I saw this on DVD, from our public library, titled "Echo of Murder (2000) (TV) (USA)". I went into it deliberately knowing nothing about the story, eager to see Gregory Hines and Jim Belushi. I was not disappointed. Hines, who died last year, did no dancing or singing here, yet proves again that he was one of our fine, mostly overlooked actors. Set in the mid-1980s, he is the boss, Belushi works for him at a national magazine. They go to Atlanta upon the urging by a black lady politician who believes there is more story than the investigation, closed 5 years earlier, of the murder of 25 to 50 black children in the 5 counties that makes up Atlanta. It is both a well-made movie, and an important piece of American history.
SPOILERS, SPOILERS follow, read no further if you don't want any surprise spoiled. A young black man was convicted and sent to prison, authorities attached blame to him for all the children murdered, but an investigation into a possible Klan role was kept secret and all records destroyed just a short time after the investigation was 'closed', in violation of Atlanta records policy. One cop, however, had made copies of key documents first, and buried them for safety, eventually turning them over to the two reporters. There was some vague implication that Atlanta's first black mayor was involved in the suppression of information, to not tarnish his administration. There is a clear implication that a member of the Klan investigation team was in fact a Klan member, and his was the main role in suppressing the investigation, along with destroying records. There seemed to be strong evidence that the Klan was indeed on a mission to kill black children as a method of 'cleansing' their community. The movie ends with no firm conclusion, and that may upset many viewers. However, for me it was still a worthwhile viewing, to understand a bit better some of the impact of racism, which we all hope is fading into history. We're not there yet!
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