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"One
Powerful 'Hurricane'"
by Scott Mantz
"The Hurricane"
Denzel Washington,
Vicellous Reon Shannon
Directed by Norman Jewison
I don't know
about you, but, boy, are my eyes tired! Christmas has always been
a busy time for moviegoers, but 1999 was the equivalent of a gridlocked
freeway. It got to a point where I was catching 2 movies a day,
and I still didn't get a chance to see everything. Thank goodness
January is a light month!
The studios
always wait until the last minute to release their so-called "quality"
films, and for good reason. For one thing, they need to make the
December 31 deadline to qualify for Academy Award consideration.
Also, the more recent the release, the more likely the Academy will
remember it when it comes time to vote (do you remember what movies
you saw last February? My point exactly.). As a result, one could
argue that the last couple of weeks have seen some of the finest
films of the year. Well, I've heard of saving the best for last,
but this is ridiculous. Far more than being an exploration of racism
and social injustice, "The Hurricane" is also a powerful, important,
and inspiring drama that boasts a career-defining performance from
Denzel Washington (are you listening, Oscar?).
Based on a true
story, Rubin Carter (Denzel Washington) was able to rise above his
impoverished childhood and become a Middleweight boxing contender.
His life was sidetracked when, in a case of mistaken identity, he
was tried and convicted for a group of murders he didn't commit.
Facing a lifelong prison sentence, Carter wrote his autobiography
from his cell, and it attracted national attention. More importantly,
it touched the life of a young black man (Vicellous Reon Shannon),
who related to Carter's background and requested to meet the boxing
great. This eventually led to Lesra and his friends devoting their
lives to proving Carter's innocence and setting "The Hurricane"
free.
Director Norman
Jewison is certainly no stranger to attacking racial issues. Like
his classic film "In the Heat of the Night", "The Hurricane" shows
racial tension from both sides. Carter's false imprisonment was
yet another example of the need for the Civil Rights Movement in
the mid-1960s. Jewison goes through great lengths to paint Carter
in a favorable light, but he's careful not to make him a saint.
In light of his daily battle to maintain his integrity through the
worst of circumstances, it's understandable that he would develop
some racial issues of his own. Given his fate, mostly at the hands
of a racist white police detective (played by Dan Hedaya), he still
has to be reminded that not all white people are racist.
To say that
Denzel Washington gives the performance of his career would be the
equivalent of saying the Pope is Catholic. Just as he did with "Malcolm
X", he delves so far into his character that you forget your watching
Denzel Washington. In a situation that would put any man over the
edge, Washington maintains his dignity and remains free to himself.
He may not be able to control his environment, but he'll be damned
if he's not going to control how he lives while he's there. After
refusing to put on the standard prison attire, he is thrown into
solitary confinement for months. When he finally emerges disillusioned,
disheveled, and disheartened, he still manages to put on his jacket
and straighten his tie. Even after he's lost all hope and cuts off
his emotional attachments, he bounces back, thanks to the ray of
light provided by his Canadian believers, played by Vicellous Reon
Shannon, Liev Schreiber, John Hannah, and Deborah Kara Unger.
With so much
to cover, it's understandable that the movie underperforms in certain
areas. Time constraints prevent certain relationships from blossoming
and certain events feel incomplete. Also, the movie sometimes can't
decide what it wants to be. It begins as Carter's life story, but
then it shifts to the bond between Carter and Thesra. Finally, it
becomes a courtroom drama, and even that seems a little rushed.
By far, the weakest lin k in the chain is Dan Hedaya's one-dimensional
performance as Della Pesca, the racist detective whose lifelong
mission seems to be to destroy Carter. What I can't seem to figure
out is "why?".
These are minor
squabbles, since the film is so powerful and uplifting. It's also
incredibly important. A lot of progress has been made on racism
since the 60's, but we still have a long way to go. Thanks to films
like this, people can see how ludicrous racial injustice really
is. In Carter's case, justice prevailed, but to what extent? Nothing
can make up for what he'd been through, and nothing can make up
for lost time. On the verge of greatness, his youth was taken from
him. Why? Because of the color of his skin. Think about it. Kinda
makes you appreciate what you have, doesn't it?
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