Not a Typhoon but a Hurricane

Living in a small, rural town, the selection of channels is rather limited. There are about 8 separate channels although it is common to have at least 2 or 3 of them broadcasting the same show. Thus, when you want to watch TV, your choices are rather limited.

In Vancouver, I had to flip through approximately 60 channels eventually settling on nothing. There was almost too many choices; what video is going to be next on the music channel? Any late breaking news on CNN, MSNBC, Newsworld? All these channels required constant monitoring reducing my ability to concentrate on one program. Additionally, the channel advance button on my remote was looking a little worn although my thumb muscles were beginning to show some definition.

Last night, the movie on TV was "The Hurricane". Directed by Norman Jewison and released in late 1999, it chronicled the story of a boxer, Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, who was imprisoned for murder in the mid-1960's. The film painted Carter as the helpless victim of a corrupt, racially biased justice system that conspired to convict and incarcerate the innocent Carter. Although I had listened and enjoyed the Bob Dylan song, "The Hurricane", I had not listened to the lyrics carefully nor had I understood the origin of the song.

As with any movie, I expected the writers and directors to use their artistic license to craft a story that would provide enough drama to appeal to a wide audience. In addition, condensing a story that extends over 30 years requires that certain facts are left unsaid and events are omitted to make the story more palatable. In other words, a movie should never be treated as a documentary (and documentaries themselves should always be viewed with a critical eye) but as a stepping stone for a more thorough investigation if the story should prove interesting.

The story did grip me; the movie strives to make the issue of his innocence clear. We see that he was obviously not involved. We know that the investigating officer holds a grudge against Carter for his childhood actions and which becomes more intense when the boxer achieves success in the ring. We hear his pleas, listen to his eloquent words protesting his innocence. We appreciate the positive effect his story has on a young black male who makes The Hurricane his idol. We empathize with the Canadians who volunteer their valuable time to research his case, uncover the hidden truth while facing threats to their life by the police attempting to keep the past buried. All of this adds up to a compelling story that cannot help but make the viewer side with The Hurricane and revile the corruption, racism and hatred that blight the justice system and society in general.

However, the truth is never so clear.

Searching on the web for more information on the case, I found a website written by a freelance Canadian writer who has spent much time researching and compiling information regarding The Hurricane. Her thesis is that the movie, and Bob Dylan's song for that matter, in an attempt to make the story more appealing to a general audience, ignores many details and the dark side of The Hurricane which undermines his credibility. Although I do not have the time to sift through all the arguments she presents, I do not doubt that the case is far more complicated than an 8 minute song or a 2 hour movie can portray and nor do I believe The Hurricane is in the same league as activists such as Malcolm X, Nelson Mandela or Gandhi. The website is worth a visit for a much closer examination of the issues that surround the case. Although I do appreciate her information, I do feel that her editorializing is unwarranted especially given the confrontational style she adopts in her writing. For example,

"Carter was not 11 when he and a group of his friends encountered a middle-aged white man, depicted as a maniacal pedophile in the movie, at the Great Falls. He was 14 when he was convicted for clubbing the man over the head with a bottle and robbing a watch and $55 dollars. It was Carter's fourth juvenile offence. Carter was an experienced and savage street fighter, the leader of a gang called the Apaches. Anyone would have thought twice before tangling with him, let alone trying to proposition him. Does this assault sound like a case of self-defence?" (italics added)

The sentence “Anyone would have thought twice before tangling with him” rests on the supposition that the pedophile was cognizant of his prior behaviour and could distinguish between a 14 year old street fighter and a “regular” boy of the same age. Another point of contention is that he was convicted when he was 14. However, there is no mention of when the incident occurred. It is conceivable that he was closer to the age of 11 and the legal proceedings occurred over a number of years.

Regardless of the truth, as elusive as it is in all complicated situations, the movie does raise awareness of injustices that do exist and how people can become victims of systemic racism and bias that are embedded in our institutions. Raising these issues is of great import and the movie provides a useful springboard for investigating this specific case and discussing racism in general. Any cursory examination of the incarceration statistics in the United States shows that something is seriously wrong with the current system. Despite the movie’s looseness with certain facts and its elevation of a perhaps unworthy Rubin Hurricane Carter to almost mythical status, it's abiltity to inspire people to question the inequalities and injustices that surround them and to work towards positive change is worthy of praise and makes The Hurricane a movie that should be watched.