Mississippi Burning

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Year:	1988
Country of origin:	USA
Director:	Alan Parker
Genre:	Racial tensions drama
Starring:	Gene Hackman, Willem Dafoe, Frances McDormand, Brad Dourif, R. Lee Ermey, Gailard Sartain
Rating:	3/5
IMDB link:	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095647/
Tagline:	1964. When America was at war with itself.
Favourite line:	Frank Bailey: "Now you listen here, you cornholin' fucker. You tell your queer-loving nigger bosses that they ain't never gonna find those civil rightsers! So you might as well pack up and go back where you came from and… " Anderson: "Now you listen here, Shitkicker! Don't you go confusin' me with some whole other body. You must be thinkin' with your dick if you think we're gonna just walk away from this. We're gonna stay 'till this gets done."

Alan Parker's study of racial tensions in 1960's America really should be a stunning movie, but falls way short of the standard I expected.
With a stellar cast of power actors, and a political hot potato of a subject matter, how could this be anything but stirring, emotional dynamite? Well, and I know this is unfair, I can only compare it to the searing power of American History X, and this one just doesn't cut the cornflour.

Dafoe and Hackman play two feds who wind up in Shitsville, Mississippi on the case of three political activists who have gone missing. One of their number just happens to be a young black man, and the FBI's presence stirs up a hornets nest of resentment and fear, as the racist underbelly of small town Southern America rears its all too ugly head.

Parker's trademark clinical, almost emotionless direction is in place, eschewing overt histrionics and simply allowing the viewer the opportunity to think for themselves.
A good thing.
The acting is astonishing at times, though Hackman does chew the scenery occasionally, as is his want.
I really wanted this to be fantastic.
I hoped I would be gushing by the end.
It wasn't, and neither was I.
Not as good as I hoped, though the issues raised are never less than fascinating, and relevant still, even today. Perhaps more so, in these complex times, though for black people read the Islamic community.
Disappointingly average overall though.