, she has images that are

generally in black and white and stand out from the rest of the scenario. However, their attempt to demonstrate

Harriet's spiritual relationship to God appears to be more supernatural than spiritual. Despite the fact that this is an

essential aspect of the film, they failed to convey the message.

On the other hand, the way upon how Harriet and the black reverend grasps each others hand before she was set off

to escape employs how God used the reverend as an instrument in guiding and supporting Harriet all throughout,

that no matter what obstacle and unfortunate events she may face, God is with him and must she remain faithful for

the God we have is a God of hope and justice.

F. Sculptures are good for symbolism since they reflect various facets of our cultural understanding. Not to

mention that sculptures are more than just representations; they also add a touch of elegance of the world around us.

Following that, another feature of the film was the usage of a sculptural figure that Minty's father gave her as a sign of

his unwavering love for her. Furthermore, it represents the fact that his father will always be with her no matter what

occurs along her trip. These artifacts serve as a reminder of what was, what is, and what may be, and are therefore

an important reason and lesson in her life even if she is alone and away from her loved ones, fighting valiantly for

their deprived liberty and freedom.

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FILM REVIEW: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE HARRIET

G:The street ambience. The people in the film wear Victorian-style gowns and fitted coats and trousers,

which were typical at the time, and they move by carriages and horses, ships, or trains instead of vehicles.

Meanwhile, the blacks and even more of the peasants, were to wear clothes that are almost rags- dull, undetailed

and filthy. They roam around the town and get to different locations through walking. Consequently, social division

have become evident even without words being uttered.

With that being said, cultural relativism is clearly not a concept that was held by the Americans back then.

Backing that statement up is (1) the depiction of the deterrents to cultural relativism through the concepts of

ethnocentrism and xenocentrism that discourages or restraints people in indulging themselves in practicing cultural

relativism are visible in several events throughout the film. Certainly, cultural relativism is the capacity to comprehend

a culture on its own terms rather than making judgements and conclusions based on one's own cultural norms.

Where its objective is to increase awareness of different cultural traditions that are not generally found in one's own

culture as it varies and differs from one another. It gives an idea that cultural beliefs and values acquire their meaning

from a particular social environment, hence, no culture is better than another.

Ethnocentrism is the idea that one's own group, ethnicity, or country is superior to others because they have

the propensity to judge the conduct and beliefs of individuals reared in other cultures using their own cultural values.

Whereas, one of the deterrents, ethnocentrism, was first demonstrated when the master refused to grant Harriet and

her soon-to-be family their basic rights to a free life because he believes Minty and everyone who is or will be a part

of her family belongs to him because they are his servants and are under him. Second, an enraged group of white

people came to see Gideon's mother, accusing her of being responsible for all the slaves who had fled. But she

flipped the tale around by saying that she is not the actual adversary in the position they are in, and that it is Minty's

responsibility that they are losing their slaves and losing their dignity and authority.

Moreover, xenocentrism is the complete opposite of ethnocentrism because it is the belief that one's own

society is inferior to another, as seen by the perceptions for other cultures' and civilizations' cultural practices, such

as how they live, and more, over one's own way of life. Without a doubt, xenocentrism is evidently portrayed in the
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FILM REVIEW: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE HARRIET

scene in which a black guy deceived his fellow black people for power and monetary gain. He is employed by Gideon

and is entrusted with tracking out black individuals in return for a living. The way this black guy sacrificed his identity

as a member of the black community to his white master demonstrated xenocentrism in that moment.

Oppression of the white Americans to the Blacks are evident. However, (2) the societal issue that was

accentuated and is still observed is how with the 2 hours and 5 minutes run of the movie, not once did they consider

the emotional prospect of the white community. even though Harriet is based on the real-life experience of Araminta

Ross, better known as Harriet Tubman, things on her experience do not necessarily go exactly along what the movie

shows, it does not go to every detail, so it would have been appreciated if a part of the film showcases how not

everyone in the white community oppresses the blacks, how some, even if they can not help, would show sympathy

over them. Harriet is a film of drama but its genre does not primarily focus on it but rather on action and adventure, so

the addition of the aforementioned suggested scene about sympathizing the blacks, would not at all hurt the primary

goal of the show. Because in reality, there is a wide array of emotions that varies among people.

