The Partial Representation: Mississippi Burning
The first pictures in my mind about Blacks in the United States has been formed since that day that I saw a film about the discriminator actions against Blacks. Two things were very strange for me on that time. First was the racial reactions about the people who were human just with black color and second was about the people who was human, also, but was just woman. I asked myself: why are these white men this much bad against the black and white women?
The Movie Characters
Seeing that film last week repeats the questions of childhood in my mind again. The film that I saw in 12 or 13 was Mississippi Burning that was directed by Alen Parker in 1988. The two F.B.I. characters of this film were sent to look murders of the civil-rights workers who were killed in their car. The leader of the two-man team is Ward (Willem Dafoe), a neat young man who wear the fashion glasses of 60s decade. His partner, and the film's volatile center, is a not easily categorized fellow named Anderson (Gene Hackman)._jpg.jpg)
Anderson is one of those independently minded Southerners who confound the works that were done with Blacks. He is not only worries about blacks but also the things that are done on one of police officers’ wife, is important for him. The tensions that develop between Ward and Anderson are not entirely unpredictable although both of them tried to do their best for finding the murders. So the film's resolution depends on two different characters.
The Movie Characters
Seeing that film last week repeats the questions of childhood in my mind again. The film that I saw in 12 or 13 was Mississippi Burning that was directed by Alen Parker in 1988. The two F.B.I. characters of this film were sent to look murders of the civil-rights workers who were killed in their car. The leader of the two-man team is Ward (Willem Dafoe), a neat young man who wear the fashion glasses of 60s decade. His partner, and the film's volatile center, is a not easily categorized fellow named Anderson (Gene Hackman).
Anderson is one of those independently minded Southerners who confound the works that were done with Blacks. He is not only worries about blacks but also the things that are done on one of police officers’ wife, is important for him. The tensions that develop between Ward and Anderson are not entirely unpredictable although both of them tried to do their best for finding the murders. So the film's resolution depends on two different characters.Historic Highlights
Studying American Studies clears for me some of dark sides of old questions: about the history of Patrimonial actions of White men in America. In fact in this culture white men are superior and White women in the lower stage and Blacks in inferior. Women and black in patrimonial tradition are a part of property without any equal right. This bitter reality is portrayed in the American Promise (2005) and People’s history (2003), with pointing out the house and land’s organizing orders in 18th century. In this organization white men were master and blacks were slaves who work for whites. The white women had responsibility of organizing house affaires and take caring their husband. They had no identity just with the name of their fathers or their husbands. In this system the marriage of girls were planed according to the father’s choice and for improving the net of men’s capital. So women had no duty just reserving men. This right abuse although led to women movement but the heritage of that tradition still has been seen in the USA and of course in this movie. The condition of woman, who is the wife of police officer, represents this historical function, with her silent, her fear and her obey in one hand and her humanity and worry about black’s destiny in the other hand.
Mississippi Events according to News
Reviewing the news of real events shows that Mississippi Burnings is one of the several events of bloody 60s.
The time line of U. S. civil rights, which is started from 1950s, shows the other bitter events: "Ten blacks shot in Mississippi race riots" (25 April 1960), " Active Herbert lee murdered in Mississippi" (25 September 1961), "Mississippi race riots over first black student" (1 October 1962), "three civil rights activities found dead" (4 August 1964). 4 April 1968 also had shocking news of Martin Looter King’s dead by shooting gun.
“Three civil rights activists found dead” was a title of BBC web site in the day of 4 August 1964. The different dimensions of the event comparing with the movie are cleared when you understood that the story of three men’s dead was happened after Mount Zion Church’s destroying by KKK group. This is more interesting to know that the two important men who were killed in that event, Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman, were with, as well as two of that three death civil right activities. Schwerner’s wife, Rita, said: "My husband, Michael Schwerner, did not die in vain. If he and Andrew Goodman had been Negroes, the world would have taken little notice of their deaths. After all, the slaying of a Negro in Mississippi is not news. It is only because my husband and Andrew Goodman were white that the national alarm had been sounded."
Representing of which Reality?
Mississippi Burnings shows the challenges among white men, Blacks and women in that period of time very well. The challenges of whites who want to declare their idea about their prosperity is portrayed clear. This challenge is not only about whites and blacks, and white men and women, but also between white men themselves. Two FBI officers who methodologically and theoretically had problem represented this moral challenge well.
