Search - The Hurricane on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Violence, Profanity Movie Release: 1999 DVD Release: 07/11/2000 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Edition: Dual Layered,Special Collection Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 2 hrs 26 mins Studio: Universal Studios Total Copies: 54 Genres: Drama, Courtroom Drama, Biopic [feature], Prison Film, Message Movie See Also: The Hurricane [HD DVD], The Hurricane [Collector's Edition], The Hurricane [Collector's Edition]

In 1966, Rubin "Hurricane" Carter was a top-ranked middleweight boxer whom many fight fans expected to become world champion. When three people were shot to death in a bar in Paterson, New Jersey, Carter and his friend John Artis, driving home from another club in Paterson, were stopped and questioned by police. Although the police asserted that Carter and Artis "were never suspects," a man named Alfred Bello, himself a suspect in the killings, claimed that Carter and Artis were present at the time of the murders. On the basis of Bello's testimony, Carter and Artis were convicted of murder, and Carter was given three consecutive life sentences. Throughout the trial, Carter proclaimed his innocence, saying that his African-American race and work as a civil rights activist were the real reasons for his conviction. In 1974, Bello and Arthur Bradley, who also claimed that Carter was present at the scene of the crimes, recanted their testimony, but Carter and Artis were reconvicted. In the early 1980s, Brooklyn teenager Lesra Martin worked with a trio of Canadian activists to push the State of New Jersey to reinvestigate Carter's case; in 1985, a Federal District Court ruled that the prosecution in Carter's second trial committed "grave constitutional violations" and that his conviction was based on racism rather than facts. Carter was finally freed, and he summed up his story by saying, "Hate got me into this place, love got me out." The Hurricane is based on Carter's incredible true story and stars Denzel Washington as Carter, Vicellous Shannon as Lesra Martin, and John Hannah, Liev Schreiber and Deborah Unger as the Canadian activists. Veteran filmmaker Norman Jewison directed. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Denzel Washington - Rubin "Hurricane" Carter
Vicellous Shannon - Lesra Martin
Deborah Kara Unger - Lisa
Liev Schreiber - Sam
John Hannah - Terry

The Universal Studios DVD of The Hurricane nicely frames the story of Rubin Carter's personal and social redemption, with a lovely anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen transfer highlighting the superb work of cinematographer Roger Deakin (Shawshank Redemption, Fargo), and Dolby Digital or Surround Sound options (all the better for listening to the timely, eclectic soundtrack music of Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Etta James, and Gil Scott Heron). In the "Audio Commentary" feature, director Norman Jewison answers the controversy surrounding the film by saying, "Truth is a moving target. You'll never get it right." He points out the historical facts and dramatic license between the film and actual events. He also comments on the more technical details -- film locations, lens size, and the need for different angles when forced to use the same location over and over (e.g. the prison visiting area). A 20-minute featurette, "The Making of The Hurricane," gives the audience a glimpse of the real-life Rubin Carter and Lesra Martin discussing their experiences. The "Deleted Scenes" section includes five brief scenes, with introductions by Jewison. Along with the usual DVD extras of a theatrical trailer, cast and crew background, production notes, and DVD-ROM links, these features provide a thorough and intelligent DVD package. ~ Marina Chavez, All Movie Guide