Mississippi Burning

Shayla Bishop

History of Mississippi Burnings

Started with 3 missing activist leaders

F.B.I. went in to investigate the disappearances

Towns people were uncooperative and wouldn’t help investigation

Blacks were being punished if they were approached by F.B.I.

The police were often the one’s in charge of the KKK

The car and all 3 bodies were found and the KKK

members were tried for their crimes

In 2005 Edgar Ray Killen was convicted of crimes he committed during the Mississippi Burnings. He was 84.

-The New York TimesDecember 8, 1988

                          The film's principal characters are two F.B.I. men sent down to fictional Jessup The film's principal characters are two F.B.I. men sent down to fictional Jessup County, Miss. to look into the reported disappearance of the civil-rights workers.  County, Miss. to look into the reported disappearance of the civil-rights workers.  The leader of the two-man team is Ward (Willem Dafoe), a straight-backed, neatly The leader of the two-man team is Ward (Willem Dafoe), a straight-backed, neatly pressed young agent who goes by the book.   His partner, and the film's volatile pressed young agent who goes by the book.   His partner, and the film's volatile center, is a not easily categorized fellow named Anderson (Gene Hackman) . A center, is a not easily categorized fellow named Anderson (Gene Hackman) . A Mississippi redneck, as well as a former Mississippi county sheriff, Anderson is one of Mississippi redneck, as well as a former Mississippi county sheriff, Anderson is one of those independently minded Southerners who confound all out-of-state those independently minded Southerners who confound all out-of-state preconceptions about Mississippi, or any other place in the supposedly solid South. preconceptions about Mississippi, or any other place in the supposedly solid South. (Another  would be William Bradford Huie, the crusading Alabama-born-and-bred (Another  would be William Bradford Huie, the crusading Alabama-born-and-bred journalist, author of "Three Lives for Mississippi,, (1965), one of the first books about journalist, author of "Three Lives for Mississippi,, (1965), one of the first books about the  Chaney-GoodmanSchwerner case.) The tensions that develop between Ward the  Chaney-GoodmanSchwerner case.) The tensions that develop between Ward and Anderson are not entirely unpredictable.  The film's resolution also depends on and Anderson are not entirely unpredictable.  The film's resolution also depends on two rather unlikely character transformations.  Yet nothing long deters the two rather unlikely character transformations.  Yet nothing long deters the accumulating dramatic momentum as "Mississippi Burning's proceeds and as the accumulating dramatic momentum as "Mississippi Burning's proceeds and as the defense of the good, psalm-singing, white Christian murderers unravels...  Mr. defense of the good, psalm-singing, white Christian murderers unravels...  Mr. Hackman has possibly the Hackman has possibly the best-written role of his career best-written role of his career as scratchy, rumpled, as scratchy, rumpled, down-home-talking redneck, who himself has murder heart. down-home-talking redneck, who himself has murder heart.  He is sensational....  He is sensational....  "Mississippi Burning" is first rate.  "Mississippi Burning" is first rate.  

    * Vincent Canby* Vincent Canby

The Washington PostDecember 8, 1988

'Burning': Potent But Problematic "Mississippi Burning" surveys the 'Burning': Potent But Problematic "Mississippi Burning" surveys the geography of racism, sheds light on the dark night of the soul.  geography of racism, sheds light on the dark night of the soul.  Director Alan Parker Director Alan Parker stokes the inferno with cruelty, hatred and stokes the inferno with cruelty, hatred and charring crosses, then  sifts the cold ashes for cluescharring crosses, then  sifts the cold ashes for clues..  The   The mystery, ostensibly about the murder of three young civil  rights mystery, ostensibly about the murder of three young civil  rights workers, is the inhumanity of man....              Parker, a director of workers, is the inhumanity of man....              Parker, a director of breadth, not depth, never supplies the big answers, but he does breadth, not depth, never supplies the big answers, but he does  powerfully depict the climate of the Confederacy in the powerfully depict the climate of the Confederacy in the "Freedom Summer" of 1964.  "Freedom Summer" of 1964.               Mississippi Burning" offers              Mississippi Burning" offers an appalling litany of white supremacist atrocities in the guise of a  an appalling litany of white supremacist atrocities in the guise of a  buddy detective thriller.  Gene Hackman gives a towering buddy detective thriller.  Gene Hackman gives a towering performance as Anderson, a former  sheriff wise to sleepy Southern performance as Anderson, a former  sheriff wise to sleepy Southern streets, and Willem Dafoe is understated as Ward, the  principled streets, and Willem Dafoe is understated as Ward, the  principled straight arrow in charge of the FBI's search for three missing civil straight arrow in charge of the FBI's search for three missing civil rights workers.                                                                         rights workers.                                                                         *  Rita Kempley *  Rita Kempley

