Mississippi
Burning
Description of Film:
Two FBI agents, Rupert Anderson (Gene Hackman,
Runaway Jury, Heist, The Birdcage, Unforgiven,
Hoosiers) and Alan Ward (William Dafoe, American
Dreamz, Spiderman) are in search of three missing
civil rights workers in a small town in Mississippi.
The year is 1964. The town is racially segregated
and largely run by the Ku Klux Klan. As the
agents attempt to solve their case, they receive
little assistance from local law enforcement
officials and political leaders. In fact, local
government officials seem very suspicious of
the FBI agents and unconcerned about the missing
civil rights workers. As viewers follow the
FBI’s progress in trying to crack the
case of the missing civil rights workers, they
also witness the agents attempting to crack
the case of race.
This film was directed by Allen Parker (Angela’s
Ashes, Evita) and written by Chris Gerolmo.
It received several Academy Award nominations,
including those for Best Director, Best Actor
in a Leading Role, Best Actress in a Supporting
Role, and Best Picture. It won an Academy Award
for Best Cinematography. The film is rated R,
largely for the graphic scenes in which viewers
witness violence perpetrated against African
Americans by members of the Ku Klux Klan.
Why I Recommend This Film:
This film is well acted and very riveting.
It depicts an important moment in the history
of the Civil Rights movement and graphically
demonstrates the violent nature of the Ku Klux
Klan. The level of violence directed toward
civil rights workers shows how deeply embedded
people’s prejudices were and what they
were willing to do to prevent change. The film
shows how dangerous people can be who are fueled
by hate.
Why This Film is Important:
I think that people underestimate the
consequences of hate. Whether one acts upon
these feelings or not, hate is still an undeniably
fatal force. People often do not realize that
the events like those portrayed in this film
still take place. However, the world is still
filled with hateful people. Even though we might
think the problems in the film have passed,
the truth is that many of these situations (and
the issues that give rise to them) are still
evident today.
Favorite Quotation:
“I have no more love to give! I have only
anger in my heart today, and I want you to be
angry with me! That I am sick and I am tired,
and I want you to be sick and tired with me!
I-I-I am sick and tired of going to the funerals
of black men who have been murdered by white
men! And I-I am sick and tired of the people
of this country who continue to allow these
things to happen!" What is an unalienable right
if you are a negro? What does it mean, Equal
Treatment under the law? What-what does it mean,
Liberty and justice for all? Now I say to these
people, "Look at the face of this young man,
and you will see the face of a black man. But
if you look at the blood shed, it is red! It
is like yours! It is JUST... LIKE... YOURS!”
Reference: http://www.geocities.com/amensoccer/reviews/rvmissb.html
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095647 |
