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Gene Hackman, Willem Dafoe, Frances McDormand, Brad Dourif, R. Lee Ermey ... see more see more... , Gailard Sartain , Stephen Tobolowsky , Michael Rooker , Pruitt Taylor Vince , Badja Djola , Kevin Dunn , Tobin Bell , Daniel Chapman , Marc Clement , Ron de Roxtra , Dan Desmond , James Eric , Frankie Faison , John P. Fertitta , Linda Fuller , Ed Geldart , Robert Glaudini , Gladys Greer , Mert Hatfield , Ken Magee , Tom Mason , James Arnold Mayes , Darius McCrary , Mark Jeffrey Miller , Geoffrey Nauffts , Park Overall , Bob Penny , Larry Shuler , Tonea Stewart , Lou Walker , Robert F. Colesberry , Robert Erickson , Rick Washburne , Frederick Zollo , Lois Allen , Virginia Bennett , Dwight Boyd , Stephen Wesley Bridgewater , John Brook , Stanley W. Collins , Zeke Davidson , Ralnardo Davis , Brenda Dunlap , Charles Franzen , Pat Funderburk , Barbara Gibson , Cullen Gilliland , Jake Gipson , George Isbell , Barry Davis Jim Sr. , Dianne Lancaster , George Mason , Ethel L. Mayes , Lannie Spann McBride , Gary Moody , James F. Moore , Alisa R. Patrick , Bernice Poindexter , Rev. Harry Quick , Judy Sasser , Paul Saveles , Jesse Merle Speaks , Simeon Teague , E.A. Thrall , Daniel Winford , Georgia F. Wise , Billie Jean Young , Rick Zieff , Juliet Taylor , Howard Feuer , Harry S. Franklin , James Lloyd , Doug Jackson

Mississippi Burning is an all-names-changed dramatization of the Ku Klux Klan's murders of three civil rights workers in 1964. Investigating the mysterious disappearances of the three activists are FB... read more read more...I agents Gene Hackman (older, wiser) and Willem Dafoe (younger, idealistic). A Southerner himself, Hackman charms and cajoles his way through the tight-lipped residents of a dusty Mississippi town while Dafoe acts upon the evidence gleaned by his partner. Hackman solves the case by exerting his influence upon beauty-parlor worker Frances McDormand, who wishes to exact revenge for the beatings inflicted upon her by her Klan-connected husband Brad Dourif. Many critics took the film to task for its implication that the Civil Rights movement might never have gained momentum without its white participants; nor were the critics happy that the FBI was shown to utilize tactics as brutal as the Klan's. The title Mississippi Burning is certainly appropriate: nearly half the film is taken up with scenes of smoke and flame. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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87% liked it

37,168 ratings

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89% liked it

18 critics

R, 2 hr. 7 min.

Directed by: Alan Parker

Release Date: December 9, 1988

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DVD Release Date: February 25, 1998

Stats: 1,405 reviews

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Gailard Sartain Frances McDormand in Mississippi Burning Willem Dafoe in Mississippi Burning Mississippi Burning Work Mississippi Burning Frances McDormand in Mississippi Burning Gene Hackman in Mississippi Burning Gene Hackman, Frances McDormand and Willem Dafoe in Mississippi Burning Gene Hackman in Mississippi Burning Brad Dourif in Mississippi Burning Gene Hackman in Mississippi Burning Mississippi Burning Mississippi Burning Gene Hackman in Mississippi Burning
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Flixster Reviews (1,405)

  • stormyweather980
    March 19, 2011
    stormyweather980
    This film was released right after I turned 8, and I remember always being curious to see it because I found the title, "Mississippi Burning," cool and interesting....even though I had no idea what it was about. Besides, I live right beside Mississippi. Finally saw it last night,... read more and I have to say it was wellllllllll worth the wait! I found the film to be mega captivating from start to finish, and just all around great....I even liked the music track they play over and over throughout the movie when an uncertain sequence arises. I've seen a few Gene Hackman films and have always liked his stuff, but this may be his very best that I've seen so far. Can't say I've seen many, but this is also the best movie dealing with slavery that I've seen. It holds nothing back and I respect that in a movie. It also truly makes you wonder, with America being "the land of the free," how did lady liberty ever let things like this go on?? "Mississippi Burning" had that kind of power over me, along with the excellent cast.

    Now, what has four I's and can't see?
  • gokhale1
    November 22, 2010
    gokhale1
    The opening scene of the film says it all!

    There are two water fountains, one for "coloured people" and the other for "whites", labeled clearly so. The water fountain for the coloured people appears dull and unclean while the other one appears much more polished. So a white ma... read moren and an African American man drink from their respective fountains as the beginning credits appear. This haunting initial image sums up the nature of this 1988 Alan Parker picture, that is "Mississippi Burning".

