Film Review for Mississippi Burning-myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theFilm Review for Mississippi Burning. Answer: Perception Mississippi Burning is an American crime thriller issued in 1988. The film features Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe acting as two FBI agents who have been sent to Mississippi to investigate the death of the young activists who disappeared while trying to register African Americans in the state to vote. The two agents struggle with each other's style, which is one of the important themes in the film. The story is one of innovation to get the job done, and a snapshot into racial relations in the immediate aftermath of the repeal of the Jim Crow laws. Hackman, playing as Anderson, is a middle-aged agent who was one a sheriff in the Deep South. He is well versed with the issues of race, crime, and efforts to obstruct justice in the South. On the other hand, Dafoe, playing as Ward in the film, is a textbook FBI agent, who is keen to follow the law, and believes that his authority and skill at work alone will help him get justice for the three boys. As he film wears on, Ward discovers that this is not the typical case of murder that he would have wished for or expected. It is a high-level conspiracy involving the most powerful residents of the town, including the mayor and other officials. Faced with this, he understands that he must help Anderson do the job the best way he knows how. Anderson comes with his trusted agents, who are experienced in obtaining evidence from people they know hold evidence. They use a number of unorthodox means, many of which are illegal. They also use trickery to get their way, eventually landing the people who were responsible for the deaths. Anderson is portrayed in the film as a person who is keenly aware of the racial situation and cannot stomach racism. He is therefore willing to do all it takes to get to the bottom of the disappearance of the three boys. The men he brings with him, and he himself, engage in coercion, torture and beatings to extract the truth. This brings into question the permissibility of torture, especially in the conditions when it is clear that nothing else may work. Ward has spent three years at the FBI. He is still learning the trade, though he believes he is extremely well qualified. He believes it is unacceptable to torture people, and believes he will get through the case using legal means, instead of the other tactics employed by Anderson. He calls on his authority to operate a huge manhunt for the bodies, before the magnitude of the job he faces is broken down for him. Thereafter, he uses this authority to better help Anderson, in nailing the mayor and other people who were involved in the deaths. To the end however, he is adamant on the need to remain professional in all circumstances, frowning on Andersons flirting with the deputys wife. The thriller showcases the deep racial tensions and hatred which existed in the South in the 1960s. The state of Mississippi has an institutionalized form of racism. This is augmented by the infiltration of the KKK into the police force, a matter that greatly impedes the work of civil rights laws, as well as effort to help African Americans access the democratic process and social amenities of the same level as other racial groups. The mayor, the sheriff and his deputy are all in on the plan, despite being the legally mandated individuals to bring about change. They employ all tactics to defeat it. I watched the movie with mixed feelings. I was appalled at the racism which existed in the country in this era, and the efforts law enforcers employed to ensure this remained the status quo. It was also a revelation that even then; people still existed who would give their all to ensure this changed, including the FBI agents and the murdered activists. From this, it is a deeply troubling but thrilling movie, as the bad guys eventually face justice and are punished. My friends who watched the movie all agreed that Anderson was a great hero of the story, for his ability to get around obstacles to get the job done, to the extent of endangering his life. Comparison The film left a big impression on me and my friends. The people I watched the film with were very sad as the movie progressed, and even as it ended. It brought about important conversations which we had previously not considered about the past of the United States, and how life actually looked like under segregation and in its aftermath. It was clear from. We were all in agreement that the film had played an important educational role. We had taught more about American history in a vivid yet entertaining way than we had ever hoped to. The characters in the story were experts in bringing out the various themes. It was very enjoyable. We disagreed on other aspects of the movie. I was of the opinion, after watching the movie, that in the circumstances that Anderson and Ward performed their work, it was necessary to use some other means frowned upon in law to get things done. Anderson had tried and tested the methods, and found them to work quite well. However, others believed that in any situation, the law enforcer must be the first person to conduct themselves with the highest standards of professionalism and integrity. From the movie, we also could not agree whether he ending of the story, where the antagonists were sentenced to sometimes short prison sentences was a happy ending after all. My friends thought this was good for a start, but I thought the sentences should have been strong enough to reflect murder and obstruction of justice.