World of KJ :: View topic - Mississippi Burning

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2005/01/08/reputed_klansman_denies_murders/ wrote:

Reputed Klansman denies murders
4 decades later, a hunt for truth

PHILADELPHIA, Miss. -- A reputed Ku Klux Klan member pleaded not guilty yesterday to state charges of murdering three civil rights workers more than 40 years ago in one of the most notorious crimes of Mississippi's troubled past.

Wearing handcuffs and an orange prison jumpsuit, Edgar Ray Killen, 80, loudly answered "not guilty" three times when asked how he pleaded to the charges that he killed James Chaney, 21, of Mississippi, and two New Yorkers, Andrew Goodman, 20, and Michael Schwerner, 24. The three were slain in 1964 while working to promote voting rights among Mississippi's blacks.

Killen, who was arrested Thursday after a grand jury heard evidence in the case, was taken to the Neshoba County Jail after his arraignment and held without bond pending a hearing next week. Shortly after the proceeding, authorities cleared the courthouse because of a bomb threat, but no explosives were found.

Known as "The Preacher," Killen is the first person to be arrested on murder charges in the 41-year-old case, which was dramatized in the 1988 movie "Mississippi Burning." The names of the three murder victims have long been synonymous with the horrors that often accompanied attempts to desegregate the Deep South and bring basic voting rights to the disenfranchised...

The case, like so many slayings of the civil rights era, lingered in the minds of the next generations of civil rights activists. It came to be known as the "Mississippi Burning" case after the film's release, but its mysteries remained unsolved. As the years passed, evidence surfaced, keeping the case alive for the victims' family members, who have maintained that justice was denied...

Author:	dolcevita [ Sat Jan 08, 2005 2:40 pm ]
Post subject:	Mississippi Burning
The movie was all over the papers today. I know it was on my top 100, and know several others who listed it as well. Its a dramatization (not a documentary) of events surrounding the murder of three yound men in Mississippi in 1964. The movie is mentioned in an article about the re-opening of the actual court case and a trial that begins today. Here are some excerpts: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2005/01/08/reputed_klansman_denies_murders/ wrote: Reputed Klansman denies murders 4 decades later, a hunt for truth PHILADELPHIA, Miss. -- A reputed Ku Klux Klan member pleaded not guilty yesterday to state charges of murdering three civil rights workers more than 40 years ago in one of the most notorious crimes of Mississippi's troubled past. Wearing handcuffs and an orange prison jumpsuit, Edgar Ray Killen, 80, loudly answered "not guilty" three times when asked how he pleaded to the charges that he killed James Chaney, 21, of Mississippi, and two New Yorkers, Andrew Goodman, 20, and Michael Schwerner, 24. The three were slain in 1964 while working to promote voting rights among Mississippi's blacks. Killen, who was arrested Thursday after a grand jury heard evidence in the case, was taken to the Neshoba County Jail after his arraignment and held without bond pending a hearing next week. Shortly after the proceeding, authorities cleared the courthouse because of a bomb threat, but no explosives were found. Known as "The Preacher," Killen is the first person to be arrested on murder charges in the 41-year-old case, which was dramatized in the 1988 movie "Mississippi Burning." The names of the three murder victims have long been synonymous with the horrors that often accompanied attempts to desegregate the Deep South and bring basic voting rights to the disenfranchised... The case, like so many slayings of the civil rights era, lingered in the minds of the next generations of civil rights activists. It came to be known as the "Mississippi Burning" case after the film's release, but its mysteries remained unsolved. As the years passed, evidence surfaced, keeping the case alive for the victims' family members, who have maintained that justice was denied... Anyways, its an interesting movie for the slightly typical interpretation of whom ended up being responsible, but the two main investigators that go down are of such different character that the situation holds up against different personal positions. Hackman and Dafoe are so different, and have very different understanding of the situation, so the movie doesn't end up, forgive the pun, sounding preachy. Who else has seen Mississippi BUrning? What did you think? There is a parallel article I posted in the cooler for comments about the case.

