Mississippi Burning

In 1964, FBI agents arrive in Mississippi to solve the mystery of the disappearance of three civil rights activists. “This film will be a history lesson for millions of Americans”, enthused Senator Ted Kennedy. The film earned seven Academy Award nominations, including for the performances of Gene Hackman and Frances McDormand, and for Alan Parker’s direction. Even today, nearly forty years after its release, Mississippi Burning remains a compelling watch.

So why did one critic call the film “a cinematic lynching of the truth”?

Because at the center of the real events on which the screenplay is based stand white FBI agents. Meanwhile, off-screen, the agency ignored violence against Black people in the South, who were themselves targets of FBI surveillance. From the very opening scene, the film reduces the real heroes of this story to the role of extras. Three activists, two white and one Black, race through the night in a car. They’re fleeing a chase. The white men sit in the front, the Black man in the back—passive and frightened. In reality, it was James Chaney who was behind the wheel.

Coretta Scott King asked: “When will Hollywood make a movie about the Black people who gave their lives in the civil rights movement?”.

Maciej Jarkowiec

Alan Parker (1944–2020) – British director, screenwriter, and producer. He began his career in advertising and is regarded as one of the creators of the medium’s modern visual language. His films are known for their dynamic style and their willingness to tackle social issues. A recipient of numerous awards, including BAFTAs and Golden Globes, Parker moved effortlessly between genres—from musical to paranormal thriller—remaining one of the most significant figures in late twentieth-century British cinema.