Mississippi Burning

Starring: Gene Hackman, Willem Dafoe, Frances McDormand, Brad Dourif, R. Lee Ermey, Gailard Sartain, Stephen Tobolowsky, Michael Rooker, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Kevin Dunn, Badja Djola, Tobin Bell
Directed by: Alan Parker
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
1988

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Two FBI Agents (Gene Hackman, Willem Dafoe) arrive in Mississippi to investigate the disappearance of three Civil Rights activists. Their differing styles cause personal conflict as the town reacts negatively to their investigation.

Review:

Tim: I've been a fan of director Alan Parker's films, so I was excited to go back and watch his 1988 film, Mississippi Burning. This fictionalized look at historical events was somewhat criticized when released for this approach. I disagree with those sentiments, though. This was an effective movie that shined a light on the grave injustice and racism that many African-Americans have experienced for decades. This film isn't always fun to watch, but it highlights how systemic racism can create a cycle that is very difficult to break. While the events depicted here are disturbing and have no place in modern society, I appreciated Parker and the filmmakers taking us on this journey. The events depicted here happened in the 1960s, which is not nearly as long ago as it seems. These kind of events might not happen today, but make no mistake that racism is alive and well and shows its ugly head in subtler, no less effective ways.

I appreciated this movie for showing a number of things. First, the plight of many Civil Rights activists working in the deep South. It was very easy to make people disappear, especially when the police, the courts, and the government were all supportive of letting murderers go unpunished and crimes unsolved if it had to do with people with the "wrong" skin color. It was disturbing and awful to see how white men in power conspired to allow racists and murderers to operate with no accountability or justice in sight. The movie does a good job of demonstrating how difficult it can be for even the FBI with all their resources to undercover the truth when the majority of a community is uninterested in helping the victims of racist, violent crimes. This movie makes you mad and it should.

The cast was top notch, although it did bother me slightly that all the best parts when to white actors. It would have been nice to see more diversity among the stars of the film. Still, this is what we have. Gene Hackman gives a tremendous performance in the lead role. Hackman is a terrific actor and I loved his realistic, jaded view of the world. He balances that with a good heart and a sense of optimism, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges. Hackman was the best part of this movie. It's not a surprise that he was nominated for an Academy Award for his role here. He absolutely deserved it. Willem Dafoe gives a strong performance, too. It did feel like he played second fiddle to Hackman. He doesn't get nearly enough great scenes, although he does elevate his character. It was fun to see Dafoe and Hackman acting together. It's somewhat telling that out of the three main cast members, only Dafoe didn't get recognized by the Academy. I generally am not a fan of Frances McDormand, even as I acknowledge her acting prowess. I thought she gave a very strong performance here, though. This was one of the better ones I've seen. As foreshadowed, McDormand received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Stephen Tobolowsky did some impressive work, even though it was a little hard to see him in this role at first. Ultimately, he's able to convince us he's a cowardly racist through his effective performance. Michael Rooker seems born to play roles like this. He was excellent in his hateful role. I was impressed how he was able to make us dislike his character. It was fun seeing Pruitt Taylor Vince, Kevin Dunn, and Tobin Bell in smaller supporting roles. Badja Djola was good in his small role. As a whole, the cast was excellent, although badly in need of more diversity in the main roles.

It's interesting that this film was nominated for 7 Academy Awards. In addition to the two acting awards mentioned, this film received a nomination for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Sound, and Best Film Editing. It won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography. That was a bit surprising. I thought the cinematography was certainly strong here, but I don't think it was especially noteworthy. Still, it was solid.

There's been a number of movies similar to this and I always appreciate the message it delivers. Any time we can shine a light on the evils of racism, that's a positive thing. The message itself doesn't guarantee the quality of the movie, though. Fortunately, Alan Parker directs an entertaining, memorable film. The events depicted here are exciting and thrilling. This was an interesting, engaging movie that I thoroughly enjoyed watching. We need more movies like this one.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Life of David Gale, Malcolm X