Any Means
Anderson and Ward kidnap the Mayor in order to get a confession out of him. This is a symbol that they had to go beyond the normal boundaries of what their profession as men of the law in order to obtain justice.
1964
This film is set in the year 1964 in the American Southern state of Mississippi. This is a symbol of the realities of injustice being perpetrated against black people even in the same year the Civil Rights Act is passed.
Power
The Sheriff and Mayor are active members of the Ku Klux Klan. This is a symbol of the insidious and infiltrating nature of this group, who are set on keeping power and continuing to perpetrate fear to maintain it.
Burning Cross
Lester Cowens is interrogated by Anderson and Ward, and returns home to have his window shattered by a shotgun blast and a burning cross is planted in his yard. The burning cross is a symbol for the Ku Klux Klan.
Procession
We watch a a procession is held for the dead black man who was killed. We see cops lining the streets as members of the congregation walk to the burial site. The cops are a symbol of the lurking violence that insists on remaining in the town as members of the black community continue to suffer violence from them.