The New York TimesJanuary 8, 1989

"Mississippi Burning":  Generating Heat or Light? "Mississippi Burning":  Generating Heat or Light?                                           Cinematic Segregation in a Story About           Cinematic Segregation in a Story About Civil Rights             The weight of "Mississippi Burning's" Civil Rights             The weight of "Mississippi Burning's" distortions crushes distortions crushes truth underfoot.truth underfoot.  The truths   The truths sacrificed  here were moving ones that said much about sacrificed  here were moving ones that said much about America.  The simple recounting of those days  would America.  The simple recounting of those days  would make the hairs stand on end on all but the iciest of necks.  make the hairs stand on end on all but the iciest of necks.  This This story was savagedstory was savaged, , it seems, in service of a clearly it seems, in service of a clearly reactionary and outmoded idea: that white Americans reactionary and outmoded idea: that white Americans would  shudder at the idea of heroes not cast in their would  shudder at the idea of heroes not cast in their images.                                                                        * images.                                                                        * Brent Staples Brent Staples

St. Petersburg TimesJanuary 22,1989

    Where Mississippi Burned: Civil rights film rekindles horrors of Where Mississippi Burned: Civil rights film rekindles horrors of the state's  past. The racial violence that erupted in this lumber-the state's  past. The racial violence that erupted in this lumber-milling community 24 years ago is like a milling community 24 years ago is like a festering wound that festering wound that refuses to heal. . . . refuses to heal. . . .              "They (the film makers)              "They (the film makers) just want just want to stir up trouble between the races.to stir up trouble between the races.  It's all out of    It's all out of  proportion," declares Lawrence Rainey, the former Neshoba proportion," declares Lawrence Rainey, the former Neshoba County sheriff who was exonerated of conspiracy charges in County sheriff who was exonerated of conspiracy charges in connection with the murders.              Disagreeing is the 1964 connection with the murders.              Disagreeing is the 1964 president of the Neshoba County chapter of the National president of the Neshoba County chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.  Jessie Gary Association for the Advancement of Colored People.  Jessie Gary considers the picture an important  reminder of the mistreatment considers the picture an important  reminder of the mistreatment blacks endured.                                                                           blacks endured.                                                                           *Hal *Hal LipperLipper

Movie Review

The “Mississippi burning” was a reputable movie to The “Mississippi burning” was a reputable movie to show the differences between the white and show the differences between the white and colored people. It also showed the discrimination colored people. It also showed the discrimination against the colored and the fear they had. Another against the colored and the fear they had. Another crucial part in this movie is when the towns people crucial part in this movie is when the towns people started to talk and stand up against what was started to talk and stand up against what was happening and it showed that people really did happening and it showed that people really did care and considered themselves equal. To me this care and considered themselves equal. To me this movie provided the viewer with enough facts, movie provided the viewer with enough facts, drama, mystery and excitement to give them an drama, mystery and excitement to give them an idea of what really went on within the Ku Klux Klan idea of what really went on within the Ku Klux Klan and the hardships they caused the coloreds. and the hardships they caused the coloreds.

Accurate of Not?

There is conflicts among the movie critics whether There is conflicts among the movie critics whether this movie is an accurate movie that uses facts to this movie is an accurate movie that uses facts to depict the life of the colored and what the Ku Klux depict the life of the colored and what the Ku Klux Klan did to them. Some think that it was more of a Klan did to them. Some think that it was more of a police crime movie rather than a movie based on police crime movie rather than a movie based on facts about the discrimination that the coloreds facts about the discrimination that the coloreds faces. I believe that the movie was accurate to the faces. I believe that the movie was accurate to the real incident that occurred and they did a good job real incident that occurred and they did a good job combining the facts along with the thrill to make combining the facts along with the thrill to make the movie interesting and still show the historical the movie interesting and still show the historical background.background.