Orr-Weston 1

Luanna Orr-Weston
Jerome McKeever
English 1020
3 May 2014
Word Count: 1673
A Woman Called Moses: The Review
The name of the film being reviewed is called A Woman Called Moses. The actress
Cicely Tyson plays Harriet Tubman. The narrator for this film is Orson Welles. Because this
story has someones voice outlining the story, it gives the film the depth and clarity it needs to
carry out the directors goal. The directors goal becomes clear based on how the audience
receives the message that the director wants to get across. This films setting takes place in the
Antebellum South era. This was before the American Civil War took place in the South. The film
would be considered a biography of Harriet Tubmans life story. Paul Wendkos was the director
for this film. While watching the film, it is readily seen that the director wants to reach an
audience that is not familiar with slavery, or how slavery works. There were various scenes
within the film that showed the audience the differences between slaves and free people,
specifically slaves were not permitted to do things without the permission of their overseers. If
they were caught doing things or going places they were not permitted, they were punished.
These differences were vital in order for the audience to understand how the story unfolds. The
differences between slaves and free people consisted of the clothing, dialogue, shelter, and food.
The slaves clothing were of poor quality material that deteriorated quicker than usual. The
slaves dialogue were not of proper grammar, this is because most slaves were not allowed to get
Orr-Weston 2

an education. The shelter of slaves were shacks compared to the mansions that plantation owners
lived in. The food that slaves consumed were leftovers, and considered bad quality. The
directors purpose was to introduce Tubman as his main character, shed light on what made her
presence significant to the audience, and showcase the impact that she made on the lives of
others.
Tubman is the main character in the film. The film begins with showing her teenage years
to her early adulthood. Through Tubmans teenage years, it is seen that she grew up in a family
oriented home setting, where she is sheltered and protected, this is where she was raised in a
Christian religion. As a result, Tubman is seen praying often in the film. This occurs mostly
when she finds herself being punished, or when she is confused in regards to where she stands in
her faith. In the film, Tubman is seen reciting religious phrases, that in some way empower her to
press on despite the challenges the she faces. Tubman is introduced as a God fearing devout
Christian woman who is obedient to her superiors. She carries herself in a poised and respectful
manner. However, underneath her calm and poised exterior, she is a leader with plans. These
plans are what leads Tubman to freedom, along with others. She is smart, but she is not afraid to
stand up for a cause. This is seen when Tubman courageously stands up for another slave. As a
result, she is struck in the head by a superior. This leaves Tubman with an injury that causes her
to have frequent dizzy spells that follow her for the remainder of her life. She feels that they are
related to Gods favor upon her, and this is Gods way of communicating with her. As she grows,
she begins to question why things are the way they are. Tubman is searching for answers that
cannot be provided to her from her submissive parents. Tubman is secretly looking outside of
slavery, she is beginning to wonder about freedom, and what it means to her. The idea of
freedom touches Tubman in a way where she knows she is supposed to be free.
Orr-Weston 3

The director is interested in shedding light on Tubman, and what makes her role so
significant to the audience. The audience that the director wants to reach is ignorant to Tubmans
story and day to day life as a slave. His goal is to pull the viewer into the story and make them
somehow become a part of the plot. He does this by showing captivating scenes where Tubmans
life is at risk, along with her fellow slaves. These scenes gives the viewer a vivid understanding
of the horror that Tubman faced for the sake of her right to freedom. The audience is free and
had never been in jeopardy of losing their freedom, so the director wants to put the audience in
Tubmans world of slavery. He wants to grab the audiences attention through leaving them with
the fear of their own freedom being at risk through Tubmans story. Tubmans presence is
needed in order to draw the audience in, and keep them in a place where there are asking the
same questions that Tubman was asking in the film. The question that stands out to the audience
that Tubman asks is, why am I a slave. The director wants the audience to understand that
Tubman is human just like them. Tubman has fears, desires, and ambitions. As the audience is
able to connect and relate with Tubman through her story, it becomes easier for the audience to
be able to trade places with Tubman. This is where the director wants his audience to be.
Tubman becomes an embodiment of freedom to the slaves around her. She influences
people who have spent the majority of their lives enslaved, to trade in their shackles for freedom.
Although, some of the slaves that were set free had doubts. The slaves were often confused as to
if there were such thing as freedom for people like them. This is the reason Tubmans impact on
others lives became the focal point of this film according to the director. Tubmans actions
exemplify to the audience what heroes are all about. She courageously pushes slaves ahead to
freedom despite what stood in her in way. Tubman acted as a leader and mentor to the slaves that
were afraid of the idea of freedom, this is because they had spent their whole life enslaved. All
Orr-Weston 4

the slaves knew were bondage. This explains why some slaves could not see past their shackles.
After watching the film, the director would like the audience to walk away with Tubman leaving
an impact on their lives as well. The director does not just show people how to lead lives having
a positive impact on others, he teaches his audience how to go about it. This is through his main
character Harriet Tubman. Tubman played a major key role in leading slaves to freedom through
helping organize the Underground Rail Road. This was a resource built on everything she
believed in. The film begins with Tubman seen riding on a train, this scene is symbolic to what
she helped create. Furthermore, this scene reminds the audience what they can help create and
form to change peoples lives as well. Some may look at Tubmans story, and find reason to be a
leader and mentor through their actions, instead of words. As we look into Tubmans life, her life
is a demonstration of how to chase after what you believe in no matter what horrors stand in your
way.
In conclusion, the film was informative and educational to Tubmans life and slavery as a
whole. The film can be used as a great tool for people who are just beginning to learn about
slavery and the American Civil War. This film will help them understand the slave mentality,
and could become a resourceful aide in helping them learn about people who brought forth the
abolishment of slavery. However, the language and story development in the film can become
redundant to people who are familiar with slavery and Harriet Tubmans life story. As the film
unfolds the scenes can become repetitive in describing the goal of all the slaves involved in
Tubmans plot to escape slavery. This film uses a lot of detail and description in scenes and
dialogue with slaves. This is the reason this film would serve as a helpful aide to students and
teachers who are interested in learning more about the culture, religion, and lifestyle of the
Antebellum South in general. The director does a great job of giving detailed and descriptive
Orr-Weston 5

imagery of the setting of the Antebellum South. You can also get an idea of the clothing that
slaves wore. The clothing is what often set slaves a part from the rest of society, so this proves to
be an important tool in determining upper class from lower class. In other words it was clear in
understanding who was wealthy, and who was poor. If you were a foreigner coming to the
Antebellum South to visit, you would be able to distinguish between the rich and the poor easily.
In the Antebellum South there were strict laws and guidelines that all were expected to follow.
This is because, these laws kept society running smoothly. It was a traditional way of life for
these Southerners. It was nothing abnormal about seeing slaves work countless hours on hot
fields, it was considered a way of life for all, and were expected to be followed and accepted by
all. The punishment for slaves were considered normal as well. This meant that there was
nothing wrong with seeing a slave being beaten for not doing what was expected of him or her.
This is why Tubmans life served as that of a hero.









Orr-Weston 6




Works Cited
"A Woman Called Moses." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 03 May 2014.
"A Woman Called Moses." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 01 July 2007. Web.
03 May 2014.
"Project MUSE - A Woman Called Moses: Myth and Reality." Project MUSE - A
Woman Called Moses: Myth and Reality. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 May 2014.
"African American Empowerment Blog (AAEB)." : A Woman Called Moses: Harriet
Tubman. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 May 2014.
"A Woman Called Moses, DVD." Christianbook.com:. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 May 2014.