The Hurricane

Movies that reflect the true emotions and triumphs of the human spirit are few and far between, not because that aren't any stories out there, its more of a financial reason. Hollywood just doesn't see a huge money return on films of the trials and tribulations of man, even with the large named star in the leading role. This movie is emotional from so many different view points that they are hard to keep track of, but needless to say it will tug at your heart strings from time to time. After being wrongfully accused of a multiple murder, Rubin "Hurricane" Carter spends twenty years in prison during which he writes his autobiography and inspires a young man to take control of his life. Denzel Washington is great as Carter, from the prize fighting boxer in his prime to the decades out inmate fighting for his life, he comes across as the quintessential character rivaled by no one. The supporting cast helps the movie take off from its staring gate and it never stops until the story is completed. At the very end of the movie there is a quick clip of Carter accepting the boxing title in 1993, and you can see in his eyes that he feels that he is the luckiest man on the planet.
This is so much more than a movie about a man who has been pushed into the injustice of the system, it about the human soul and the lengths that an innocent man will go to too be free. At times the racist issues that are through out the movie are tough to watch and hear, but it helps to show how much injustice was handed down onto the black community through the 50s and 60s. I enjoyed this movie more than I thought I would, but with Washington's powerful performance the movie starts and ends with so much passion you can't help but cheer every chance you get.