    Based on a shocking true story of the murders of three civil rights workers in the U.S. state of Mississippi in 1964, "Mississippi Burning" is a film pretty well made, but one that focuses mostly on the dramatization of the FBI activity related to the case and concerning the two lead characters, the FBI agents portrayed by Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe, whose investigation approaches greatly differ.

    When three civil rights activists, including one African American and two white Jewish boys are reported missing, two FBI agents, Agent Alan Ward (Willem Dafoe) and Agent Rupert Anderson (Gene Hackman) are sent to Jessup County in Mississippi.

    This is a place where there is blatant racial segregation. Coloured people and the white people can't even share the same dining area in a restaurant. White people don't mix with coloured people and vice versa. What's more, such a system is even approved and encouraged by the town law and even the mayor! In one scene, the mayor explains to Anderson: "Down here, we got two cultures; the white culture and the coloured culture"! When Anderson replies that rest of America doesn't see it that way, the sheriff replies "The rest of America don't mean jack shit"! So what can one do one everyone is in on it! Everyone from the law enforcement officers to the town locals maintain and are of the impression that the three boys had "just taken off somewhere".

    Known to the two agents, the local law is also supporting and running a local branch of the Ku Klux Klan.

    So, of course, the affairs are all fishy and our agents discover the bitter truth eventually, in spite of all the resistance offered by the local people and the law alike; the law, because they don't want outside FBI agents meddling with the local law, as that would lead to a major expose' and the local civilians, especially the African Americans for fear of being beaten up or threatened or being driven out of their houses, which will be ultimately burned down by the white extremists that is the KKK.


    Adding to their troubles are the entirely different ways of working that Ward and Anderson seem to have. Ward takes a direct, "bureau procedure" approach to the investigation, while Anderson, having been lived and worked in Mississippi himself, knows very well how the minds of the people over there work when it comes to race related issues and hence refrains from taking a direct approach and doing things very subtly like trying to befriend some of the locals, strike casual conversations at local gatherings, salons, bars, etc.

    Meanwhile, Anderson manages to befriend the wife of Deputy Clinton Pell(Brad Dourif), played by Frances McDormand. He then makes desperate attempts to try and get some information from her about this whole situation.


    "Mississippi Burning" is powerful in parts and Alan Parker successfully creates the disturbing, violent environment in which African Americans were frequently attacked and were driven out by Klan members who burned down their houses at night, or beat them up during their social gatherings.

    Only such moments are fewer and the conflicts of the FBI agents and their heroism are given more attention to. The role of African American civilians is then mostly reserved to being mute victims of the white extremists.


    Excellent performances from Willem Dafoe, Frances McDormand and Gene Hackman make "Mississippi Burning" an engaging watch. Hackman especially wins hands down in the acting department with yet another gritty portrayal of a cop but one that is quite different from his earlier, more memorable "Popeye" Doyle in "The French Connection (1971)".

    "Mississippi Burning" is recommended:
    1. For the adequately taut screenplay of a story that is more of a cop thriller than a look at the civil rights movement, and
    2. Of course, for Gene Hackman.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    November 22, 2010
    TheDudeLebowski65
    I remember seeing Mississippi Burning for the first time. I was blown away of the sheer power this film had on me. The cast is terrific in this drama thriller as the FBI hunts for the killers of three civil rights activists in 1960's segregated Mississippi. A terrific film with ... read morea strong story, and message, this is a powerful thought provoking film that is hard to watch, but is ultimately necessary to watch. Willem Dafoe and Gene Hackman deliver strong performances. The film examines the racist aspect of Mississippi in the 60's. The films story is set during the high of the Civil rights movement. The racist aspect that we are shown is that the blacks were segregated from the Whites, and hate crimes were often rampant on the black community of Mississippi and other Southern States of the U.S. The film tells the story of three civil rights activists who disappear in the Mississippi bayou and the strong racial tensions between the whites and the blacks. A well done film thats very thought provoking, it's hard to phantom how there was this much hate in South, and in some cases still is. Even though the film is constructed as a Thriller, the film like I've mentioned before gives us a clear portrait of the racial tension of that era in the South. Though it's hard too watch, I believe films like these are important to watch because it shows that racism is a negative and destructive thing that no one should have. One of the biggest strengths that the film has is the top notch cast of actors who deliver phenomenal performances. Mississippi Burning is an important film and one that can make you ask questions, yet still manage to entertain you and give you a lesson in history. The events that are portrait in the film are based on the real life 1964 Civil rights activist murders in Mississippi, a very intense, dramatic and stunning film.
  • imrealgod
    April 7, 2010
    imrealgod
    Liked it more than "A Time To Kill".
  • garyX
    January 20, 2010
    garyX
    When three civil rights activists go missing in a small Mississippi town, FBI agents Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe arrive to investigate igniting a powder keg of racial tension. Alan Parker's grim indictment of institutional racism is one gut wrenchingly powerful scene after anot... read moreher. Not only a gripping detective story, it also documents the appalling conditions African Americans had to endure in the not-so distant past. The pairing of college educated agent Dafoe who naively thought he could bluster into this insular community and instantly set the world to rights and Hackman's powerhouse performance as an ex-good ol' boy from the deep south himself works brilliantly; particularly the friction caused by Dafoe mistaking Hackman's laid back seen-it-all-before attitude for indifference. Frances McDormand also puts in a performance of quiet dignity as one of the good people of the community forced to keep silent by fear of the deep-seated hatred that surrounds her. Horrifyingly, this story was based on actual events and is for me, one of the best thrillers ever made. It's nice to think that with Obama in the Whitehouse, we are living in a different world. But as they say "You're in Mississippi now, boy. The rest of the world don't mean shit."
  • fernandorafael
    June 12, 2009
    fernandorafael
    In the movies, violent doesn't mean powerful, and that's exactly the problem with MISSISSIPPI BURNING. Hate crimes on film are always hard to watch, and at times it feels as if that's all this movie has to offer. Weak and/or unrealistic characters further keep the film from becom... read moreing a true, poignant statement.

