i never understand why this movie be never on the top 250. if american history x can make the top 250 why not mississippi burn . even crash make the top 250 and this movie be way more powerful than crash will ever be . incredible . mississippi burning be a very hard film to look at but a very truthful and gritty look at racism in southern mississippi during the civil right era . the story detail fbi agent rupert anderson ( gene hackman ) and alan ward ( willem dafoe ) search for the killer an african american male and two jewish male . their search take them to the heart of mississippi where the racism be deep seat and the police be inflexible to a fault . they later realize how deep the police involvement in the killing be . no other movie about race relation have move me like mississippi burning have . american history x be phenomenal but it do not make me as angry a this movie do . i wish i have the power to stop these psycho from do what they do . mississippi burning be the movie that make me question my faith in organize religion . i couldn not fathom that i be believe in the same belief system that these racist lunatic be believe in . i dump belief in organize religion after extensive research at the age of 20 but this movie spark my curiosity . gene hackman be wonderful a agent rupert . he steal every scene he be in . willem dafoe be great a his partner alan ward . agent anderson ( hackman ) handle thing in an unconventional manner while agent ward ( dafoe ) be by the book . this be where dafoe show his true potential before he start screw up his career by appear in raw sewage like speed 2 and boondock saint and body of evidence and xxx represent state of the union . also great in this movie be brad dourif a the racist deputy clinton pell and r. lee ermey a the racist mayor . i also like how they show the view of the average ignorant mississippian and how the cop either participate in the killing and terrorizing of black in mississippi or sit back and watch it happen . conclusion represent mississippi burning be the best movie of 1989 hand down and be definitely required viewing . but be forewarn that this be not an easy movie to watch . but if you can stomach the racial violence and slur you have a gem on your hand . i find it sad that the director alan parker do not have many movie after this one .