Right OK now its time for another post and this un is on another movie and I have chosen to go back to the 80s and do a review on the crime thriller, Mississippi Burning, starring Gene Hackman and Willem Defoe. So let's give this one a closer look....
So a bit about the plot as the film begins with the murder of three civil rights activists in Jessup county in Mississipi who were sent to set up voting registries for the minority groups. As a result the FBI send two agents, Rupert Anderson (Hackman) and Alan Ward (Defoe) to investigate, however they have a difficult time trying to talk to the local townsfolk as the town is under the control Sherrif Stuckey (Gailard Sartain) and his deputies exert their influence who are also connected to the Ku Klux Klan. During their investigations, the Klan members begin to make things worse for the black townsfolk as they terrorise them in an effort to force the agents to leave, however the two men continue with their investigations. Anderson in the meantime befriends the wife of Sherrif Stuckey's deputy, Clinton Pell (Brad Douriff and the Mrs Pell is played by Frances McDormand) in an effort to get information from her. And Mrs Pell later reveals to Anderson that the three civil rights workers were indeed murdered and buried in an earthen dam and as a result their bodies are exhumed and Stuckey soon confronts Pell to go and deal with his wife for telling the FBI, which leads to Pell going back home and beating his wife, who is hospitalised as a result. Anderson arrives at the hospital with Ward already present the two of them argue but Ward says to Anderson he wants to go after Stuckey and the others and prosecute by any means necessary, which Anderson agrees to. And from here the two agents work together to try and bring down Stuckey, Pell and the others.
There is no question that Mississippi Burning is a powerful film and tells an important story of great historical relevance of the troubled times during the 1960s in the deep south in America. The film itself is also based on true events that surrounded the disappearance of three civil rights workers, who were murdered in Neshoba county in Mississippi in June 1964 although certain liberties had to be taken with the facts of the events due to legal reasons (as is often the case with these films). And the film paints a pretty unflinching picture of the attitudes of the time of the locals who treated the African Americans with contempt as well as the terrorising created by the Ku Klux Klan. The film also naturally has some powerful and disturbing scenes which really strike a chord in the viewer and its something in which it really succeeds in doing and making you realise just how ugly the attitudes are.
Performance wise things are excellent all round starting with Gene Hackman who is superb as the wisened, genial but veteran FBI agent who was formerly from Jessup county himself. Hackman has many great moments in the film of which I will name a few such as the scene where Anderson tells Ward a story about his dad who years ago who poisoned a mule belonging to a black farmer. And Anderson says to Ward "And I looked at my daddy and I knew he'd done it and he said "if you ain't better than a nigger, son, who are you better than?". And Ward asks Anderson "And where did that leave you?" and Anderson says "My old man was so full of hate he didn't know that being poor was what was killing him". And then there is the scene where Anderson pays a visit to Pell's social club where one of Pell's men, the thuggish Klan member, Frank Bailey (played chillingly by Michael Rooker) threatens him to leave town. And Anderson responds by grabbing Frank's balls and saying "You get this straight, shit-kicker! Don't you go mistaking me for some whole other body! You must have your brains in your dick if you think we are just gonna fade away. We're gonna stay until this thing is finished!". Then there is his first scene where Anderson sings the Ku Klux Klan's anthem song from a sheet and he says to Ward "These Ku Klux's are better with their lynchins than their lyrics!". And later there is the great moment where Anderson confronts Pell at the barber shop, as he takes over from the barber to shave Pell and ends up cutting his face with the straight razor and beating him and afterwards says to Pell "Make no mistake about it deputy, I'll cut your fuckin head clear off and not give a shit how it reads on the report sheet!".
