Something's burning in Mississippi  and I think it's hatred!

Rating: 8/10 (19 September 2016)

Recently, with my wife, I watched the 2011 film "The Help" which is a truly brilliant movie that I can only recommend wholeheartedly. That same movie also sparked my desire to dig up some other terrific films about civil rights, and then it doesn't take too long before you end up at Alan Parker's "Mississippi Burning". Although nearly 30 years old now, this is still an immensely powerful and often shocking tale inspired by the real-life murders of 3 young activists by members of the Ku Klux Klan in a small Mississippian county in the spring of 1964. I'm European and there isn't too much known around here regarding the facts of this case, but I can easily imagine that turning this true crime case into a fairly large-scaled film production much have caused quite a bit of amok and controversy even 24 years later. Still, even though the references towards the so-called 'Mississippi civil right workers' murders' case are unmistakable, director Alan Parker primarily approaches the events from a more objective viewpoint by focusing on the FBI investigation. As the sudden disappearance of the 3 youngsters in rural Mississippi is considered alarming (perhaps because 2 of them are Caucasian), the FBI sends two agents over to the Magnolia State. Alan Ward is a young graduate and ambitious city agent who strictly follows the protocol, whereas Rupert Anderson is a former Mississippi small county sheriff himself and uses more unorthodox methods to find out the things he want. Needless to say their styles and personalities often clash, but it's Anderson who makes the most progress in the case, especially when he develops a tender – almost poetic, in fact – relationship with the wife of the sadist deputy (and KKK-member) Clinton Pell. Admittedly, you could blame director Alan Parker and scriptwriter Chris Gerolmo their excessive overuse of stereotypes All the FBI folks (except for Anderson) are uptight desk clerks with fancy suits, all the black people are mute victims, the women are docile and petrified wives and all the racist rednecks are ignorant and violent scumbags. Of course, just because the stereotypes are such opposites, the confrontations between them are extremely intense and atmospheric. The suspense literally mounts when the rednecks are relentlessly chasing an innocent black guy, or when Agent Anderson nonchalantly walks into the unofficial KKK clubhouse. Another reason why I personally don't mind the use of stereotypes is because it gives the fantastic cast the opportunity to showcase their talents. Awesomely talented guys like Michael Rooker, Brad Dourif and Pruit Taylor Vince are truly brilliant in depicting their vile and loathsome Southern redneck characters. But the greatest performance undeniably comes from Gene Hackman, as he almost naturally shapeshifts between hard-boiled law enforcer and tenderly comprehensive gentleman during his sequences with Frances McDormand. Another umpteenth brilliant performance from one of the greatest actors of the 70s, 80s and 90s.