The Hurricane (1999)

Simply Perfect

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

The Hurricane (1999): Dir: Norman Jewison / Cast: Denzel Washington, Vicellous Reon Shannon, Deborah Kara Unger, Dan Hedaya, John Hannah: Based on the true story of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter who spent most of his life in prison for the murder of three people. His ring name is Hurricane in the sport of boxing but it also mirrors his emotions, which is fueled by rage. The film spans from his troubled childhood where theft led to his initial encounter with the law. Central plot regards his innocence and his ability to go unbroken from the corrupt system that placed him there. Director Norman Jewison dealt with racial issues before in films such as In the Heat of the Night. He presents boxing footage in appropriate black and white. Powerful performance by Denzel Washington as Carter whose patience for corruption payoff in the form of Vicellous Reon Shannon as the ghetto kid who reads his biography and determined to set him free. This will land a predictable conclusion that holds question as to how much is accurate. Deborah Kara Unger plays one of Shannon's foster parents who assists him. Where the film goes wrong is its representing of the villain cop, played by Dan Hedaya seen more as a bad guy than an actual personality. It never examines this issue beyond the basic finger-pointing agenda while strong arguments can equal stronger content. Compelling film about race and justice. Score: 8 ½ / 10

The story is so strong, and it being a factual one only makes it even stronger. It's like that if you've already watched IMDb's number 1 movie of the Top 250, The Shawshank Redemption, and thought that was a great movie, I think you will enjoy this movie at least just the same. I like the earlier story flow style of back and forth. The movie puts enough duration to draw the background, not just to the main story but also to the root of the hatred and Rubin's childhood. The dramatization is just enough without have to be too graphic to depict the needed crucial details. The screenplay and the dialog are also nice and compact, not wasting any unnecessary moments yet without sacrificing anything essential. Denzel Washington did a good job here, and I think he would've been very much honored to have played his role here. Having Unger, Hannah and Schreiber here is also quite a nice work considering that this movie is one of their first big works.

"Everybody knows the fight was fixed, the poor stay poor, the rich get rich. That's how it goes. Everybody knows." - Leonard CohenNorman Jewison's "The Hurricane" stars Denzel Washington as Ruben "Hurricane" Carter, a middleweight boxing champ charged with triple murder. An all-white jury sentences Carter to life in prison. The film's second half watches as a group of Canadian activists struggle to get Carter released. The evidence used to indict him was manufactured, they claim, the African American Carter the target of racial persecution. "The Hurricane" is cartoonish and simplistic, but boasts another infectious performance by Washington. The immaculately chiselled Deborah Kara Unger is also fine in a small role. The film was based on a real life incident, and its screenplay adapted from two books, one of which was Carter's own memoir. Over the decades, Carter's case would become a cause celebre; Muhammed Ali, Ellen Burstyn, Bob Dylan and a number of other figureheads would tout his innocence. Many believe the opposite. Regardless, law and legal systems have always been inherently racist and classist. To this date, studies estimate between five to ten thousand wrongful convictions in the US per year. For a better take on this material, see Jean-Xavier de Lestrade's "Murder on a Sunday Morning".7.5/10 – Excellent in patches, but mostly conventional. Worth one viewing.

The Hurricane is an inspirational story about a guy who was wrongfully imprisoned and how he does all he can to set himself free. This is a moving story and the direction by Norman Jewison is very solid. Also, Denzel Washington gives a magnificent performance as he always do. What adds significance to this story is that it is based on a true story. It may not be historically accurate as we would like, but it's still true enough to the source material that we actually believe the events that happened in the movie.Norman Jewison's film is about a guy named Rubin "Hurricane" Carter who has dealt with the law since before he was a teenager. After he was wrongfully accused of a triple murder and was sent to life in prison, he receives the help three Canadian activists who works their very hardest to set this man free.As I mentioned before, Denzel is one of the greatest actors of my generation and possibly the entire history of cinema. He gives a gritty performance and really takes the part of the role very well. The other actors are very well in particular Liev Schreiber, John Hannah, and Dan Hedaya.Overall, this is a powerhouse film about a guy who is imprisoned because of racial hatred. The acting carries the film especially Denzel. I don't think anyone other than Denzel would be really effective in this role. I rate this film 9/10.