The case of James Chaney, Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman is a famous case due to the massive scale of the investigation. This investigation stirred up a lot of hatred that was not widely seen throughout the country. Most northerners had never seen or heard of the hate filled acts that were committed almost every day in a small town of Mississippi. The three boys who were all Civil Rights activists were murdered by Klansman from the Ku-Klux-Klan. Chaney was a black boy and the other two were white which is where a lot of the controversy comes from, would the investigation had even happened had it been three black boys instead of one and two white kids.
The movie Mississippi Burning is a great film in its interpretation of the investigation of the case. The movie represents the case in an accurate way by showing the massive investigation as well as the feelings of many of the townsfolk during that time. It inaccurately represented the case by putting in several theatrical elements to create drama so that the movie was actually watchable. The movie also does not include the mafia involvement in the case. According to Linda Schiro her boyfriend who was involved in the mafia was given a gun and promise of cash in return for assistance. That member was able to find the whereabouts of the bodies by putting a gun in the mouth of a know Klansman and asking where the bodies were. (Reference)
Overall the film adds to our understanding of the Civil Rights. Before this movie I had no idea about this case however I did know of several similar case that caused a lot of the same commotion but this film is definitely a must in order to further one’s understanding of the Civil Rights time period.
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