Mississippi Burning

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?
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

Features:

Product Details:

• Genre: Drama
• Format: NTSC, Subtitled, Multiple Formats, Anamorphic, Color, Widescreen, Closed-captioned
• Contributor: Various
• Initial release date: 2001-05-08
• Language: English, French
• Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.85:1
• Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 5.5 x 0.53 inches; 1.76 Ounces
• Item model number ‏ : ‎ 2288419
• Director ‏ : ‎ Various
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ NTSC, Subtitled, Multiple Formats, Anamorphic, Color, Widescreen, Closed-captioned
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 2 hours and 8 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ May 8, 2001
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Various