Its a new film seen it in theatres.
Spoilers probably.
Went into this with not much background, just knew it was Mark Walhberg in a story about FBI, and hiring a mobster after a tough spot civil rights movement days Mississippi.
Thats funny J Edgar Hoover I guess he was the FBI director way back. His name came up when I was watching Clue ’85. Cause he was on the phone. Alright well I know that. Lets see just general sense of the film I enjoyed it. Its like a mobster buddy cop movie. Its drama with some comedy. Some action. Anyways makes for a good piece to write about and subjects that are nuanced. First of all American baggage. I support the civil right movement and not segregation so its kinda crazy some of the scenes that play out in this film. Its a different America with baggage from the confederacy and slavery. Isnt it as simple as that. The New Yorkers, or the Washington DC’s the feds have a general country wide agenda and the people in the south dont really subscribe to the feds. However in the civil right movement, Washington DC makes it clear the segregation is over and they expect the law of the land to prevail. There becomes a disconnect between the will of the president say, and maybe the local authorities. Portrayed as the small town where the business owners might be in cahoots. In truth one need not to imagine it so much as these are actual events. The film based on actual events. Ive seen american media and Forrest Gump. Alabama national guard shooting. Yeah and scenes in this movie are from something youd see in Easyrider. Anyways there was another film that kinda reminded me of this. Kill a mockingbird maybe predates it. I just had a browse through some of the Columbia 100 yrs. Not quite what I was thinking. Anyways what else this movie has some elements of something like ‘On the waterfront.’ Yeah its a mobster movie. But also like a buddy cop. It makes for a wild story the FBI ‘used’ mobster maybe on some kind of plea deal or who knows I havent read anything but what the film told me at the end. Its a coming of age story, the characters are wildly different. And, its fun it breaks the rules a bit. Well that’s what all the people say is that: “the truth is stranger than fiction.” What i liked about the movie showing the family values of the area, and the one fellow saying he’ll pay the tax for anyone who wants to vote. Just to have a voting tax is honestly something I’ve never heard of before. So i could see how 2 $ might be a inconvenience enough to stop voting. The besty part of this movie is the absurd power of the FBI behind the scenes. So the scene where he says hes kinda like James Bond was a good chuckle. Really its just government authorized violence superseding whatever sheriff or local within America faction maybe is the right word like a KKK enthusiast. I think its pretty common now, but as an outsider, there might be a naivety to certain parts of america being unfriendly. And, thats just their baggage. Civil War, Emancipation are the facts. And me personally don’t have a stake in it. I never been to Mississippi, but I know about it in popular culture. I also know about Vietnam and Muhammad Ali. CCR. MAn I take CCR word over it. On the bayou sounds like a nice place. Humanity side. Where people take care of each other. And, take care of their own.
Analysis topics.
Im just following a guide.
Character motive.
First lets talk about the Characters, I cant recall their names right now. So Agent, hes the agent that moved down from Chicago with his wife. Hes the main lead character, although in the film its really a co-star I believe the story arc is about the agent character. Cause he’s all by the book type. Meanwhile you got the hilarious contrast of a partner, is the mobster. Its like this scary New York guy. Whatever it is in his past he becomes the FBI’s guy and hes got license to kill pretty much. So you got the noob cop maybe hasnt had the background as this mob character, so yeah more contrast. Mob guy jadded, he just wants to get back to his fam. Agent, still figuring out who he is. I want to add these characters have a very ying and yang composition. Mob guy is really brutal but its a means to a end and you see he has humanity and his family and obviously in some way co-operated with FBI to get a better life for himself and fam. Something like that cause as audience dont know much about the guy cept his interactions. So the agent is the character with the growth. Goes from being by the book to disillusioned to eventually aving some elements the violence the straightforwardness of the mobster. Agent also gets taken to breaking point, his witness killed, almost killed himself several times before in a sense gives up to the violence methods. In the other hand the mobster character is shown to have a lighter side too with a sense of humour and family and children with a touching family scene at the beginning. Also theres another scene after the characters meet when he shows he got a brain too, not just the brawn. get the truck info without much of a scrap.
The character motivations, the agent for the civil right movement and equality, and his childhood home. so the complete opposite characters interacting make up for most of the movie. Some of it is pretty funny, maybe like a lethal weapon kind of way. Another one too is They Live. Im talking about the white and black unlikely partner. Its a classic trope. And I mean just like They live the have a good fight each other scene before they become friends. So i dont know its a chuckle. I was in the mood for a detective type movie. It has some good noir elements, including the characters. The agent sometimes you see his suffering and its something you can understand with out too much dialogue. Turn a cheek. they talked about Malcolm X and MLK in the car. There was some other little nuanced jokes i didnt pick up on quite. Probably like a pop star personality or from current events. Im just not a product of the 60’s.
