Mississippi Burning

Mississippi Burning is a great film which I watched during the Civil Rights side of my AS course. I watched it again yesterday and so was prompted to blog about it. The film was made in 1988 and is just over 2 hours long. It was rated as an 18 but I personally think it would definitely be a 15 now.

The film is based on fact and loosely follows the FBI investigation into the murder of 3 civil rights activists in 1964. These 3 activists were actually killed during the 1964 'Freedom Summer' which was organised to get African-Americans to register to vote, and to highlight the need for a voting rights act (which would be passed in 1965 following violence in Selma and elsewhere). The three boys were members of the group CORE, or Congress Of Racial Equality. They were shot dead and buried under a muddy dam by members of the KKK. Sadly it would be true to say that one of the key reasons why this case got so much attention at the time and is still remembered today is because two of the boys killed were white. The film highlights this at one point when a character asks the head of the investigation if they would even be there if it weren't for the two white boys. By saying this I do not mean to take away from the tradegy of what happened, neither of the young boys deserved to die and all should be mourned equally. I just wish to point out that many people remember this case (the reason why this film was able to be made) over others.

The film really illustrates the attitudes of most Mississippians at the time and the fear in which African Americans had to live. It is, at times, quite upsetting to watch. Despite the fact that I have studied this period of time for almost a year now, it never ceases to amaze and shock me, the ways in which the human race can treat each other out of  fear and most of all complete and utter ignorance. The film shows the protective nature of those in the South and the continued insistence that the whole case was a hoax until the bodies were actually discovered. I highly recommend the film not just if you are studying this course, but also as a good film for anyone.
Although not everything in this film is true (obviously) it is based on a real incident and, in my opinion these are always the better films as they provide an insight into history for those who, perhaps, would have never thought to look.