Starring: Denzel Washington and John Hannah
Director: Norman Jewison
Rated: M
I found The Hurricane one of the most moving and strong films I have seen in years.
Based on a true story, criticism has raged over two aspects to this movie. First, that Armyan Bernstein and Dan Gordon’s screenplay not only conflates events in Rubin ‘the Hurricane’ Carter’s life, but that they have made things up and ascribed words and motivations to characters that cannot be known. Second that they downplay the systematic racism that wrongfully kept Carter in jail for 22 years.
The Hurricane purports to tell the story of a man who could have “been one of the greatest fighters of all time” if he was not falsely convicted of heinous murders and sentenced to multiple life sentences.
This is a terrific film about how evil racism is, what constitutes freedom and who is entrapped, following one’s conscience, the cause for justice, the importance of friendship and the power of words Ð written, read and spoken
. Denzel Washington gives a towering performance as Rubin Carter.
Every senior secondary school student should see this film.
