This post has come in late. Had watched this movie about 10 days back.
The movie is an interesting account of events from the famous Hurricane's life, sketching his childhood, troubled teens, glamorous youth, the wrongful impeachment and the tumultuous years in prison and the final reprieve.
The movie has a slow start but makes it up for the viewer with a world class performance and cracking dialogues.
The Hurricane stays with one long after the credits have rolled. It's heartbreaking to see how hate can ruin lives and leave indelible life-long scars.
It's even more astonishing to see what love, faith and self belief can do for people.
What Rubin Carter went through is a nightmare for an average Joe. How he managed to keep his optimism amidst crumbling public opinion is heroic and unbelievable.
I was hit by various emotions the movie evoked in me - from surprise to disgust to sympathy to anger to admiration to respect and finally awe for the man known as The Hurricane.
The man is a living legend of how one can achieve what one holds close to heart - in his case - respect and freedom.
Our daily worries would seem insignificant when we have people like Carter/Mandela who have borne with hell on earth.
Denzel Washington has portrayed Carter with a finesse very few can match.
There have been loads of movies on racism from Men Of Honor (a bonanza) to Antwone Fischer (again, a good watch) to A time to kill (forgettable) to Driving Miss Daisy (again a brilliant tale).
Yet, few have impressed me as much as this one. Probably because the protagonist doesn't take shit lying down.
The Color Purple and Crash are next on my list.
What also struck me is - why Bollywood doesn't churn out such visual treats?! We have had an amazing history filled with notable public figures too !
Yet all we manage to make are stories on losers (Devdas) and insignificant romances (Jodha Akbar?!) with Legend of Bhagat Singh being an exception.
Anyway, I recommend this movie to one and all. I am sure you wouldn't come back unaffected !
