three civil right activist ( 2 black and 1 white ) go miss and presume murder by white racist ( the klu klux klan ) in some small town in the heart of mississippi during the race protest of 1964 . enter two fbi men from the north hackman ( the bad cop and who use to be a town sherrif in the area many year ago but now hunt big fish whether it be within the law or otherwise ) and willem defoe ( the good cop try to set the world to right with the belief that even racist can not be all that evil to want to kill ) . they investigate the case use the rule lay out by the pragmatic and by the book defoe . but the townsfolk aren not quite so co operative or helpful and the two agent seem to spend more time argue with each other over tactic or visit burn out home and farm and church belong to the oppressed black in the area than get any nearer to solve the crime . even with a hundred other fbi agent bring in to help out both defoe and hackman find it hard to get witness to speak up and offer any lead regard the three young miss person . eventually hackman befriend the wife of one of the town police officer ( and suspect kkk member ) and wonderfully play by the ever dependable france mcdormand ( of fargo and blood simple fame ) . through her hackman learn that most of the police officer and lead townsfolk be kkk member and that the 3 activist be murder and bury in a nearby quarry pit . with the body exhume all hackman and defoe need to close the case be the murderer and but to get what they want they have to play by hackman rule this time . a highly controversial film for it day ( 1988 ) . initially it be a certainty to win a host of academy award for it virtuous storytelling . but various black group protest that the film be flaw and uneven and possibly even racist . they also argue that the film portray the black townsfolk a defenceless and ignorant and backward and have to rely on two white fbi agent from out of town to help them win them justice . it be fair to say that they have a point . it strike me that for most of the time the black portray in the film be blatantly stereotype a either churchgoer and gospel singer and cotton picker or ignorant illiterate . this major complaint couple with protest from white southerner angry at be see as just a bunch of hick redneck and end any realistic chance the film have of win any award at all . british director and alan parker take a very simplistic view of some true event the film be supposedly base on . it be true to say that the acting from both defoe and especially hackman be top notch and the photography and film score excellent couple with the overall pace of the film make for a very entertaining viewing . however and it be to the content of the film that count most and this be where parker limit knowledge of the civil right protest in the deep south during the early 60 be painfully obvious . i would guess that if the film be remake today one of the lead would go to a black actor of the quality of morgan freeman ( replace hackman character ) or denzel washington ( replace defoe preachy and peace love act ) . at least this would have add far more balance and realism to the film without make it too overtly politically correct . afterall why should cynical black townsfolk ever want to co operate with white fbi agent . in their eye all white be just the same and to be mistrust in equal measure . this film could have be good perhaps from an american director rather than from an outsider look in . parker be very much like ridley scott at time represent all style over content without really understand what it be he be try to portray and which be a great shame . if one can forgive these flaw mississippi burning be a very good drama . special mention have to go to the ever dependable gene hackman who return to form a the no nonsense former sherrif who know how the local tick and isn not about to be fob off in the same way a the rather naive and clean cut defoe . overall then and mississippi burning and fail to get it message across but entertain u nonetheless . the acting be good and the screenplay stilted and the characterization be pigeon hole . but for all that this film be worth a look because even though it be very uneven the main theme of apartheid and oppression and racism between black and white american be a good lesson for u all to think about and realise that over the last 30 year nothing much have change . or .