Category three Hurricane

"The Hurricane"
Overall Rating: ***½


One of the greatest films of the 1960s was "In the Heat of the Night." Much of "The Hurricane" recalls that earlier effort--both were directed by Norman Jewison, both share the theme of overcoming racial prejudice, and "The Hurricane" even has a cameo performance by "In the Heat of the Night" co-star Rod Steiger. The problem with "The Hurricane" is that while it's a fairly good movie, it doesn't come close to living up to its predecessor.

"The Hurricane" is based on the true story of boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter (Denzel Washington). Carter was a top caliber boxer--even winning a welterweight world championship in 1963. Then in 1966, mainly due to the efforts of the vindictive and racist Detective Vincent Della Pesca (Dan Hedaya), he was convicted of a crime he did not commit. While in prison, Carter defends himself the only way he can--he writes a book telling his life's story.

Denzel Washington dominates the film. This is not surprising, since the character of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter dominates the film. Equally unsurprising, Denzel Washington delivers a flawless performance. Having won an Academy Award for "Glory," and then delivering a tour de force performance in "Malcolm X," Washington has a successful history of portraying real people on the big screen. I expected an excellent performance in "The Hurricane" and I wasn't disappointed in the least.

The film also has a compelling story. I had heard what happened to Rubin "Hurricane" Carter before I saw the film--but even knowing that, I wondered how the facts of the case unfolded. Carter must fight a great injustice--his wrongful conviction--that has roots in the even larger injustice of racism. Yet he, and a small group of committed defenders, muster their courage to battle an unjust system.

Between the inspiring story and the talent involved, "The Hurricane" should have been one of the best films of 1999. Sadly, it isn't. Much of the film is told in flashback--sometimes, especially in the first scenes, leading to jumbled results: the first scene is set in 1963, then there's a prison scene in 1973, then after another flashback to Carter's arrest, then there's a scene involving Lesra Martin (Vicellous Reon Shannon), a student activist who was instrumental in getting Carter freed, that takes place in the late '70s or early '80s. While Carter's character is understandable, the other characters' motivations are often more cryptic. Lisa Peters, Sam Chaiton, and Terry Swinton (Deborah Unger, Liev Schreiber, and John Hannah respectively), the social activists caring for Lesra, at first skeptical of Carter's innocence, almost inexplicably, become so convinced that they move from Toronto to New Jersey and investigate his case full time. While Della Pesca's irrational desire to convict Carter is explained by the film, why seemingly every cop and judge in New Jersey goes along with it isn't as clearly depicted. Jumbled flashbacks and mysterious motivations aren't the only elements that left me scratching my head. All of Carter's boxing matches are filmed in black and white, without apparent reason. Also, while in solitary confinement, Carter has a conversation with himself that is at the very least strange.

Parents should be aware that there is significant violence in "The Hurricane," most notably a depiction of the murders of which Carter was convicted. There is also significant strong language, including numerous racial slurs. However, the fact that the film depicts historical events, and Carter's strong, positive character (beyond training as an athlete, Carter educates himself while in prison, and finds the spiritual strength to fight the unjust conviction) are both mitigating factors. The content is definitely strong for young children, but, despite the R rating, is probably better for teens than most PG-13 movies.

Part of the problem may be that the film is based on two different books, and part of the problem may be that the filmmakers weren't looking critically enough at their work (Denzel Washington, for instance, is quoted on the film's website as having wanted to play Hurricane Carter for many years before the film was made). Regardless, while "The Hurricane" is worth seeing, it is far short of the film it should be.


Title:"The Hurricane"
Release date:12/25/99 (limited) / 1/14/00 (nationwide)
MPAA rating: R
Overall rating: ***½

Aprox. run time: 145 min.
Director: Norman Jewison
Writers: Rubin "Hurricane" Carter (book--The Sixteenth Round), Sam Chaiton, Terry Swinton (book--Lazarus and the Hurricane), Armyan Bernstein, Dan Gordon (screenplay)
Stars: Denzel Washington, Vicellous Reon Shannon

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Added to blog site: 7/28/09