If there’s one thing that I’ve learned from movies and history books, it’s that you shouldn’t be Black and in Mississippi during the Civil Rights movement. It never works out well. Mississippi Burning is a film in a long list of films that deal with this subject, and inspired by true, terrible events. Here’s the background:

James Chaney was from a town called Meridian, Mississippi. Two men from New York City, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, met together in Philadelphia, Mississippi to work with Freedom Summer – a volunteer campaign that attempted to get Black people registered to vote in rural Mississippi. Chaney, himself, was Black, and Goodman and Schwerner were Jewish. They were pulled over for speeding, and were promptly sent to the local jail and held there for several hours. When they were released, they left town but were followed by local law enforcement, and were once again pulled over before leaving the county. This time they were abducted, sent to an undisclosed location, and killed. After a lengthy investigation from the FBI, it was discovered that members of the KKK, the Neshoba County Sheriff’s Office, and the Philadelphia Police Department were involved in the murders.

The movie follows the same basic premise, but focuses on the FBI’s investigation and sets the story in a fictional county. We’re introduced to Agent Anderson (Gene Hackman) and Agent Ward (Willem Dafoe) as they enter Mississippi, and from very early on, we see the potential clash of method between the two. Ward is interested in doing things by the book, while Anderson prefers whatever gets the job done. Their investigation proves difficult when they get no assistance from the local authorities and citizens, some of which are downright antagonistic towards them. Eventually, both agents are frustrated by their lack of success, and Ward officially lets Anderson do things “his way”. Through threats of violence and trickery, Anderson is able to piece together evidence for their case, and also decides to try the murderers for civil rights violations because it means they will be tried at a federal level instead of the state, which is where murder trials were handled at the time. Watch the movie if you want to see how that goes.

Mississippi Burning isn’t without controversy. First, for a movie about racial tension in the South, the movie is almost completely white. The fictional stand-in for Chaney appears only briefly, and beyond that, it’s nothing but waves of vanilla. Not having a Black character that is central to the story is a fair criticism and leads into dangerous “white savior” territory, and I think it would have helped if the movie had someone for the audience to identify with. However, one thing the casting decision does is reinforce the townspeople’s mentality that Black people are “outsiders”. Another criticism is the framing of the story. Making the FBI the good guys didn’t sit well with a lot of the Black community who lived through the Civil Rights Movement, considering the FBI’s penchant for wiretapping those involved. Also fair. The last criticism was from members of the families of the men killed in real life, who argued that the murders were being exploited for the sake of moviemaking. Likely true, however, that’s just a byproduct of using film to tell history, isn’t it?

Despite these criticisms, I still think Mississippi Burning is worth a watch. The performances are great, and there’s a particular scene where Agent Anderson gets to have a one-on-one chat with one of the possible murderers in a barber shop that will make you clench your butt cheeks. Also, Frances McDormand is in this as the wife of a racist deputy sheriff. She’s great in everything.

Bonus Review: In the Heat of the Night

This is the movie to watch if those criticisms for Mississippi Burning were a deterrent or if you just want to compare how the two movies handle a similar topic. Firstly, it’s not based on any actual murders to my knowledge. Secondly, not only is a Black character front and center to the story, (they call me) Mr. Tibbs is played by THE Sidney Poitier.

Mr. Virgil Tibbs is arrested as he’s traveling through a Mississippi town, suspected of murdering a white man in town. Mr. Tibbs is able to prove that he is a homicide detective from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is released. On the phone with his chief, it’s decided that Tibbs will stay in town to help with the investigation. Police Chief Bill Gillespie reluctantly accepts the help despite his own prejudices. Gillespie is all too quick to arrest anyone who might be a suspect, and it’s up to Tibbs to prove their innocence. Eventually, Tibbs figures out who the actual murderer is, almost by accident, and is able to get a confession. As Mr. Tibbs boards a train to depart, he and Gillespie part ways with a mutual respect for one another.

A few firsts for this movie: 1. This is the first film that was properly lighted for darker skin complexions. Before In the Heat of the Night, film lighting would always result in a glare on Black characters. 2. It’s the first film that allowed for a Black character to slap a White character.

This movie has so much going for it. The story is great. Tibbs’ efforts despite the racist town and in the face of said racism is exciting, and his Golden Rule approach to the citizens is commendable. The acting is great, particularly Poitier and Rod Steiger, who plays Gillespie. The score from Quincy Jones is amazing. It’s got so much working for it, and it’s honestly a film that everyone should see at least once. Honestly, the more I type out my review, the more I’m convinced that this one and Mississippi Burning should switch places. In the Heat of the Night should actually be #94 on my Top 100. I’m too lazy to change it, but for those of you have read the full review (or better yet, have watched both movies), you know who the real #94 is.