The agent goes from paper pusher wanting some action in a sense. To a great power then becomes disillusioned. The funny thing with this story is through violence and torture they get the confessions. Sense of duty accomplished for the agent finally, but he reflects upon what it cost. Its hilarious though the cahonnes on the mobster literally just walk up anywhere and smash up the place. And the agent is left struggling with the ethics of the chaos. But theyre on a goal by any means. Maybe thats another catch phrase from the past I havent picked up on. Anyways I find it more fun to empty out my opinions first before I go reading more about it.
The mobster doesnt much care about growth, I think he wants to get back home to the fam, jump through the awful informant hoops to be left alone. Which is still kind of a good deal except gotta go on some secret mission. To crack some skulls as he might say lol.
Some other characters, the vote buyer, hes like a catalyst. I mean the first scene is a nice dinner family, the you see his house get burned down in a probably media frenzy at the time.
The antagonist you barely see but hes going on some freaky religious rant about ancestor blood in the fields The feds wanted these hillbilly towns to fall in line and there was obviously a front line for the conflict in the streets of America. Mobs with guns shooting up houses is probably not something the feds wanted lol, clearly. So theres a civics and a disobedience from the confederates I mean. lawlessness. Which i guess isnt new in America film stories. But also how the bad guy gets it.
Torture victims, these guys go around brutalizing people for clues, so they can be grouped as characters lol the hill billy screamers. I think the lesson in this movie is someone always going to rat and get that super statement. And whatever punchline like: This is the Missisipi aint going to work. To normalize lynching and crazy gun toting mobs.
So the good guys get it, and whatever little pocket of lynchers in this scenario got caught.
Symbolism.
The kkk cross. The fire. The burning down of the cross while the agent has a burning down of cares to give anymore. Hes about to go renegade rambo for revenge.
Symbolism. The good guys shooting the cop, yeah thats something you dont see. Don’t get in the Fbis way.
Symbolism white black contrasts, black coffee. The ever changing dynamic between who is driving who.
The southern scenery.
The old cars. The heat of the south.
The hospitality of the south. The segregated hospitality.
Narrative voice
There is no narrator, the film is the narrator, we get to see behind the scenes as they happen to an extent. The big events.
Comparative themes.
Has a bit of Sopranos vibe innit. The mobsters struggle to do right by their loved ones. The agent struggling damaging his humanity for the greater good.
Rhetorical strategies.
Lots of: “This is the way it is boy and it aint changing.”
The rhetorical of the racism as seen in symbols and violence.
And, the fear it generates.
The rhetorical of a African American agent making arrests and getting belittled at crime scenes, and his own community buildings.
Social commentary
Few things just how broken system could be. To the extreme in some areas with the prejudice, you have the group with the badges administering the law unfairly and through means of intimidation and violence and segregation. The social commentary that the mobster mentality is the way to get things done for both the mobsters, and the FBI and J Edgar Hoover with the reputation. So its a bit of a fubar moment where you see the FBI hiring the mob to get things done pretty bleak looking society. But fight fire with fire and by jove they got it. Mobster dont care he just wants the name, and whatever it takes to get it on the tape that means job done. The agent, its a relief and justice for his murdered neighbors. The social commentary is you not going to be as organized as FBI even the untouchables so even in a dark time theres a bitter sweet justice to be had. Its just one story of many. Social commentary is cant we just get along, and segregation makes for less happy. I mean even talking about romancing the black girl (made up story by the mobster) the guy was smiling and they both benefited. Such a alternative to violence and death clearly. Just people resistant of change.
Persuasive techniques lol.
Yeah I think some on the waterfront torturing union bosses lol.
Nah its a good movie I enjoyed it.
Fun thing to do on a afternoon.
The settings the old torture offices, and the noir dingy agent offices, it casts a cool vibe.
The cars were cool and classic, old trucks and shops. Its like a Stand by me vibe a bit.
Some of the scenes were pretty wild, its like i go watch zombie movies and theyre having a shoot out at the house. Not some family old guy with his fam inside. Just get targeted by practising civics in your community as the forefathers intended. Is a both un american and very american thing.
I think segregation is bad, I think more people are able to share culture and music fun things. People are nomadic too. Its a touchy and nuanced thing in current events and all around world so. But in this case its specific to America. Anyways im here for the writing and the story and my own experience. I just think its a cool piece based of a true story, which always a challenge, but some writers Ive seen do it well liek the Ken Follet and the Iran book. This movie better than some bio pics I seen so. And yeah its just a wild ride, license to kill american style, but also with confines of the omnipresent big brother, who can summon the mob crazy dude at the dinner with his family lol. Whatever good on em for being resourceful. I never wanted to be a cop or agent as such but makes for a good movie. And Mark Walhberg his cop drama action movies were always pretty good. Just makes it more cool its a true story and takes you back there on a journey. Think I rinsed pretty much the general ideas and themes. Good detective drama action comedy piece. Its got jokes.
___
Just as suspected the reviews arent great, which is fine, glad i seen it instead of being discouraged by some random review that accidentally catches your eye.
The gangster guy was pretty hardcore Gregory Scarpa born in the 20s. Unfortunate turn of events for him in real life with the infected needle.
Anyways was going to write theres a 80s movie about this too its called Mississippi burning.
