Hurricane Carter

I need to warn people who watch this film, even though Denzel is a great actor who always gives a fine performance, to say the least this film needs to be taken with a grain of salt because its basically biased fiction with extensive "dramatic license". I have done some research and there are some facts you need to be aware of. First of all, Carter had an extensive criminal record, he was 29 years old when arrested for the Lafayette murders and had spent 11 of those years in confinement of some sort! The film shows him as a child rescuing a friend from a child molester and then stabbing him in self defense! Wrong! Carter actually beat a defenseless man over the head and stole his watch. He was always getting in trouble for fighting and beating up people, that was why he was sent to juvenile hall. He escaped in 1954 and spent two years in the Army (he was dismissed for unfitness after four court martials). He then went to jail for four years for assaulting and robbing three people. This film makes it look like he was pursued by a Javeat-like, bigoted detective named Della Pesca who "set him up" for the murders. There was no such person. Vincent De Simone was the real detective assigned to the case. According to all accounts he was a very nice man and an outstanding police officer who was not a racist or had anything against Carter. Also, contrary to what this film would have you believe, Carter was not unfairly robbed when he lost a decision when he fought for the title. Carter himself admitted this in an interview. Bob Dylans song The Hurricane said "they put him in a prison cell but he could have been the champion of the world". Carter lost eight of his last fifteen fights and wasn't even rated when he was arrested. In a 1964 Saturday Evening Post article Carter talked about going up to Watts and shooting cops (I could get about four or five). He owned an extensive gun collection and was feared by the people in Paterson. Is it any wonder he was considered a suspect! Like I said, this is a good film, but its just not true.

Norman F. Jewison's "The Hurricane" is an exceptional piece of film making. It has good editing, good writing, good scenes, and great acting. Now, the film itself is good, but the acting makes this film outstanding.

Denzel Washington is a terrific actor, and this film proves it (also a golden globe nomination and Academy Award Win in 1989 backs it up). Washington plays Rubin "Hurricane" Carter with such perfection not seen in a very long time. It's his spirit in this movie that gets this film up in the high life.

And Norman F. Jewison, a great Oscar Winning Director who directs this film of the human spirit with great intensity and knowledge of what Carter's life was like. That makes this film one of the best of the year.

Rubin "Hurricane" Carter (Denzel Washington) was a prize fighter. In 1966, he was arrested and convicted for a mass shooting at a bar in Paterson, New Jersey. Vindictive police detective Della Pesca (Dan Hedaya) has been after him since he was 11. With falsified evidence and rampant racism, Carter and his friend get locked up for 3 life terms. He sets about writing his biography which is eventually published. Then 7 years later in Toronto, student Lesra (Vicellous Reon Shannon) finds his biography in a pile of used books. He's a poor student from Brooklyn who is given a chance to study in Canada. With the biography, he starts a long journey to get Carter's release and his good name back with the help of his mentors Lisa (Deborah Kara Unger), Sam (Liev Schreiber) and Terry (John Hannah).

It's a very standard biopic from Norman Jewison. Carter's story is never in doubt. Most people would know the ending to the movie. So the tension is not that high. The investigation isn't that exciting. It's no John Grisham novel. However there is a compelling story, and a very compelling performance from Denzel Washington. He is exceptional in this as in many of his performances. There is also a nice side story of a young man who finds purpose in life.

Why was this man not canonized? Granted, he wasn't Catholic but wasn't Reuben Carter just about the greatest guy on the planet? Or at least, this movie would have you believe.

What could have been a great, Oscar worthy film about a flawed, tortured HUMAN being is given the "Men of Honor" treatment. Contrary to what the filmakers would want you to believe, Carter was NO saint. He was a thug, a low life and from some accounts, quite a dangerous person. He may or may not have been guilty of murder (the film leaves no doubt he wasn't) but that is beside the point, because there was not enough evidence to convict him (notice he was never pardoned, never exonerated he was retried and the case was thrown out)and as regards to his boxing career, this "warrior-poet" was a journeyman at best (go see his record at cyberboxingzone.com) and he NEVER beat Joey Giardello decisively, it never happened! He was not robbed, it was a close fight. Perhaps this is the films greatest injustice. Good acting from Denzel though as usual. He almost saves this over hyped piece of tripe.

15 years after The Hurricane came out Rubin Carter passed away still quite the symbol of what can happen when a malignant criminal justice system puts a target on your back and is determined to nail you. The Hurricane became his nickname in the boxing arena given him for the speed and accuracy of the deadly attack in the ring. He was forever Rubin Hurricane Carter even after he fought his last fight.

After his boxing career had wound down he and a friend were picked up in his home town of Patterson, New Jersey because they vaguely resembled two men who had shot up and robbed a bar and killed 3 people. On some flimsy evidence and some evidence withheld Carter and the other man went to jail and probably escaped the death penalty because it wasn't being used at the time.

Besides the background events The Hurricane mostly focuses on the events of Carter trying to clear himself and the young kid who reads the book Carter wrote while he was in prison. The best scenes in the film are Vicellous Shannon as young Lezra and Denzel Washington as Carter.

The Hurricane brought Denzel Washington one of his Oscar nominations and he will keep you riveted on the screen with his intensity. Occasionally Washington boils over, but it's the slow simmering tension he conveys as Carter that really keeps you watching. His scenes with Shannon are a great relief for him as in this kid he meets someone who believes his story and gets what he's about.

Besides Washington and Shannon, performances to watch out for are Rod Steiger as Judge Sarokin who is the federal judge who decides Carter's fate and Dan Hedaya as the incredibly vicious and racist police lieutenant who made incarcerating Carter a life's obsession.

The real Rubin Carter could not have had his story better told than be Denzel Washington in The Hurricane.