In 1988, as the tension of the Cold War began to wind down and a decade of excess and decadence came to its inevitable conclusion, audiences went to theaters to watch a film entitled Mississippi Burning. Led by a stellar cast that featured Gene Hackman, Willem Dafoe, Brad Dourif, Frances McDormand, and Michael Rooker, Mississippi Burning depicted domestic terrorism, unrestrained violence, oppression, and a murder investigation being spearheaded by two FBI agents. Alan Parker, who had previously directed Pink Floyd: The Wall and Angelheart, was at the helm of this production, one that film critic Roger Ebert described as “an important statement about a time and a condition that should not be forgotten.”

The words from Roger Ebert’s 4/4-star review of Mississippi Burning are poignant regarding the content of Parker’s film. Mississippi Burning was based on a true story from a time when the struggle for equality and civil rights was being combated fiercely by hate groups such as the KKK and the institutions of racism and segregation. The true story behind Mississippi Burning is one of murder, a collaboration between a hate group and local law enforcement, and the determination to see justice done.

As is the case with any film that bases itself on true events, some liberties were taken, but the climate of Mississippi in 1964 that Parker illustrates reminds us of a pivotal point in American history.

A Senseless Murder to Preserve a Racist Institution
Release Date January 27, 1989 Runtime 128 minutes Writers Chris Gerolmo Expand

The true events that launched the investigation featured in Mississippi Burning only take up the first few minutes, which allows the film to focus much of its attention on FBI agents Rupert Anderson (Gene Hackman) and Alan Ward (Willem Dafoe) in the pursuit of three missing civil rights workers and their struggles with the Klan who have strong ties to local law enforcement. The story that’s omitted from the film is just as, if not more compelling, than what’s found within the confines of the film itself.

In 1964, during what was referred to as “Freedom Summer,” an influx of college students from northern states were attempting a mass registration of African-American voters in the south. Two of the students who were involved with this mobilization project were Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman. While working on registering African American voters alongside local resident James Chaney, the three were pulled over for allegedly speeding on June 21, 1964.

Held briefly in Philadelphia, Mississippi, the three were released, only to be murdered by members of the KKK who were tipped off by law enforcement. Their disappearance set off a massive FBI investigation. Using tactics to undermine the authority of the Klan and conscripting paid informants, the bodies were later found buried beneath an earthen dam. While there would be some justice in the form of convictions, the guilty parties wouldn’t be convicted of murder but of civil rights violations. Many were given sentences of 10 years, most of whom would be paroled in less than half that time.

It might be unfathomable to some that matters such as segregation and law enforcement turning a blind eye to, and in some cases, assisting a hate group involved with domestic terrorism could ever occur. The truth is that the murders of Chaney, Schwerner, and Goodman were one incident among many that were perpetrated in the name of maintaining institutionalized racism.

The assassinations of Martin Luther King and Medgar Evers illustrate the lengths to which many would go to prevent equality for all Americans. Most recently, many statues of the Confederate Generals, which were erected during the time period when Mississippi Burning took place as a means to reinforce segregation laws, have finally begun to come down as a means of moving forward and healing from the past.

15 Great Films That Fight for Civil Rights In honor of Black History Month, here are fifteen great films about the fight for Civil Rights in America.

Stark Portrayals of Terrorism and Racial Injustice

When it comes to adapting real events to the screen, there lies a dilemma that any director faces, particularly one who has to present them to a mainstream audience. While the truth is sometimes more captivating than fiction, the typical audience wants something that gauges their interest and keeps them focused. As such, sometimes liberties must be taken, and some events must be omitted to supplement the film’s overarching narrative.

Mississippi Burning bookends itself with the murders of the three civil rights workers and the convictions of the members of the Klan and law enforcement. The primary focus of the narrative is the investigation and pursuit of the Klan and the contrasting styles between the two agents involved with the case.

Despite the overarching emphasis on providing a mystery and an entertaining narrative that sees the worlds of civilization and savagery colliding with one another, Parker’s attention to detail in chronicling the environment that existed in Mississippi in 1964 is extraordinary. Mississippi Burning doesn’t hold back from depicting the climate of violence and racism that were prevalent in the American South.

The bombings, burnings, terrorism, and murders committed by the Klan to prevent African Americans from registering to vote and preserve segregation are vividly depicted in their brutality. Viewers who might be unaware of the history of the struggle for equality during the civil rights movement are placed into the inferno and shown first-hand a period of 20th-century American history that was unmitigated in its scope of cruelty.

Do We Get Enough of the True Story?

A common criticism of Mississippi Burning at the time of its release, and one that can still be made, is that while a film such as this has good intentions of showcasing the tragedy and outward hostility of such a tumultuous time period, it falls prey to being a film that focuses far too much time on the pursuit of the investigation and not devoting as much to the struggles of the civil rights movement.

The assessment made by many critics is certainly valid, and Parker’s film highlights the darker side of humanity that thrives when prejudiced institutions are allowed to exist, and those around them are complicit with the actions of those who are intent on maintaining them. A quotation sometimes attributed to Edmund Burke sums this up all too clearly, “the existence of the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

Mississippi Burning should certainly be praised for depicting history and its commentary on how prejudice continues to thrive when it’s taught to younger generations. Anderson, with his upbringing in the American South, continually espouses the environment in which he grew up, where the failures and shortcomings of one become blamed upon others. The strengths that are prominent throughout Mississippi Burning outweigh any shortcomings, and the film serves as a glimpse into a time period that should never be forgotten.

Related 12 Best Movies About Human and Civil Rights From Selma to First They Killed My Father, these movies showcase the need for human and civil rights.

A Film to Help Us Remember
Orion Pictures

In Night, author and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel wrote, “To forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time.” The importance of remembering history, whether it occurred only a few decades ago or several hundreds of years, is imperative to the human experience. While there are some aspects of Freedom Summer and the events that occurred in Mississippi in 1964 that are absent from Alan Parker’s film, the fact that the director was able to shed light on such a tumultuous period in history deserves praise and recognition even almost four decades after its initial release.

In an age where the institutions of systemic racism are still very much a part of our modern society, Mississippi Burning illustrates a time period when they were at some of their worst. Alan Parker reminds us of where we once were as a society, how much we’ve progressed since then, and, more importantly, how far we still have to go. The ashes and embers left behind by the time period depicted in Mississippi Burning have not quite been extinguished, and it’s important to keep vigilant so they don’t rekindle the flames of hatred in future generations. Stream free on Tubi.