46. THE LAST WHITE KNIGHT

in the early 60's, paul beckworth made a decision to travel from his home in toronto canada to join the SNCC (student non-violent coordinating committee) whose mission was to register black voters; he was assigned to greenwood ms.  on his first day there, approaching the courthouse, he encountered 4 men, one of whom punched him in the face.  he ran.  the assailant was delay de la beckwith, the son of byron beckwith, who was eventually imprisoned for the murder of medgar evers.  after 45 years, paul decides to have a conversation with beckwith.  interspersed are conversations with harry bellafonte, morgan freeman, fbi agents, local residents, and a particularly chilling conversation with three current klan members, who remind us very clearly that blacks are inferior in every way.  beckwith is somewhat charming, somewhat sinister, often smirking for his intolerances of black president obama "the devil"; his lack of remorse for the hatred he spews; the inferiority of anything other than white america.  he does note that he's the last white knight..........at least of the beckwith lineage.  his children don't follow his beliefs.  he is forthright in his prejudice, but polite in speaking of it.  oh, by the way, paul is jewish and there are plenty of suggestions by beckwith as to why jews shouldn't be trusted or tolerated as well.  is there reconciliation in mississippi?  maybe some.  there appears to still be a lot of underlying hate.  scenes with children of mixed races promote hope.  however, bellafonte notes, "i don't trust mississippi.  i don't feel safe here".  what's to be made of the handshake at the end; the declarations that the two are "friends"?  does understanding another's point of view make intolerable events more tolerable?  i felt paul asked pointed questions in a kind, nearly non-judgmental way and i felt delay answered them from a point of view of not really having done too much wrong.  i want to believe in the hope of those children from the film and i also believe that one can't watch, listen and contemplate TOO much of the racial struggles of our American past.