Director
Alan Parker
Leading Actors/Actresses
Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe
Supporting Actors/Actresses
Frances McDormand, Brad Dourif, and R. Lee Ermey
Genre
Crime Thriller
Language
English
Awards
The film was nominated for the following Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Leading Actor for Hackman, Best Supporting Actress for McDormand, Best Director, Best Sound, and Best Film Editing. It won the following Academy Awards: Best Cinematography.
Date of Release
December 9th, 1988
Producer
Frederick Zollo and Robert F. Colesberry
Setting and Context
Jessup County, Mississippi, 1964 - during the Jim Crow era
Narrator and Point of View
Through the point of view of Agents Anderson and Ward
Tone and Mood
Violent, Sad, Solemn, Strange, Mysterious, Hushed, Scary, Unfortunate, Historical, and Insidious
Protagonist and Antagonist
Agents Anderson and Ward vs. the Klu Klux Klansmen (the KKK)
Major Conflict
The major conflict of the film involves Agent Anderson and Ward's investigation into the disappearance of three Civil Rights workers and their fight against the Klan, townspeople, the government, and sentiment of the times.
Climax
The climax of the film occurs when some of the Klansmen snitch on other Klan members.
Foreshadowing
The shot of the two separate water fountains -- one for whites and one for black people -- foreshadows the story of the film .
Understatement
The profound effect the Klan has on the town's residents is understated in the film.
Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques
Although Mississippi Burning was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography, it was not innovative in filming or lighting or camera techniques.
Allusions
To science, geography (mainly of the Southern United States), the Bible (some of the rhetoric/culture of the South), mythology, culture (of the United States; primarily of the Southern United States), history (of the United States, -- particularly the South -- racism, segregation, and the Klan), other films, books, and other popular culture.
Paradox
Agent Anderson is from the South (and is a former Sheriff) yet struggles to interview (and relate with) the townspeople.
Parallelism
There are no significant instances of parallelism in Mississippi Burning.
