Mississippi Burning is set in 1964 when three civil rights activists are murdered in a small town by the Ku Klux Klan… Two of them were white and one of them black…

Based on actual events in Philadelphia, the screenplay centers chiefly on the hostility relationship between the two FBI agents (Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe) sent down to the small Mississippi town to seek information about the vanishing of the three victims… Immediately upon their arrival, they are greeted with hostility by the local law enforcement and the town in general…

Dafoe's Ward— in charge of the case—comes off as the embodiment of everything those men in the south dislike about the "Yankees" who are coming down there commanding them how to act…

Anderson(Hackman),who was once a Mississippi officer himself, has a special feel for how to settle things with Southerners… He uses his charm to win the confidence of the friendly wife of a Klansman deputy, whom he suspects holds the key to unravel the details of the case…

The scenes between McDormand and Hackman are the best of the film… They dramatize how quickly two lonely people can match...

The film succeeds by being gripping, emotional, and disturbing… Alan parker graphically explores the hatred, motivations and mentality that were once flaming through the American society in the 60's.

Inspired by real events this film opens with the murder of three civil rights activists, two white one black, in Mississippi in 1964. When they are reported missing two very different FBI agents are sent to investigate. Rupert Anderson, is a former Mississippi sheriff who doesn't always play by the rules and Alan Ward is a by-the-book high-flier but both are determined to bring those responsible to justice. They won't get much help locally; the police are indifferent at best, complicit at worst and nobody is going to talk because they know what will happen if they are even suspected of talking to the FBI. Soon Ward calls in more personnel and tensions rise even further as local racists try to intimidate the black population. It soon becomes obvious that if the FBI are to get anywhere they will have to break a few rules.

Some may have problems by the fact that this is inspired by real murders but then gives a fictionalised investigation... that wasn't a problem for me though. The story presented shines a light on sinister events and attitudes that are far from being ancient history. The overt racism portrayed is disturbing; it isn't just the killers and Klansman who have such attitudes. While the identity of the killers isn't in doubt just how they will be brought to justice is. Gene Hackman gives a great performance as Agent Rupert Anderson; Willem Dafoe is solid as Agent Alan Ward and Frances McDormand impresses as Mrs Pell, wife of a deputy involved in the case. The rest of the cast impress too; they make some very unpleasant characters believable. Overall I'd definitely say this is worth watching; it has an important message but also proves to be a gripping thriller.

Mississippi Burning is a very good movie, with its focus of racism, a very sensitive subject, in the Civil Rights Movement cleverly handled. I will say, some scenes because the violence was very intense to the maximum, were rather upsetting to watch, like any scene when someone was attacked, the nature of the violence was very upsetting. The gunshot at the beginning was unbelievably loud, and made me jump quite violently. However, it is a very powerful and tense film, helped by a well-written script and an atmospheric music score. The dark brooding cinematography helped considerably to the film's proceedings, and the performances were excellent, with Gene Hackman mesmerising in the lead, and Willem Dafoe perfectly matching him. The story is a powerful one, and rarely slips in tension. Overall, a very tense and powerful film, long and quite violent, but a very good film, all the same. 8/10 Bethany Cox