But there is a blind point in the news that is pointed out in some of the analysis and critics. The event of Mississippi Burning in fact had two parts, the first in the church and the second in the car of three men; the problem that resulted to driving to Mississippi were Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman, two white men. this side of reality is not represented in the movie! In fact during the movie we see that how white men abuses blacks’ human right, how the other white men try to improve blacks’ right, but what about that part which talks about the plea of noticing this event. Has Mississippi Burning highlighted for Blacks’ right or for showing whites’ affaires?
This is the artistic power of Director and Cinematic tools to form our mind and answer our questions. But unfortunately all of the audience have not the opportunity of studying Cultural and Historical studies.
References
1- Roark, J, Hartmann, S , Lawson, A, Stage, S, Cohen, P and Johnson, M. 2005, The American Promise: A History of the United States, Volume B: 1800-1900, Boston: Bedford.
2- Howard Zinn, 2003, People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present, Tandem LibraryBooks.
Studying American Studies clears for me some of dark sides of old questions: about the history of Patrimonial actions of White men in America. In fact in this culture white men are superior and White women in the lower stage and Blacks in inferior. Women and black in patrimonial tradition are a part of property without any equal right. This bitter reality is portrayed in the American Promise (2005) and People’s history (2003), with pointing out the house and land’s organizing orders in 18th century. In this organization white men were master and blacks were slaves who work for whites. The white women had responsibility of organizing house affaires and take caring their husband. They had no identity just with the name of their fathers or their husbands. In this system the marriage of girls were planed according to the father’s choice and for improving the net of men’s capital. So women had no duty just reserving men. This right abuse although led to women movement but the heritage of that tradition still has been seen in the USA and of course in this movie. The condition of woman, who is the wife of police officer, represents this historical function, with her silent, her fear and her obey in one hand and her humanity and worry about black’s destiny in the other hand.
Mississippi Events according to News
Reviewing the news of real events shows that Mississippi Burnings is one of the several events of bloody 60s.
The time line of U. S. civil rights, which is started from 1950s, shows the other bitter events: "Ten blacks shot in Mississippi race riots" (25 April 1960), " Active Herbert lee murdered in Mississippi" (25 September 1961), "Mississippi race riots over first black student" (1 October 1962), "three civil rights activities found dead" (4 August 1964). 4 April 1968 also had shocking news of Martin Looter King’s dead by shooting gun.
“Three civil rights activists found dead” was a title of BBC web site in the day of 4 August 1964. The different dimensions of the event comparing with the movie are cleared when you understood that the story of three men’s dead was happened after Mount Zion Church’s destroying by KKK group. This is more interesting to know that the two important men who were killed in that event, Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman, were with, as well as two of that three death civil right activities. Schwerner’s wife, Rita, said: "My husband, Michael Schwerner, did not die in vain. If he and Andrew Goodman had been Negroes, the world would have taken little notice of their deaths. After all, the slaying of a Negro in Mississippi is not news. It is only because my husband and Andrew Goodman were white that the national alarm had been sounded."
Representing of which Reality?
Mississippi Burnings shows the challenges among white men, Blacks and women in that period of time very well. The challenges of whites who want to declare their idea about their prosperity is portrayed clear. This challenge is not only about whites and blacks, and white men and women, but also between white men themselves. Two FBI officers who methodologically and theoretically had problem represented this moral challenge well.
But there is a blind point in the news that is pointed out in some of the analysis and critics. The event of Mississippi Burning in fact had two parts, the first in the church and the second in the car of three men; the problem that resulted to driving to Mississippi were Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman, two white men. this side of reality is not represented in the movie! In fact during the movie we see that how white men abuses blacks’ human right, how the other white men try to improve blacks’ right, but what about that part which talks about the plea of noticing this event. Has Mississippi Burning highlighted for Blacks’ right or for showing whites’ affaires?
This is the artistic power of Director and Cinematic tools to form our mind and answer our questions. But unfortunately all of the audience have not the opportunity of studying Cultural and Historical studies.
References
1- Roark, J, Hartmann, S , Lawson, A, Stage, S, Cohen, P and Johnson, M. 2005, The American Promise: A History of the United States, Volume B: 1800-1900, Boston: Bedford.
2- Howard Zinn, 2003, People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present, Tandem LibraryBooks.
posted by chirani @ 2:38 AM
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