Hurricane, The

In director Norman Jewison’s grotesque desecration of the story of boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter (Denzel Washington), imprisoned 20 years for murders he did not commit, Carter’s fate is blamed solely on one bad white man (Dan Hedaya), thereby exonerating hundreds of officials who in railroading Carter blithely perpetuated a thoroughly poisonous system. Jewison also ignores the lawyers who methodically worked to spring Carter, proffering instead a science-fiction scenario crediting three Canadian communards with securing the boxer’s release. And of course Denzel cannot possibly kiss the white girl—even though, in life, Carter married her.