Author:	Ahmed Johnson [ Sat Jan 08, 2005 2:45 pm ]
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It is not burning in Mississippi THE ONE AHMED JOHNSON SHOULD KNOW

Author:	lovemerox [ Sat Jan 08, 2005 5:57 pm ]
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I want to see it!

Author:	Appy [ Sat Jan 08, 2005 6:11 pm ]
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this is the film with Gene Hackman in it.

Author:	Atoddr [ Sat Jan 08, 2005 6:35 pm ]
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A great film with powerful performances. Gene Hackman, Willem Dafoe, and Frances McDormand all give Oscar-nominated performances and they all deserved it, especially Hackman. I haven't seen it in years, but I remember how powerful it is.

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Author:	jenniferofthejungle [ Mon Jan 10, 2005 5:05 am ]
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Atoddr wrote: A great film with powerful performances. Gene Hackman, Willem Dafoe, and Frances McDormand all give Oscar-nominated performances and they all deserved it, especially Hackman. I haven't seen it in years, but I remember how powerful it is. Agreed on all counts. It is never corny or preachy at all and films like this one often have that flaw.

Author:	dolcevita [ Mon Jan 10, 2005 5:26 am ]
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@JenJungle and Atoddr, I think its because of the point/counterpoint personalities of Dafoe and Hackman in this. I think had either been left as the sole investogator it would be too much about moral outrage (Dafoe) or too Machiavellian (Hackman). This way they were constantly argueing with eachother but both had sort of similar desires to see the issue resolved. The toughest part of that movie for me to handle was actually McDormand's role. Not that she wasn't excellent, I just mean how scared or how accustomed she was to it. Really didn't do anything for so long. Very violent. I'm glad you guys saw this movie. I had never heard of it (shocker) and wasn't presented it in school or anything like that growing up. I just saw the cover when browsing the stacks of a store once and knew I had to take it home. I haven't seen it in about two years though, so my memory could use a refresher.

Author:	dolcevita [ Fri Jan 21, 2005 1:59 pm ]
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Well, I rewatched it and an official review is in the works, but I have to say its even better than I remember for the reason that both of the agents had different agendas, but were dependant on eachother. When they first came down they were asked if they thought this would be a case if the two "White" boys hadn't died as well. Probably not was the response. So its clear at this point that they need both a national media agenda and an actual crime. Dafoe knew what he was doing when he brought in all those hundreds of helpers, and Hackman fought him over it saying Dafoe was going to bring on a war. Which was clearly Dafoe's intention, since had it not been massive, it wouldn't have been at all. But on the contrary, if the bodies hadn't been found, then there would have been nothing to actually instigate the media frenzy and national attention, so Hackman focused on that. It was a clear cicrle, no crime without attention and no attention without a crime. So how precarious the real situation was is true. The difference is, or my attention was drawn to this since I didn't know, Hoover knew all that and all of the double work was at his hand. He never had any crime both on the communist or civil rights fronts not televised because otherwise it lacked gravity and a wider agenda. SO while here it seems like the idea of Dafoe to "blow it up" it was actually a well organized and planned tactic long before (as far as the FBI was concerned). Excellent, and I hope to get the review up soon.

Author:	NCAR [ Fri Jan 21, 2005 5:06 pm ]
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Excellent film. I love Hackman. He's the best at doing angry.

Author:	Algren [ Fri Jan 21, 2005 9:53 pm ]
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Brilliant movie. Not "Top 100" worthy, but a good film.

Author:	lovemerox [ Sat Feb 19, 2005 8:27 pm ]
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Just watched this...thanks for the recomendation dolce....fabulous film. Heartbreaking, Powerful A must see you guys

Author:	Algren [ Sun Feb 20, 2005 12:00 pm ]
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Good film, not brilliant, but good.

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