Mississippi Burning
starring: Gene Hackman, Willem Dafoe, Frances McDormand, Brad Dourif, R. Lee Ermey
directed by: Alan Parker
directed by: Alan Parker
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Binding: DVD
Brand: TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENT
EAN: 9780792849490
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
ISBN: 0792849493
Label: MGM (Video & DVD)
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
Number Of Items: 1
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen
Publisher: MGM (Video & DVD)
Region Code: 1
Release Date: May 08, 2001
Running Time: 128 minutes
Sales Rank: 4642
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Theatrical Release Date: January 27, 1989
Related Items:
Editorial Review:
Description:
Starring two-time OscarÂ(r) winner* Gene Hackman and Academy AwardÂ(r) nominee** Willem Dafoe, Mississippi Burning ranks as one of the most potent and insightful views of racial turmoil yet produced (Variety). Nominated*** for six OscarsÂ(r) and winner of an Academy AwardÂ(r) for Best Cinematography, this emotionally charged film vividly captures acrucial chapter in American history (Time)! As three civil rights activists drive down a desolate stretch of highway, headlights ominously draw near. Telling each other to stay calm, they have no way of knowing that in minutes they will disappear into the night and spark one of the most explosive murder investigations in history. Enter straight-laced Ward (Dafoe) and deceptively easy-going Anderson (Hackman). Can these two philosophically opposed FBI agents overcome their differences and uncover the chilling mystery of a small Ku Klux Klan-ridden community before an entire town is torn apart by racism?
Amazon.com:
Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe star in this well-intentioned and largely successful civil rights-era thriller. Mississippi Burning, using the real-life 1964 disappearance of three civil rights workers as its inspiration, tells the story of two FBI men (Hackman and Dafoe, entertainingly called 'Hoover Boys' by the locals) who come in to try to solve the crime. Hackman is a former small-town Mississippi sheriff himself, while Dafoe is a by-the-numbers young hotshot. Yes, there is some tension between the two. The movie has an interesting fatalism, as all the FBI's best efforts incite more and more violence, which becomes disturbing--the film's message, perhaps inadvertently, seems to be that vigilantism is the only real way to get things done. The brilliant Frances McDormand, here early in her career, is not given enough to do but still does it well enough to have racked up an Oscar® nomination for Best Supporting Actress. (Hackman also received a nomination for Best Actor, and the film won an Academy Award for Cinematography). The story line of Mississippi Burning is ultimately unsatisfying--it is, after all, the story of white men coming in to rescue poor blacks--but it is beautifully shot and very watchable and features a terrific cast playing at the top of their games. --Ali Davis
Average Rating: 
Rating:
- 3 stars out of 4The Bottom Line:
Neither historically accurate nor an effective police procedural, Mississippi ... Read More
Rating:
- A poignant film highlighting our rights to justice...My best friend and I had a discussion about Gene Hackman the other day, since both of us are huge fans. We ... Read More
Rating:
- So who do you hate?This is a story of hate, deception, violence, intimadation, trickery, and brutality. First of all by the KKK, ... Read More
Rating:
- Mississippi BurningIt is my understanding there were folks in Mississippi who resented this film, saying it unfairly portrayed their ... Read More
Rating:
- 1960Awesome plot, vulgar language may be excessive, not recommended for young viewers. Strong adult content.
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