Powerful but not as moving as it should be

Rating: 8/10 (30 August 2009)

Based on a true story. In 1964 Mississippi three civil right workers (2 whites, 1 black) disappear without a trace. FBI agents come to investigate--southern Rupert Anderson (Gene Hackman) and straight-laced by the book Alan Ward (Willem Dafoe). Anderson knows the south and the racism and believes in fighting dirty. Ward wants to go by the book and is a calm influence. They soon realize that the workers may be dead--and the town is covering it up.
This received tons of negative publicity when it came out. It was based on a real life case and people said this movie distorted the facts or told outright lies. People don't seem to realize this is a FICTIONAL movie! It's not a documentary and doesn't pretend to be. It just uses the case as a starting point to show the ugly racism and hatred back then in Mississippi. It's VERY well made but somewhat disturbing to watch. There's plenty of swearing and a certain "n" word is used constantly.
It's an important movie...but it never connected with me emotionally. I WAS horrified to see what went on then and LOVED seeing the white guys getting it at the end...but I found it simplistic. All the white guys (save FBI agents) are ignorant vicious southerners who HATE blacks. All the black people just sit back and take all the violence directed at them without even attempting to fight back. How about all those freedom marches that happened back then? The clashes between black and white? They never happened? Turning the whites into monsters and all the blacks into victims was not the way to go. It distorts what the civil rights movement was like. I was always kept at a distance. The violence was strong and horrific (as it should be) but it never moved me. Still this is worth catching. Hackman is outstanding in his role (and was nominated for an Academy Award) and Frances McDormand is great in her too few scenes. Dafoe is a disappointment. He plays his character TOO straight-laced and unemotional. I got annoyed with him rather than cheering him on. Everybody else does great. This is far from a perfect film but it shows us a somewhat accurate portrayal of 1964. I'm glad this is being shown in high schools and colleges. I give it an 8.