mississippi burning show gene hackman at his best and at his side be willem dafoe who also play very strong . mississippi burning be a dramatic movie make in 1988 direct by the talented alan parker ( who have also direct fame and midnight express ) . the lead role be play by gene hackman and willem dafoe and france mcdorman be at her best play a supporting role . the movie be base on the true story of the murder of three civil right worker in 1964 and so the movie be set in 1964 mississippi . the movie begin with the three civil right worker who be brutally murder while the viewer now already know that the police be involve . allan ward and rupert anderson ( gene hackman and willem dafoe ) be send to mississippi to shed some light on the case . the two agent have very different personality and rupert anderson use to be a sheriff in a small mississippi town and just like the town where they be investigate miss civil right worker and he do not like to do everything by the book and in contrary to allan ward and he be a hard working fbi agent who like to do everything by the book . not long after they enter the town they see that it will not be easy and the townspeople be very hostile towards them and the kkk be involve and mr. ward soon ask for more fbi agent and even when mr. anderson think it be a bad idea . soon there be an enormous amount of fbi agent in the small town and but that only make the townspeople angrier . the kkk set a church for black people on fire to scare the black people into not talk to the fbi and when ward and anderson walk into a restaurant and try talk to a black person he say represent i have nothing to say to you but still the townspeople beat him up for talk to people from the fbi . the fbi agent search trough the endless swamp and find the car of the civil right worker and but they still find no body . agent anderson feel a connection with the wife of the deputy sheriff and feel that she know something but she would not tell anything . when ward let anderson do it his way they finally see what really happen . the acting in mississippi burning be close to brilliant and gene hackman and willem dafoe be both good actor and but together they be brilliant . gene hackman be bear for the role of an old mississippi sheriff who know how it all work . gene play very dominant and the scene in the bar where he threaten the townspeople be one of the best moment in the movie and because you do not expect it from him but still it fit him very well . france mcdorman play the cop who do everything by the book excellent and even his appearance and the glass and his pale skin . especially the scene where anderson beat someone up in the barber shop you see that this go against his principle . the music in mississippi burnin be phenomenal while there be a lot of gospel song for example the song by vesta williams try jesus . the soundtrack be by lannie spann mcbride and she make the very powerful song walk on by faith . there be also a tune in the film when something bad be about to happen and when you hear it for the first time in the movie recognize the tune immediately and when you hear it you feel uncomfortable and be at the tip of your seat . also kitty well and mahalia jackson have make song for the movie which be all beautiful . this movie be a beautiful movie with a perfectly cast . the music be very well make and use . gene hackman and willem dafoe be a perfect duo and should do more movie together and they fit the term good cop bad cop perfectly a gene hackman really do look a a hardened and bad cop and dafoe as good cop . what they shouldn not have do be base it on a real story and because clearly the director do not want to be restrain and because a lot be different in the movie than what really happen and only a couple of thing be historically correct and aside from that it a must watch and i give this movie an 8 or positive and so a small 9 out of ten .