Based on a true story, Burden opens in the spring of 1996, in the somewhat depressed and rundown small town of Laurens, South Carolina. Mike Burden (Garrett Hedlund, Mosaic) works for Plantation Repo, a local rent-to-own, repossessing TVs and other appliances from folks who have missed their payments. Mike’s boss is Tom Griffin (Tom Wilkinson, Belgravia), a man who has been like a surrogate father to him, helping to raise him, taking him under his wing, and treating him like part of his family. Tom is the head of the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan, and Mike has risen through the ranks to become Tom’s right hand man and likely successor. From an early age Tom has instilled his bigoted notions and prejudices in Mike. Tom is proud of his beliefs, and isn’t shy to share them. When the state capital refused to fly the Confederate flag, Tom enlisted the help of Mike and his fellow Klansmen to renovate a local theater into The Redneck KKK Museum. This, of course, doesn’t sit well with the African American residents—it is just the latest in a history of hate in the area. So social activist Reverend David Kennedy (Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland) leads a protest across the street from the museum, vowing to not stop until it the business is shut down. However, the hate is deep-seeded in this town, and Tom and the Klan have many supporters within the police and local government.

Mike has been raised in the Klan nearly all his life, and has been indoctrinated in its ways of bigotry and hate. He doesn’t even think twice before doing and saying horrible things to the Black folks who cross his path, and he is never really shocked or horrified by the things Tom does, says or asks him to do. However, his world changes when he’s sent on a job to repossess a television from a grocery clerk named Judy (Andrea Riseborough, Waco). Mike and single mother Judy hit it off right away, and Judy sees how quickly Mike becomes like a father to her son. However, there is something looming over their relationship. While Judy is no stranger to the Klan, she doesn’t like what they stand for, and doesn’t want Mike to be a part of it or her son growing up in that world. Judy makes Mike want to be a better man, but leaving the Klan will not be easy—they are the only family Mike has ever known, and Tom and the others would see it as a betrayal, and would do everything in their power to make his life hard and miserable until he came crawling back. So, with no other options, Mike must turn to an unlikely source for assistance. And despite the negative reactions from his community—and even his own son Kelvin (Dexter Darden, The Maze Runner)—and his past experiences with the Klan, Reverend Kennedy sees that he must help Mike, hoping that love and god can guide him.

One of the most interesting aspects of this sometimes horrifying/sometimes inspirational story is that it is based on true events. The film gets quite shocking and disturbing at times. How can one human spew so much hate and bigotry towards another solely because of the color of their skin?! In the film, Tom, Mike, and the other Klansmen can be seen brutally beating up a young Black man, urinating on a young Black woman, and regularly throwing out the N word and numerous other derogatory and terrible things towards their fellow humans. It’s hard to believe that there are really people like this in our world, but unfortunately this is a reality that many folks deal with every day. And so the idea that someone who has been indoctrinated in this world of hate can change and be a better person is what makes this story an inspirational one. It is a real-life example of someone who grew up in this world who changed his ways and beliefs, and even had the humility to turn to someone who represented the target of that hatred for help and redemption. Meanwhile, there is also the other side, where this Reverend finds himself defending and taking in this person who represents all of the hate that he has experienced for decades, and who was a member of the same group that lynched and killed his uncle. His faith gives him the strength to believe that people can change, and forgive them for the sins of their past as they seek redemption.

As with many films based on true story, at the end of the movie, the viewer is given a look at the real-life people portrayed in the film, along with some updates on their lives. The filmmakers have done a great job of casting the characters and recreating the look of the real people and places. I wasn’t really familiar with star Garrett Hedlund’s previous performances, but he does a nice job of playing both sides of Mike Burden. You believe that Mike is this not very well-educated guy who is capable of doing some horrific things, but that he does have a heart and yearns to be a better person once he meets Judy and her son. Forest Whitaker always delivers strong, passionate performances, and this is no different.

Universal has only released this film on physical media on DVD, so folks who wish to watch in HD will need to go with the Digital version. I typically only watch HD or 4K programming these days, and so lower picture quality of this SD DVD release was definitely noticeable. While the film is certainly watchable, the picture was noticeably duller and less detailed than what I am typically used to. The DVD’s audio presentation, on the other hand, was quite good, providing clear dialogue as well as some nice use of the stereo and surround sound to give a more immersive viewing experience. This was especially noticeable as the films opens and you can hear sprinklers and birds chirping all around you, or later with the chanting of the protesters, or cheering during Klan gatherings. The DVD disc comes packed in standard DVD keepcase with a cardboard slipcover. There is no digital copy included, and the only bonus material is a single 2-minute behind-the-scenes featurette, half of which is a promo for a charity.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:57:47)

DVD:
• 480i / Anamorphic Widescreen 2.40:1
• Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish

Extras:

• Behind the Scenes of Burden (1:58)
  Mixed with some behind-the-scenes footage, director Andrew Heckler and stars Forest Whitaker (“Reverend David Kennedy”), Garrett Hedlund (“Mike Burden”) and Andrea Riseborough (“Judy”) talk about the premise of the film. Then the real Reverend David Kennedy talks briefly about The Echo Project.

Final Thoughts:

Burden is an entertaining, thought-provoking, and sometimes disturbing film about two men from very different and opposing backgrounds who strike up an unexpected friendship as one of them tries to change his life for the better and leave his background of hate and bigotry behind. The DVD presentation leaves a bit to be desired—while it has great audio, the picture quality and bonus material are lacking. However, the film itself is worth checking out, especially with what’s currently going on in the world, but perhaps the HD Digital version is the way to go.