Mississippi Burning

1
Mississippi Burning

• Opening
• Sequence

2

• WATER FOUNTAIN SCENE

3
People

• Two anonymous figures
• Highlights that racial tension affects whole
  community
• White person first
• Whites are superior to blacks
• Black child
• Child, indicates Parkers sympathy is with black
  community
• Could also mean blacks treated like children

4
Fountains

• White fountain hand operated/black constantly
  running
• Whites have power to control events, black
  community are powerless
• White sign higher than colored
• Superior attitude. Although separate, not equal
• White fountain new, metallic, good working order/
  black one old, state of disrepair, low pressure
• Discrimination in all aspects of life
• Pipe divides the fountains and screen
• shows the racial divide and the central concern
  of film

5
Lighting and Music

• Light comes in from white side
• Dark shadows cast over black side symbolising the
  persecution by the whites
• Whole scene fairly dark
• Majority of whites also in the dark regarding
  their racist views
• Traditional gospel music
• Plea to God from the oppressed/persecuted people
• Soulful but depressing. Engages viewers emotions.

6

• The Title

7
Monochrome Title

• Visual Metaphor representing racial divide
• Black background
• Black community pushed into the background
• Title in white
• Whites remain prominent. Their views heard over
  blacks.

8

• Burning Community

9
Burning Church

• Supposed to provide peace and comfort, symbol of
  love and hope
• Destroyed by hatred of white community
• Symbolises loss of peace and hope in community
• Visual representation of hate and destruction
• Racial tensions in community
• Gradually collapses
• Community gradually collapsing/torn apart by
  racism of whites

10
Contrast with Water Fountain Scene

• Running water creates sense of calm
• Represents life/life giving element
• Peaceful
• Contrast with destructive force of fire
• Racial divide is destructive
• Juxtaposition of two images
• Very different but both symbolise division in
  community

11

• Chase Sequence

12
Sound

• Silence at start
• Illustrates isolation of setting
• Music commences
• Peace will soon be disturbed
• Sound of snare drum
• When authorities enter scene
• Like a march, two communities going to war
• Like the drum roll heard before an execution
• Boys car enters scene
• Sound of crickets, peaceful
• Police cars enter scene
• Revving engines, menacing. Intend to intimidate
• Music builds tension, especially as it speeds up

13
Lighting

• Black boy in back in darkness
• Shadow hangs over him, perhaps marking him out
• Could be ominous foreshadowing of imminent fate
• Reminds us of opening shot of water fountain
• KKK members step out of car
• Unable to see clearly because of strong light
• Highlights secrecy of activities/hidden identity
• Shine torches in faces of activists
• Intimidates but also unable to clearly see their
  faces
• Illustrates mystery with which they keep their
  racist activity surrounded
• Screen goes black after first gunshot
• Only one possible conclusion do not need to see
  to know what happens
• Happens at night
• Under the cover of darkness

14
Camera Shots

• Long shot
• Cars progress single car in undulating road.
  Ominous.
• Alternates with close-ups in car
• Wide angle shots of convoy
• Shows no escape
• Reinforces vulnerability of boys single car in
  vast countryside
• See predator
• Close-up of black boy
• Unsettled, uneasy. Allows viewer to empathise
• Looks over shoulder black community always
  doing so in fear
• Long shots to close-ups
• Predatory cars chasing their victim
• Become part of the panic inside the car

15
Camera Angles

• Keep changing
• Echoes unsettled, frightening, chaotic nature of
  scene
• Point of view angle
• Feels like we are partaking in action
• Extreme close-ups
• Viewer empathises with activists
• Can see fear
• High angle shots
• Establish dominance of the police and
  vulnerability of victims
• Framing of head and chin of one of the murderers
• Terrifying in its effect
• Close up of gun and trigger being pulled
• Shocking shot shocks us out of apathy
• Close up of blood on face is harrowing

16
Dialogue

• Black activist assesses the situation correctly
• Oh, they aint playin, you better believe it.
• Klansman
• I shot me a nigger feeds into existing
  knowledge of the Klan
• Deep southern drawl
• Language makes viewer uneasy
• Jew boy and Nigger lover