Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Mark Wahlberg star in thriller By Any Means
American thriller By Any Means, starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Mark Wahlberg, unfolds against the backdrop of racial and political violence in the US South in the late 1960s. At the center of the plot are Black FBI agent Wayne Strider and New York Mafia hitman Gregory Scarpa, who investigate the murder of a civil rights movement activist together.
Investigation in Mississippi
As Taipei Times reports, the film's plot is connected to the death of NAACP leader Vernon Dahmer Sr. in Mississippi as a result of an arson attack in 1966. In the film's story, the FBI cannot solve the case and unofficially enlists Scarpa despite the influence of the Ku Klux Klan, including among law enforcement officers.
The film was directed by Elegance Bratton, while the screenplay was written by Sascha Penn. The publication's reviewer describes the film as a fast-paced action thriller whose tension stems from the contrasts between a disciplined young FBI agent from the South and a Mafia hitman from New York.
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Real and fictional characters
The film is labeled as based on real events, but its creators combined historical facts with fiction. Gregory Scarpa was a real person and an FBI informant who was enlisted under pressure over the murders of three civil rights movement participants in Mississippi. At the same time, the character of agent Wayne Strider is a composite figure, according to the film's materials.
In addition to Abdul-Mateen II and Wahlberg, the film stars Nicole Beharie, LisaGay Hamilton and Giancarlo Esposito, who played Dahmer. The soundtrack includes songs by Nina Simone, Ray Charles, Dinah Washington and Curtis Mayfield. The title song, written by Diane Warren, was performed by The Isley Brothers and David Kushner.
A key theme of the film is the dispute between the characters over the acceptability of violence. Scarpa's methods, including beatings and threats with a gun, provoke sharp rejection from his partner, and the conflict between the men eventually escalates into a fight.