Willem Defoe is also excellent in his part as the serious and assertive Ward, who at times is at odds with Anderson's methods but they pull together in their attempts to bring down the perpetrators behind the killings. Defoe also has some good moments in the film such as his first scene with Hackman where Ward makes himself clear with Anderson by saying "Let's get this straight. I haven't had a pimple in years, I shave every morning and I go to the bathroom myself so you can cut out this boss stuff". Then there is the scene where Ward arrives during a meeting held by the local Klan, headed by Clayton Townley (played by Stephen Tobolowsky) and Pell tells Ward to leave saying "Its a damn political meeting, Hoover boy!". And Ward says "Oh it looks like a political meeting but it smells more like clan to me...with or without the Halloween costumes!". Another scene is when Ward and Anderson witness from afar some black people rioting and Anderson says to Ward "You know if I was a negro, I'd probably think the same way they do" and Ward replies "If you were a negro no one would give a damn what you thought!". And towards the end of the film after the indictments are handed down for those involved in the killings, Ward finds the local town mayor, Mayor Tilman (Lee Ermey) has hung himself and Ward's fellow agent, Mr Bird asks why he did it. as he wasn't in on it and Ward says "No he was guilty alright. Just as guilty as the fanatics who pull the trigger. Maybe we all are".
The supporting cast are also excellent such as Frances McDormand who plays Mrs Pell married to the deputy, who is a decent woman caught up in the lies and deceit and eventually confides in Anderson over where the civil rights workers were buried. Frances also has a really good scene where Mrs Pell confides to Anderson as she says to him "Its ugly. This whole thing is so ugly! Hatred isn't something you are born with. It get's taught in school. You believe the hatred. You live... you breath it... you marry it". Brad Douriff is also quite creepy and effective in his role as the deputy Sherrif Pell. Douriff's chracter also delivers the film's most singularly disturbing line when Pell sees Mrs Pell hold a black baby belonging to black mother, who leaves and Pell looks on and says to his wife "Funny, they're kids are so cute".
As for other cast members Stephen Tobolowsky is also very good in his role as the loathsome town spokesman, Clayton Townley as is Pruitt Taylor Vince as one of the Klan members, the less than bright Lester Cowens both of which I won't mention any dialogue for. Michael Rooker proves to be quite chilling in his part as the Klan member, Frank Bailey, who's most disturbing scene comes when masked along with a group of other Klan members, all wearing sheets terrorise and attack a group of black parishoners leaving church. And in the scene Frank brutally kicks a young black boy, Aaron in the face and grabs him saying "If you go making any more trouble by sqwaking those boot-lips off to any of those Federal men, then we sure as hell gonna have to put you in the ground boy! And that's without a pine box!". And last of all Lee Ermey provides a brief but good performance as Mayor Tilman who's best moment comes when Tilman confronts Anderson and Ward angrily over their presence in the town and he says to Anderson "You know what, Anderson? You're starting to get so far up my nose, I'm beginning to feel your boots on my chin!".
Moving onto the film's director, Alan Parker does an excellent job here and keeps the film's pace tight and builds up the suspense and film's disturbing and uncomfortable atmosphere but he also leads the film towards its somewhat righteous climax. The film also was notable for being nominated for several oscars including best picture, best director, best actor and supporting actress but it lost out on all except the oscar for best photography by Peter Biziou, who's photography for the film is terrific and it is visually stylish and quite striking. The film also features a good score by Trevor Jones which is both powerful and dramatic and well suited to the film's tone and setting.
Getting on to Mississippi's flaws...... well the film has one or two niggles and one of the main ones was in fact raised by many critics at the time as they said the film failed to tell the story from the point of view of the black local townsfolk and instead morely from the point of view of the two FBI agents and also Stuckey, Pell and the other Klan members. And this to an extent is a fair criticism as it does reduce the African Americans in the film to merely just spectators or victims all with the exception of the brave young boy, Aaron (played by Darius McCrary) who speaks up about the racial attacks by the Klan and encourages others to speak up as well. Another point could also be to do with again in the depiction of Anderson and Ward appear to single handedly take down the Klan members involved in the murder by using any means necessary and it kind of reminded me of The Untouchables were just four guys with guns finally brought down Al Capone as it smacks of the Hollywood machine making it up as they go along again and again these two guys are above the law (or rather Anderson is). The reality of the investigation was quite different and naturally the names of those involved in the murders were not disclosed for the purpose of the film due to legal reasons, the informant who gave the information regarding the location of the civil rights workers bodies was also never given, but it was depicted as being Pell's wife in the film. But again the film is only loosely based on the events surrounding the investigation so you can expect the film makers to take certain liberties with the truth.
Despite all that thought Mississippi Burning is an excellent, powerful film which still remains pertinent and as potent as it was on its original release and as such is well worth watching.
And on that note I shall leave yee there for now and will be back soon with another post.
Till then bye for now!
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