Based on the thrilling and inspirational life of an iconic American freedom fighter, Harriet tells the extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman’s escape from slavery and transformation into one of America’s greatest heroes. Haunted by memories of those she left behind, Harriet (Cynthia Erivo) ventures back into dangerous territory on a mission to lead others to freedom. With allies like abolitionist William Still (Leslie Odom, Jr.) and the entrepreneurial Marie Buchanon (Janelle Monae), Harriet risks capture and death to guide hundreds to safety as one of the most prominent conductors of the Underground Railroad. Witness the story of a woman who defied impossible odds to change the course of her life and the fate of the nation.
For in-depth thoughts on Harriet, please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its original theatrical release here.
For additional thoughts on Harriet, please see my overview from the Focus Features 10-Movie Spotlight Blu-Ray here.
Video Quality
Harriet debuts on 4K UHD Blu-Ray courtesy of Universal Pictures Home Entertainment almost exactly four years after the Blu-Ray debut of the film in 2020. We didn’t expect that this title would be deemed worthy of a 4K UHD Blu-Ray upgrade, but we are thrilled to see the company understanding that it is not only big action and visual effects features that can benefit from the best consumer format. The new 2160p HDR10 transfer is not a staggering difference in quality from the accompanying Blu-Ray, but the transfer improves when it comes to gains in depth of color, encoding, and crisp detail. Any lingering instances of aliasing or compression artifacts are completely gone on this latest release.
The color palette is fine-tuned thanks to the HDR10 to capture a greater level of nuance presented within the the period visuals. Landscapes especially render boldly with sumptuous hues on display. Highlights do not showcase any blooming in this presentation, and black levels are marvelous with a healthy sense of detail in shadows. Skin tones are consistent and natural across the entire cast. The fact that the 4K UHD Blu-Ray somehow unlocks even more detail is head-spinning, especially when it comes to the textures found on the costumes. Universal has delivered a knockout transfer for this 4K UHD Blu-Ray, and we can only hope they keep making up for past mistakes by exploring 4K UHD options for more of their catalog.
Audio Quality
The Dolby Atmos track is a small but welcome upgrade from the DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio track on the Blu-Ray, as the enhancements from the overhead components make things feel even more immersive. This is readily apparent from the opening moments when the sounds of nature saturate the room and truly transport you. For every bigger confrontation, there is a smaller, character-driven moment that shows off the real benefits of this track. The soundscape on display sneaks up on you with how dynamic it can be. The core of the track is powerful and never fails to bring the story to life perfectly.
The film indulges more in character moments than traditional action scenes, but it gets a bit scrappy when it needs to. The Terence Blanchard score is a highlight, and it comes through with great fidelity. Dialogue emanates clearly with none of the information getting overshadowed by the sound designs. All of the effects have a favorable sense of direction within the mix with noises springing to life. The movie uses environmental sounds to impressive effect, and the track retains firm detail even when characters are faced with impossible odds. The track gives the film the heft and complexity it deserves. There are optional English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles provided for the 4K UHD disc.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Director/Co-Writer Kasi Lemmons gives an engaging commentary track in which she discusses the state of the project before she came on board and what she brought to the script, the struggle to bring to life Harriet as a real person, performances from the talented cast, behind-the-scenes details and anecdotes and more. In addition to being very informative, Lemmons also has a very relaxing voice that is such a pleasure to listen to. This is a worthwhile addition to the disc.
- Deleted Scenes: Seven scenes totaling sixteen minutes are provided here including Harriet waking up in an unfamiliar, welcoming house after a long journey, Harriet seeing John’s new wife, the reverend getting questioned about hiding fugitives, and more. There are actually some really interesting scenes included here that are worth seeking out for fans of the film.
- Her Story: A six-minute look at the struggle to bring this film to the screen in the face of an unwelcoming theatrical landscape. This also delves into the importance of having strong females behind the scenes ushering the film into existence. There are some really nice moments that are downright inspirational.
- Becoming Harriet: A four-minute featurette that explores bringing Erivo to the project, and why she was such a perfect choice in the eyes of the creative team. Leslie Odom Jr. gets to discuss his previous collaborations with Cynthia on Broadway and why she is one of the greatest scene partners.
Final Thoughts
Harriet provides a powerful depiction of this historic icon, if not slightly too formulaic to be truly great. The reason to watch this film is to see the transcendent Cynthia Erivo embody Tubman. Erivo was rightly nominated for an Oscar for her fierce performance as the freedom fighter. The main issue with the film is the script and the glossy Hollywood depiction of the events. At the end of this journey, you will feel like you have touched on the highlights of Tubman’s life, and that will be enough for some people. The film knows how to push your emotional buttons, but there is still room for another deep dive into this truly amazing woman in the future. Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray with a top-notch A/V presentation and some good special features. Recommended
Harriet can be purchased on 4K UHD Blu-Ray directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.