Terrific story and well acted

Rating: 8/10 (10 February 2000)

The story of boxer Rubin `Hurricane' Carter is a fascinating and controversial one, and it has been brilliantly brought to life in Norman Jewison's film `The Hurricane.' Denzel Washington, in a terrific performance, portrays the New Jersey boxer who was twice wrongly convicted for murder, and finally released in 1985.
The movie tells Carter's story, from the rough streets of Paterson, New Jersey, his days as a champion prizefighter, and the prison where he spent so many years. Washington, always a great actor, gives a performance that is full of the power and emotion that is Mr. Carter. The rest of the cast is also very good, especially the great character actor Dan Hedaya as the Javert-like detective obsessed with putting Carter away. Which leads to an important point: As has been reported, there is much in this film that is true, and there are characters and storyline that are not. One example is Hedaya's character, who is supposedly meant to be representative of the many corrupt police and prosecutorial officials involved in this case. Even with this controversy, however, The Hurricane is both beautifully directed and acted.