Alan Parker’s movie Mississippi Burning is set in a small town in the state of Mississippi. The plot of the movie plays in 1964 when the three civil rights activists Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman and James Chaney, traveling in a car at night, are forced off the road and out of their car and shot by members of the Ku-Klux-Klan. The FBI is put on the case and two agents – a younger FBI-academy agent and a small town agent - travel to Meridian to examine the case, after having been informed of the disappearance. The two agents then call for more manpower to solve the case despite the difficulties they encounter with the state officials. The investigation leads to tensions between the small town community and the FBI agents and the situation between the Ku-Klux-Klan and the black population escalates. The agents finally find the vehicle of the three civil rights workers in a swamp. In order to find the bodies Klan members including the mayor are interviewed and eventually forced by dingy methods to reveal the location of the bodies. In the last sequence of the movie most of the members are convicted and sent to prison. Only one member is acquitted. The movie revealed a glimpse of the involvement of high rank officials in the case and the attitude of the population of Mississippi toward the burnings, the killings and the investigation. It is yet to be examined whether both the involvement and the attitude are used as dramatic elements or represent the actual situation in small towns in 1964 Mississippi. Despite the fact that the latter, meaning the attitude, is harder to be examined, both aspects have to be taken into consideration, in order to be able to get an impression of the situation of small town Mississippi in the mid sixties. According to all the documents collected within the long investigation for the several trials that followed the case, it is true that a lot of high rank officials were involved. In the movie the civil rights workers are stopped and shot by a sheriff driving a patrol car.
Table of Contents
1. Mississippi Burning – Fact vs. Fiction
1.1 The involvement of officials and the population’s attitude
Research Objectives and Themes
The study aims to evaluate the historical accuracy of the film "Mississippi Burning" by comparing its depiction of the 1964 civil rights activist murders and the subsequent investigation with documented historical records, specifically focusing on the involvement of state officials and the attitude of the local population.
- Analysis of FBI records versus cinematic representation of official corruption.
- Examination of the social climate and public sentiment in 1960s Mississippi.
- Comparison between the film's "meta-level" media portrayal and real-world news reports.
- Critique of the film’s narrative depiction of the Black population as passive victims.
- Assessment of the realistic versus dramatic elements in the film's storytelling.
Excerpt from the Book
Mississippi Burning – Fact vs. Fiction
The movie revealed a glimpse of the involvement of high rank officials in the case and the attitude of the population of Mississippi toward the burnings, the killings and the investigation. It is yet to be examined whether both the involvement and the attitude are used as dramatic elements or represent the actual situation in small towns in 1964 Mississippi.
Despite the fact that the latter, meaning the attitude, is harder to be examined, both aspects have to be taken into consideration, in order to be able to get an impression of the situation of small town Mississippi in the mid sixties.
According to all the documents collected within the long investigation for the several trials that followed the case, it is true that a lot of high rank officials were involved. In the movie the civil rights workers are stopped and shot by a sheriff driving a patrol car.
Summary of Chapters
Mississippi Burning – Fact vs. Fiction: This chapter introduces the movie's plot and sets the stage for a critical comparison between the film's narrative and historical reality regarding the 1964 murders of three civil rights activists.
The involvement of officials and the population’s attitude: This section investigates the actual extent of official complicity compared to the film's depiction and analyzes how the local population's attitudes were represented versus documented historical sentiments.
Keywords
Mississippi Burning, Civil Rights Movement, FBI, Ku Klux Klan, Historical Accuracy, Film Analysis, Social Attitude, Racial Tensions, 1964 Murders, Official Corruption, Media Representation, Public Opinion, Justice, Documentary Evidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this academic paper?
The paper examines the historical accuracy of Alan Parker’s film "Mississippi Burning" by comparing its portrayal of events, official involvement, and public reaction with actual FBI documents and contemporary news reports from 1964.
What are the central themes discussed in the text?
The central themes include the complicity of law enforcement in civil rights crimes, the societal attitudes of Mississippi residents during the mid-sixties, and the balance between dramatic storytelling and historical representation in cinema.
What is the main objective of this study?
The objective is to determine if the movie provides a realistic reflection of the situation in Mississippi in 1964 or if it relies on emotional, one-dimensional stereotypes to convey its narrative.
Which research methodology is applied here?
The author employs a comparative analysis, utilizing primary sources such as FBI case documents, trial transcripts, the "Mississippi Burning" film script, and news archives like the Jackson Clarion-Ledger.
What specific aspects are evaluated in the main body of the text?
The text evaluates the accuracy of the sheriff's role in the murders, the involvement of local government officials, and the validity of the film’s depiction of the Black population and white citizens' reactions to the investigations.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
Key terms include Mississippi Burning, Civil Rights Movement, FBI, Ku Klux Klan, Historical Accuracy, and Film Analysis.
How does the author characterize the movie's portrayal of the Black population?
The author critiques the movie for presenting the Black community in a one-dimensional, passive light, framing them as helpless victims rather than acknowledging their active participation in the civil rights struggle.
What does the author conclude about the film's overall realism?
The author concludes that while the film accurately captures the involvement of high-ranking officials in the state, it fails to provide an objective, multifaceted view of the general situation and the diverse attitudes of the local population.
- Quote paper
- Sahar Farman (Author), 2007, Mississippi Burning – Fact vs. Fiction, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/114739
