7.9 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.7 |
Two FBI agents with wildly different styles arrive in Mississippi to investigate the disappearance of some civil rights activists.
Starring: Gene Hackman, Willem Dafoe, Frances McDormand, Brad Dourif, R. Lee ErmeyThriller | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Mystery | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Music: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Mississippi Burning, Alan Parker’s often devastating indictment of institutional racism, appears on Blu-ray when, sadly, several of the elements of its 1964 set plot seem newly relevant. Loosely based on the actual murder of three civil rights activists, Mississippi Burning may masquerade as a bristling police procedural, with two FBI agents trying to find out what happened to a trio of missing kids, but it’s the film’s potent portrayal of a kind of fetid Southern Gothic society that delivers the most visceral emotional impact. A neatly menacing Gene Hackman portrays FBI agent Rupert Anderson, putatively the underling of agent Alan Ward (Willem Dafoe). However, Anderson’s background and birthright as a “Good Ol’ (Southern) Boy” gives him the edge (in more ways than one) in both sidling up to and calmly more or less threatening several of the officials in a rural Mississippi where “white power” is more than a mere motto. Mississippi Burning, while occasionally too floridly melodramatic for its own good, is a frightening reminder of just how ingrained certain prejudicial behaviors can be, and as such it’s perhaps an instructive window into understanding some of the strained race relations that have once again become part of the United States’ daily news cycle.
Mississippi Burning is presented on Blu-ray with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Elements have a few fairly minor and transitory issues, with tiny specks and flecks occasionally dotting the premises. Colors generally ring true, with the dusty ambience of backwater Mississippi (sometimes "doubled" by Alabama) providing a kind of drab "scenic beauty." Cinematographer Peter Biziou won an Academy Award for his work on the film, and he does outstanding work in sometimes fairly shaded or outright dark sequences, and this presentation preserves the dusky shadow detail of moments like a Klan cross suddenly lighting up as a threatening totem. As should probably be expected, the more brightly lit sequences pop the best in this presentation, and many of these moments offer very good to excellent detail and fine detail, especially in close-ups. The film has a rather thick grain field, one which spikes appreciably in the aforementioned darker moments. Occasionally resolution of the grain is slightly clumpy looking, especially in shaded and dark environments.
Mississippi Burning features a well articulated lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mix, one which provides nicely full bodied support for the musical elements, sound effects (like the rush of flames consuming churches and/or Klan crosses), and dialogue. Prioritization is fine, as is fidelity, on this problem free track.
Mississippi Burning isn't especially subtle, but it's often rather shocking. Parker seems to want to make his "politically correct" stance within the context of some questionable violence and tactics on the part of the FBI, two elements which at least partially undercut the more heartfelt sensibilities of the story. Hackman is unforgettable in a role that requires him to ooze menace while ostensibly glad handling the populace, and the large supporting cast, including a steely if downtrodden McDormand, is similarly impressive. The film is probably a bit too "pretty" for its tragic subject, and the final act is ultimately kind of silly. Nonetheless, Mississippi Burning ends up packing a surprising wallop, and with generally excellent technical merits, this release comes Recommended.
Includes They Call Me MISTER Tibbs! and The Organization on standard BD
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