Mississippi Burning

Pearlee · ‎06-11-2011

I recently watched this film on one of my premium cable stations. I had seen it at the movie theater when it first came out almost 20 yrs. ago but hadn't seen it since then so I watched it again. It's about two FBI agents (the excellent Gene Hackman and Willem DaFoe) who try to find the three civil rights workers who, in 1964, drove from up north to Mississippi to register black people to vote and were later found dead. 1964 was the year the Civil Rights Act became law and many in the south were against it and fighting it. It isn't like the film The Help; this film is really brutal.

The film is pretty horrifying as to what went on in Missippi to try to prevent integration, and I remembered as I watched it why I hadn't want edto see it again - it's so disturbing. I just kept thinking how that happened during my lifetime, "only" 52 years ago, and today we've had a black president for the past almost-8 years. It's amazing how much has happened in society since I used to see those awful stories about some southern states resisting integration almost every evening in the news back in the early '60s.

For those of you who are too young to remember the struggles that occurred during the Civil Rights Movement in this country, I recommend this movie. Be prepared to be disturbed by it.

QVCkitty1 · ‎05-23-2015

When it looks like we are gong backwards sometimes I get scared., especially when people wax nostalgic about " the good old days " .

" You are entitled to your opinion. But you are not entitled to your own facts."
Daniel Patrick Moynihan

physicsnut · ‎08-26-2013

No thank you. I prefer to move forward. All of this happened before I was born and I see nothing good from living in the past as some people would have us to do even today.

Pearlee · ‎06-11-2011

@physicsnut wrote:
No thank you. I prefer to move forward. All of this happened before I was born and I see nothing good from living in the past as some people would have us to do even today.

@physicsnut Certainly one can be interested and learn about history without "living in the past." It pays to learn from the past and to learn from it, we must know it.

PamfromCT · ‎05-22-2014

@Pearlee, I do remember this movie well. DH and I both love history, and often view programs to help us understand world events as they happened. we have taped a series on World War I, and we are slowly beginning to view the episodes. We both agree we are "hazy" about all those events. We likely forgot some of what we knew. I think viewing a film created or viewing actual films from the period helps to make it "real" to many of us. Maybe not pleasant, but so important.

DottieBlue · ‎03-11-2010

Excellent movie. Very educational. IMO, should be shown to every high school student.

physicsnut · ‎08-26-2013

@Pearlee wrote:
@physicsnut wrote:
No thank you. I prefer to move forward. All of this happened before I was born and I see nothing good from living in the past as some people would have us to do even today.
@physicsnut Certainly one can be interested and learn about history without "living in the past." It pays to learn from the past and to learn from it, we must know it.

I know history - I just don't care to visit it over and over again..........the country needs to move FORWARD.

Pearlee · ‎06-11-2011

@physicsnut wrote:
@Pearlee wrote:
@physicsnut wrote:
No thank you. I prefer to move forward. All of this happened before I was born and I see nothing good from living in the past as some people would have us to do even today.
@physicsnut Certainly one can be interested and learn about history without "living in the past." It pays to learn from the past and to learn from it, we must know it.

I know history - I just don't care to visit it over and over again..........the country needs to move FORWARD.

@physicsnut So the country can't move forward because I watched a film about the Civil Rights Movement that took place in 1964?

Your point and/or your "logic" truly escape me. I just don't understand your thinking on this at all.

Pearlee · ‎06-11-2011

@DottieBlue wrote:
Excellent movie. Very educational. IMO, should be shown to every high school student.

@DottieBlue I wholeheartedly agree. I had that thought as I watched the film again last night.

nrm · ‎06-02-2010

I haven't watched it in years and it's certainly worth watching again. I remember the nightly news reports when I was in high school and wondering how could this ever occur in our country but it did.

A more recent and very poinant movie that was wonderful but very difficult to watch was The Help.

Thanks@Pearley for the reminder.