Through The Mississippi Darkness

Rating: 8/10 (17 August 2014)

In 1964 three Civil Rights workers were murdered in rural Mississippi by Southern White racists. This film tells the story of the follow-up investigation by two FBI guys named Anderson (Gene Hackman) and Ward (Willem Dafoe). Although the triple murder is based on a real-life case, script plot points are mostly fictional.
The Anderson and Ward characters are fictional. And it's unfortunate that the writers here portray the FBI as the good guys, which is a distortion of the historical reality. The Mrs. Pell character (Frances McDormand), also is fictional and distracts from the case. While the inclusion of some fiction can be acceptable in real-life stories, since such films are not intended as documentaries, "Mississippi Burning" deviates too much from the historical truth, and that's my main criticism of the film.
Some have argued that the film is biased because it presents a stereotyped view that all Mississippi Blacks were victims and all Mississippi Whites were villainous. But that's pretty much the way it was back then. Even now, I'm not sure a lot has changed since 1964, though villainy may be more subtle now. Because of the heavy political overtones, some viewers will necessarily be put off by the film's overall message.
The visuals are the real strength of the film. Detailed prod design, period costumes, and the casting of local, non-professional actors make the film come alive with a sense of realism. Much of the plot takes place at night, thematically appropriate given that evil redneck thugs terrorized an entire race of people and caused untold suffering.
Casting is appropriate, with the possible exception of Willem Dafoe, an actor with an annoying voice. Cinematography is quite good. Colors are highly muted; lighting is fairly low, with night scenes quite dark.
"Where does it come from, all this hatred (toward Blacks)", asks one character. It comes from the reality that the South never recovered from the Civil War. And all that resentment expressed in 1964 to some extent still exists, some 25 years after "Mississippi Burning" was made, and a half-century after the event upon which the film is based. Many Southern Whites just cannot let go of the past. Perhaps they never will ...