Based on the Pulitzer Prize novel by Colson Whitehead, The Underground Railroad tells the story of Cora Randall as she seeks freedom from slavery in the south. As she searches for the rumored Underground Railroad, she discovers an actual railroad and a secret network underneath the Southern Soil. Academy Award-winning director Barry Jenkins grappled with creating this project. He adapted the book for screen as a series but wrestled with creating imagery rooted in black trauma.
“The imagery I speak of is abridged, amended, curtailed, and coded to protect the legacy that leads to the siren call of “Make America Great Again”…I’ve asked myself, who does this serve? The people clinging to the State’s rights and monuments to men who fought to preserve the enslavement of my ancestors?
Jenkins reflected on the state of the world now particularly with the Republican leadership that seeks to strip libraries and schools of historical narratives such as the 1619 project, Jenkins felt it necessary to adapt and direct this film. The Underground Railroad is a ten-episode limited series that poignantly captures slave history with some mythology. Viewers travel with Cora, played by South African actress, Thuso Mbedu, as she journeys in search of freedom via an actual train known as the Underground Railroad.
Cora’s journey begins in Georgia as an enslaved girl. Her mother escapes slavery but her leaving impacts Cora deeply. She is reluctant to escape. However, after a series of brutal events, she is convinced to leave by Caesar, played by Aaron Pierre. As she travels on this fictional railroad, she bears witness to the realities of racism in America. From the fake utopia of racial harmony in South Carolina to thriving black communities under attack in Indiana, Barry Jenkins paints a picture that speaks to racial harmonies today. Hot on her trail is Arnold Ridgeway, played by Joel Edgerton, a bounty hunter determined to return her to captivity. He pursues her relentlessly with his black sidekick, Homer, played masterfully by Chase W. Dillon, as he was never able to re-capture Cora’s mother, Mabel.
Jenkins says The Underground Railroad was his greatest challenge in filmmaking to date. He says, “There are hard images in this show, images that speak to the injustices inflicted upon my ancestors in the great making of this country and yet they could never truly sum the hardness of this most horrible condition, the American Institution of slavery. Some of the scenes were so difficult that the studio had therapists on hand after shooting particularly traumatic scenes for the cast.
While The Underground Railroad is filled with such hard and realistic imagery of the atrocities of slavery and racism, Jenkins goes deeper into the lives of enslaved black Americans.
“I wanted to look at how they loved their community, their joys and loves. All of which had to be robust in order to survive”-Barry Jenkins
For audiences, the journey is hard and difficult. Sometimes a challenge to watch the reality of American history on the screen, Barry Jenkins brilliantly keeps the audience engaged. Viewers become invested in Cora and her journey. You want to know how her story ends.
The Underground Railroad is more than “a slave movie” or your typical slave drama rooted in black trauma as entertainment. There is intentionality with every scene, every monologue, and every frame. The Underground Railroad is a story of pain, evil, and sadness but also hope, joy, triumph, and redemption. With stunning visuals and a gut-wrenching story, Barry Jenkins somehow manages to tell this story in a way that respects the truth of our history while also not being gratuitous. There is an element of respect in how Jenkins tells this story.
For Barry Jenkins, he understood whom this movie is for.
“I imagined my ancestors without question or hesitation, piloting themselves through will and grit and savvy and might…this show is for them.”
While The Underground Railroad is not something I would binge-watch, I do highly recommend viewing one at a time. Take a break in between episodes because there are moments that are deeply painful and disturbing.
The Underground Railroad premieres on May 14th on Amazon Prime Video.
Danielle Sanders is a journalist and writer living in Chicago. Find her on social media @DanieSandersOfficial