Even if whites are indeed dominant over everyone during that era, people differ in perspective and feelings

toward everything or everyone. But then again this scene may not have been introduced to build up the pity that

would reign over the audience's feelings. The main character Harriet, however, only depicts how "white" becomes the

pressor, the movie somewhat generalizes the community of 'whites" as perpetrators, in which they are not. According

to the news CNN released last 2011, March 4, the white Americans feels like they are a racially oppressed majority

due to their constant force of adaptation to whatever protestors want to happen because if they don't agree with the

black protestor, they would seem like they are once again oppressing the blacks; there is no free will, going against

the black's wish will lead to a negative connotation and discrimination, the majority group does fall under the minority

group's wishes.
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FILM REVIEW: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE HARRIET

This societal issue can be addressed by means of not generalizing the white community as a whole, but

instead respect their individual selves and not only hear out the call of the black but the whites as well. Because

again, every coin has two sides.

By doing so, cultural relativism would become visible. In the film. On the other hand, (3) cultural relativism

worked and was demonstrated by means of those who were born free in Philadelphia learn about the culture of those

who were slaves, demonstrating cultural relativism. The moment in which Harriet insists on returning to free her

family and friends from slavery is a good example. Her offer was turned down, but after speaking about her

experience as a victim, she was finally understood by others. Another clip shows them debating how they should free

more slaves. Many were hesitant to help because of the hurdles and the vast distances they would have to travel to

save black people. Others even urged on civil war since that was the only feasible choice for them. Interestingly,

Harriet stepped up and stated that she is prepared to sacrifice her comfort in order to go above and beyond her

service. The people who were listening in on her attempted to comprehend Harriet and make a decision based on

what she had previously experienced. The aforementioned situations above exemplified cultural relativism since free

individuals who had never experienced slavery were able to empathize with Harriet by placing themselves in her

shoes

Finally, with all codes and conventions were appropriately implemented and able to accentuate the film's topic, which

is about the sufferings endured by our black brothers and sisters throughout the slavery era. Racism is also one of

the film's major highlights, as it urges viewers to put an end to prejudice and ignorance and gives a message that

would transcend all countries and cultures. Racism is entrenched in all of humanity and is a profoundly established

history of a number of countries, as evidenced by this occurrence. Many individuals still find it difficult to accept

people of color because of a deep-rooted idea that has been placed in everyone's brain that structural, institutional,

and interpersonal racism towards black people has only been visible in recent times and is only noticeable in

America. It's heartbreaking to see and hear other people that are still fighting for respect, equality, and dignity

because, like other people of other races, they have the right to live their lives without fear of being harmed or

persecuted because of their identity. Thus, It is not proper or fair that they are still oppression's slaves. By this point,
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FILM REVIEW: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE HARRIET

the world had created a massive chasm between the affluent and the poor, robbing them of their freedom to exist

properly. Skin color discrimination does not exist in the country, but rather in attaining better living conditions. This is

quite common, as seen by how individuals regard a certain party. Those who are rich are often prioritized and

preferred over those who are not.

Miscommunication and misunderstanding cause people to misinterpret things. Black lives were condemned just for

existing in hues that were outside the norm. "White supremacy" was a notion developed by Americans who refused

to accept those who did not have white skin. True equality and fairness need self-awareness and comprehension.

We were all emancipated to love one another and assist one another advance, which leaves us completely perplexed

as to why various physical characteristics function as impediments to communication with others. Hate has been

acceptable and somehow normalized all throughout the world, which is emotionally demanding and frightening. This

has an impact on our workplaces, how we socialize, who we ask for help from, and where we buy things. People,

unfortunately, succumb to hatred in today's environment. It is quite simple to freely put out one's disdain of someone

when there is no risk of confrontation. The recipient is left with damages that they are forced to ignore.

The characters' conversations were meticulously prepared. The script was created in a genuine and harsh

manner to represent how black people were treated at the time. Brodess, the adversary of the narrative, is shown to

have inequal and erroneous reasoning in a statement from the film "Lord don't listen to niggers, Minty." Instead of

showing slavery via killing, they chose to focus on a different type of brutality. Nonetheless, by displaying the wounds

of former slaves, they were able to satisfy the audience in representing slavery.

In the end, the movie’s standing is 8/10. It is safe to say that the movie is flaw-filled. Mistakes are done both

explicitly, as to the filming, and implicitly, as not considering notable situations in the underlying context. These

shortcomings play as factors that could have limited the perspective of the viewers.

However, the weakness of the movie was shoved off as the movie progressed due to the flaming desire and

attachment of the audience from Harriet, living her life through the movie. Because overall, viewers do not get to

deeply scrutinize every movie they see; from the perspective of an ordinary viewer, it is not the visual mishaps nor
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cliche acts that they witness, to people, the movie is bliss. Because it is not criticisms that they obtain as the movie

finishes, but rather, it is the warmth of heart that they get, the courage that they had again, and the dream that have

been revived as they were inspired

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FILM REVIEW: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE HARRIET

References

Blake, J. (2011, March 4). Are whites racially oppressed? CNN news.

https://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/12/21/white.persecution/index.html