The Hurricane
(1999)
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The inspirational true story of boxer Rubin "The Hurricane" Carter, who was wrongfully convicted of murder in 1966. Told in a series of flashbacks, Washington immerses himself in the role of Carter with a charged, intense passion. The story jumps around in time, from Carter's troubled childhood, to his arrest in 1966, to his fruitless appeals, settling in 1983, when a group of three white adults and a black teenager dedicate their lives to freeing him. Jewison's assured direction keeps these stories from getting jumbled and blurring together. Even in flashbacks, the plot moves forward dramatically, to its eventual rousing conclusion. Based on the novels THE 16TH ROUND by Carter and LAZARUS AND THE HURRICANE by Chaiton and Swinton. |
Thirty-three years after In the Heat of the Night, veteran director Norman Jewison tackles bigotry and prejudice again in this true story of racial injustice. Oscar nominee Denzel Washington stars as Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, the boxer who was framed for three murders and sentenced to three life terms. Bob Dylan wrote a song about the case and countless petitions were organised on his behalf., but it took a teenage boy named Lesra Martin (Vicellous Reon Shannon) to liberate Carter after 19 years of wrongful imprisonment. Washington initially makes Carter a prickly, uncooperative character, but his gradual progression from hate-filled loner to dignified role model packs a powerful punch.
Halliwell's Film Guide
Washington's performance helps lift this often plodding biopic out of the ordinary, but its clumsy construction diminishes its impact.