Cheap Mississippi Burning (DVD) (Gene Hackman, Willem Dafoe) (Alan Parker) Price

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Customer Reviews of Mississippi Burning

Powerful Drama
Mississippi Burning is griping and powerful civil rights era drama that is based on real life events. Three civil rights workers (two white, one black) are missing and feared dead. They were last sceen in a small Mississippi town. The FBI sends down a team of agents led by Willem Dafoe and Gene Hackman. Mr. Dafoe is a young, idealistic agent while Mr. Hackman is one time small town Mississippi sheriff with alot views on how the case should be handled. The two bang heads, before they eventually come to a common ground. The town is segregated and the Ku Klux Klan runs rampant. The film's graphic depiction of racism and hatred is disturbing. It is difficult to image that something this grotesque and reviling could happen in this country, but it unfortunately did. Francis McDormand is the wife of Brad Dourif who is town's deputy sheriff. Despite the fact her husband is knee deep in the missing kids situation and is a hateful and violent man, she rises above it and shows compassion to her fellow man. There is alot of sexual tension between her and Mr. Hackman and it adds a calming touch to the turbulent surroundings. Mississippi Burning is a film that is movie making at it's best. It comments on society, makes you think, educates you and in the end entertains.

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SCINTILLATING HISTORY LESSON (AND A GREAT SUSPENSE THRILLER)
A gut-wrenching thriller from start to finish, the movie's breakneck pace is akin to any topnotch suspense movie of our time, while managing an excellent depiction of the 1960's civil rights struggle in the US as well.

Despite its theme's sombre contours the film never gets all preachy about the subject. Gene Hackman is picture perfect although his vigilante FBI loose-cannon role occasionally gets a bit far-fetched. A salon scene between him and one of the rogue cops who moonlight as members of Ku-Klux-Klan will remain in your memory for a long time.

The racism theme may appear a bit dated to viewers of this generation, but it is integral to the theme (as it was to the actual civil war.) Plus, let's not forget that the movie was made in 1988, and watching it now I still couldn't help getting touched by the identifiable theme. Frankly, I don't really understand what racially oriented quibbles reviewers have with the movie -- this is not some drummed up theme, this is ACTUALLY what happened in Mississippi.

A taut, absorbing, and worthwhile film that you must watch if you haven't already.

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The Racial Divide
The filmography of director Alan Parker is an eclectic one. His work covers a large spectrum of genres and themes. This diversity allows Parker to keep his career fresh and invigorated Of course, lots of directors do the same thing, but, Parker is truly diverse. One minute he can do the controversial and very complex Angel Heart, then switch gears to do a lighthearted film, like The Commitments. In 1988's Mississippi Burning, Parker was lucky enough to get a superb cast, willing to tackle some tough material.

When three civil rights activists 2 whites and one black, are murdered in the middle of the night, the small Mississippi town becames a cauldron of racial tension. Two FBI agents are soon dispatched to investigate. Soon the veteran Anderson (Gene Hackman) and his green around the gills by the book partner Ward (Willem Dafoe), find themselves at odds with many of the town's citizens and each other. As the case boils over, the two agents must overcome their differences to solve the case before the town is torn apart.

Parker sucessfully recreates the look and feel, of a small town in 1964, gripped in the throws of a turbulent time in U.S. history. You get a real sense of what it must have been like at that time. Once again Hackman proves why he is a master at his craft. As Anderson, he gives one of his most complex performances, offerng a multifaceted character study. Like in so maany of Hackman's films, he can turn on a dime, portraying a guy that's charming but with a darker side...Da Foe is nicely matched against Hackman in the film. He gives one of his best performances as well. The supporting players, R. Lee Ermy, Brad Dourif, and Frances McDormaand, really shine too. I don't think there's a rotten apple in the entire film

The latest DVD improves only slightly, over the movie only disc, as far as the extras are concerned. While I really enjoyed Parker's audio commentary, aside from the theatrical trailer, I found myself really curious to hear from others who worked on the film. Those ommisions really gnawed at me. Still, Mississippi Burning shows us just how far we have come when dealing with racism...and reminds how far both sides still need to go before it is defeated.

It's worth it to see Hackman do his thing on that alone. All the other good stuff about the movie appears as icing on the cake.