Mississippi Burning

Rating: 8/10 (13 July 2009)

From the first opening scene I could tell this film, from Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominated director Alan Parker (Bugsy Malone, Angel Heart), was going to be controversial with issues of racism, so I was definitely going to stick with it. Based loosely on truth, set in the 1960's, FBI agents Rupert Anderson (Oscar and Golden Globe nominated Gene Hackman) and Alan Ward (Willem Dafoe) are called to Mississippi to investigate the disappearance, obviously murder, of three civil rights workers, one being black, carried out by members of the Ku Klux Klan. The whole town is divided by the white and coloured, so racism is all around, and of course there are many whites who are secretly members of the KKK, helping bring brutality and to burn down black peoples' homes, crosses and churches. Of course this is set during the time of the civil rights movement, so all the people involved in these heinous crimes are caught and punished. Also starring Oscar nominated Frances McDormand as Mrs. Pell, Brad Dourif as Deputy Clinton Pell, Full Metal Jacket's R. Lee Ermey as Mayor Tilman, Gailard Sartain as Sheriff Ray Stuckey, Heroes' Stephen Tobolowsky as Clayton Townley, Michael Rooker as Frank Bailey, Pruitt Taylor Vince as Lester Cowans, Badja Djola as Agent Monk, Kevin Dunn as Agent Bird and Saw's Tobin Bell as Agent Stokes. The performances are fantastic, the story is very gripping, and with all the controversy and violence you really understand how terrible this time was. It won the Oscar for Best Cinematography, and it was nominated for Best Film Editing, Best Sound and Best Picture, it won the BAFTAs for Best Cinematography, Best Editing and Best Sound, and it was nominated for Best Original Film Score for Trevor Jones, and it was nominated the Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture - Drama and Best Screenplay. Gene Hackman was number 42 on The 100 Greatest Movie Stars, and he was number 31 on The World's Greatest Actor. Very good!