    Amazing cinematography and score, as well as a solid performance by Gene Hackman are the better aspects of this overrated thriller.
  • fb619846742
    December 31, 2008
    fb619846742
    An outstanding film that features a great cast detailing the ugly underpinnings of racism in the Deep South. Gene Hackman is terrific as the "good cop" who can turn into "bad cop" faster than you can imagine, with Dafoe proving to be more than capable as the straight by the book ... read morehot shot FBI agent who has to keep tabs on Hackman's mood swings. The overall message can't be made any clearer, that being racism is an ugly, despicable, and overall worthless thing to possess because it hurts an entire community, or in this case, can affect an entire region
  • 76Majikat
    May 15, 2008
    76Majikat
    A strong brutal topic with great performances all around. I'm not sure why I took so long to watch this film, it really is quite amazing how people can have such hatred for other races, this powerful film will make yoru own thoughts on the subject rise to the surface.
  • Chiefilms
    March 6, 2008
    Chiefilms
    Excellent film about real events, hard to grip that things in the movie really happened.
  • deano
    March 20, 2007
    deano
    I always love real-life events including this drama film about the FBI agents sent to Mississippi to investigate the deaths in 1964 of three civil rights workers. Even though it deals with straight black and white problems.

View All Mississippi Burning Reviews

Critic Reviews

Variety Staff
June 17, 2008
Variety Staff, Variety

Parker pushes the picture along at a fervent clip, with the character scenes back-to-back with chases or violence. Full Review

Desson Thomson
January 1, 2000
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

"Mississippi Burning" speeds down the complicated, painful path of civil rights in search of a good thriller. Full Review

Rita Kempley
January 1, 2000
Rita Kempley, Washington Post

"Mississippi Burning" surveys the geography of racism, sheds light on the dark night of the soul. Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

"Mississippi Burning" feels like a movie made from the inside out, a movie that knows the ways and people of its small Southern city so intimately that, having seen it, I know the place I'd go for a c... Full Review

Emanuel Levy
March 29, 2009
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

A slick, well-acted film that nonetheless distorts the facts and looks at the civil rights movement from a strictly white perspective by imposing on the actual case the format of a Hollywood cop thril... Full Review

Cole Smithey
February 11, 2008
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com

Not anywhere as good as it should be.

Derek Adams
June 24, 2006
Derek Adams, Time Out

For once, Parker directs without depending on flashy visual tropes. Full Review

Michael H. Price
June 3, 2005
Michael H. Price, Fort Worth Business Press

Improbable re-enactment of an investigation into long-ago outbreak of hate crimes.

Ross Anthony
July 14, 2004
Ross Anthony, Hollywood Report Card

Well-acted, compelling, good script. Good message. Full Review

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
July 15, 2003
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice

Starts out as a vivid portrait of the Civil Rights era and ends up a cop drama in which vengeful anger is used against racist killers. Full Review

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    • Mayor Tilman: Do you like baseball, do you, Anderson?
    • Rupert Anderson: Yeah, I do. You know, it's the only time when a black man can wave a stick at a white man and not start a riot.
    • Rupert Anderson: Did you smile Pell?
    • Mrs. Pell: If you're ever in Des Moines, don't send me a postcard.
    • Mrs. Pell: you prick
    • Townley: you dont know who i am
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Mississippi Burning Trivia

  • Which movie is based on the true events surrounding the disappearance of three civil rights workers in 1964?  Answer »
  • Which movie was NOT written by the Coen brothers?  Answer »
  • Willam Dafoe stars in this movie about the FBI interceding on racial prejudices in the deep south, which had resulted in the deaths of african-american sympathizers.  Answer »
  • Which actor appeared in Mississippi Burning, The Fugitive and Spiderman?  Answer »
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