Mississippi Burning

It's so odd watching something like "Mississippi Burning" during today's political climate. While racism and bigotry still run rampant across this country, we often look back to the horrors of the past to inform the present. And it seems like Director Alan Parker had the same idea. It's just a shortsighted one that strips African American culture of their identity by focusing in on the white detectives sent to investigate the crime. Yet, the film prevails because of A-grade performances by Gene Hackman, Willem Dafoe, and Frances McDormand. The brand-new HD master from the original camera negative does look stunning and this writer thanks Kino Lorber vehemently for committing it to this new Blu-ray release.

"Mississippi Burning" is based on the murders of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner – three civil rights activists killed in 1964 in Neshoba County, Mississippi. Some of the younger Black locals bear witness to the crime perpetrated by members of the Ku Klux Klan but are terrified to speak up because local law enforcement is involved with the Klan. In come two people sent by the F.B.I., Rupert Anderson (Gene Hackman) and Alan Ward (Willem Dafoe). Their presence in the community causes a stir among the local townsfolk and they end up inciting more racial violence as they start asking too many questions and pointing fingers.

At its best, "Mississippi Burning" is a handsomely made film that's both thrilling and sweeping in its drama. At its worst, it can't help but boil down one of the most disgusting acts in U.S. history to a string of incidents that subscribe to a very simple right-and-wrong moral scheme. The two agents are on opposite sides of how to deal with the events that the film follows. Anderson believes in dirtier tactics because bringing one's self down to the KKK's level is the only way to beat them. Ward, on the other hand, thinks playing things by the rulebook will help them prevail. The story tracks them painstakingly as their political stances crumble in the face of unspeakable violence, and the film even ends on a positive note like justice had been served and racism in the south had been solved. This was one of the key failings of many prestige pictures made about similar subjects, and it couldn't be clearer here that Hollywood was obsessed with deploying white knights to carry out their earnest but simpleminded intentions.

As for the special features on the "Mississippi Burning" Blu-ray by Kino Lorber, there's an incredible commentary with Director Alan Parker which provides some great context of how the story was developed and the amount of research put into the production of it. I acknowledge that I may be a dissenting opinion on the film, so pick this up if you're interested, as it is the definitive home video release of the film. Other special features include:

� Theatrical Trailer

"Mississippi Burning"
Kino Lorber Blu-ray
$29.95
https://www.klstudioclassics.com/product/view/id/6130