The Hurricane (1999)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Norman Jewison

Writers (WGA):

Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter (book)
Sam Chaiton (book) ...

Release Date:

14 January 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Sport

Tagline:

Based on the inspirational true story of a champion.

Plot:

The story of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, a boxer wrongly imprisoned for murder, and the people who aided in his fight to prove his innocence.

Plot Keywords:

African American | Murder | Boxing | Boxer | Book

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 6 wins & 14 nominations

Cast

Denzel Washington	...	Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter
Vicellous Reon Shannon	...	Lesra Martin
Deborah Kara Unger	...	Lisa Peters
Liev Schreiber	...	Sam Chaiton
John Hannah	...	Terry Swinton
Dan Hedaya	...	Det. Sgt. Della Pesca
Debbi Morgan	...	Mae Thelma Carter
Clancy Brown	...	Lt. Jimmy Williams
David Paymer	...	Myron Bedlock
Harris Yulin	...	Leon Friedman
Rod Steiger	...	Judge Sarokin
Badja Djola	...	Mobutu
Vincent Pastore	...	Alfred Bello
Al Waxman	...	Warden at Rahway Penitentiary
David Lansbury	...	U.S. Court Prosecutor

Also Known As:

Lazarus and the Hurricane (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some violence.

Runtime:

145 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Malaysia:18PL (uncut version) | Malaysia:U (cut version) | Singapore:NC-16 | USA:R (certificate #36908) | South Korea:12 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | Chile:TE | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:12 (w) | Hong Kong:IIB | Mexico:B | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Singapore:PG (cut) | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | Philippines:PG-13

Filming Locations:

East Jersey State Prison, Avenel, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Azoff Entertainment

Trivia:

Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter was actually discharged from the military after four courts martial (after just 21 months' service), though the movie shows him as a returning hero.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The CLRV streetcar that whizzes by in the background when Lesra sends his first letter to Rubin Carter in Toronto, wasn't introduced to Toronto streets until 1979.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Announcer: Ladies and gentlemen, this fine young fighter will be right here in Pittsburg on the boxing cog, this Monday night.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Ben Affleck/Fiona Apple (#25.13)" (2000)

Soundtrack:

Hard Times No One Knows

A powerfull story of the human spirit.

Every once and a while a film comes out that moves you on a deeply emotional and personal level. If you are fortunate, the cinematic experience stays with you beyond the drive home after the credits have roled. "The Hurricane" is one of these rare films that manages to inspire, and affect the viewer in a manner far too films fail to do. The cut I saw of Hurricane was missing the final credits and the colour had yet to be corrected, but the film was and is a masterpiece of storytelling by the acclaimed Norman Jewison. Like many of his films there is a deeply personal story to be told that has far reaching moral, political and social implications. "Hurricane" is the story of Rueben "Hurricane" Carter, a boxer wrongly imprissoned for a crime he didn't committ. The story unfolds from two perspectives, Rueben's and from the perspective a boy named Lazarus, who in Carter, finds a hero in need of salvation. Denzel Washington is memorizing in his role as Hurricane, while the rest of the cast have risen to the occasion. Jewison has made perhaps his best film in decades and maybe his best ever. His committment to telling "a good story" (quoting last year's inspiring Oscar speech) is obvious, as his is committment to social consciousness. He uses the camera as a witness to brutality, history and to one man's salvation and redemption as he explores the life and circumstances that brought Carter and Lazarus together. Like movies such as "Chariots of Fire", "The Shawshank Redemption" and "Amistad", this film manages to involve the viewer on a highly personal level. We see Carter as a human being in circumstances that test him beyond reason. The scene where he tells his wife to leave him because he can't survive prison knowing she is waiting for him on the outside is powerful and moving. This film is worthy of Oscars in every way. As it stands, this film is a credit to the real Hurricane Carter and the journey he took, and to Lazarus who becomes the catalyst in bringing Carter to salvation. With a running time of almost two and a half hours, I suspect it will be a bit shorter when released, but hopefully Jewison and co. will leave most of it as is. Don't let them make you change a thing Norman - you've got a real story here and a fabulous tribute to the power of the human spirit (from two perspectives no less!) Let the power of the story, the film and