Director: Norman Jewison
Producers: Armyan Bernstein, John Ketcham, Norman Jewison
Writers: Armyan Bernstein, Dan Gordon
Based upon "The Sixteenth Round" by Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter and "Lazarus and the Hurricane" by Sam Chaiton and Terry Swinton
Director of Photography: Roger A. Deakins
Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter: Denzel Washington
Lesra Martin: Vicellous Reon Shannon
Deborah Unger: Lisa Peters
Sam Chaiton: Liev Schreiber
Terry Swinton: John Hannah
Det. Vincent Della Pesca: Dan Hedaya
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The story of Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter is certainly one worth telling. Carter was a champion boxer in the early 1960s, a period of intense racial hatred and division in the United States.
The film traces the life of Rubin Carter from childhood, when he was sent to a youth detention centre at 11 for stabbing a white man, who claimed the boy was trying to rob him of his gold watch. No one seemed to think at all that an 11-year-old boy would attempt such a daring feat on a grown man. The film actually suggests the man was in fact a pedophile and Rubin was trying to protect one of his friends from danger.
What follows is an extraordinary tale of the hatred one man, a New Jersey police officer, has for Carter. He pursuits him relentlessly. Outraged, this young black man has the audacity to become a champion fighter in his hometown. Carter was framed for triple murder at the height of his career, and sentenced to jail for 3 consecutive life terms. His case inspired Bob Dylan's song "The Hurricane".
A number of high-profile people in the States campaigned for Carter's release, including Ellen Burstyn and Muhammad Ali. But to no avail, and Carter spent 20 years in jail for crimes he didn't commit.
Denzel Washington gives an excellent performance as Carter, convincingly undergoing a number of physical and mental transformations during his imprisonment.
Another important element to the film is the story of how Carter was eventually released from prison. A young black man, Lesra Martin, read Carter's autobiography, and along with three white friends decided to campaign to have Carter released. These four people essentially devoted their lives to this course, successfully uncovered a wealth of evidences and ultimately convinced the Federal Court judge of Carter's innocence.
Whether you know the story of The Hurricane or not, I recommend this film. It's extremely powerful and moving, exposing some of the most vile and noble aspects of humanity. Renowned Hollywood director Norman Jewison has succeeded in producing a moving and powerful story of social injustice, and the incredible strength of one man's survival and determination to overcome obligatory and hatred that attempted to destroy his life.
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