BrianKoller's Full Review: In the Heat of the Night
"In the Heat of the Night" is a detective story that takes place in rural Mississippi. A wealthy businessman has been killed. An odd couple is on the case: a black detective visiting from Philadelphia (Sidney Poitier) and the local redneck sheriff (Rod Steiger). Poitier must overcome the mass stupidity and racism of the small town to find the murderer.
"In the Heat of the Night" won the Academy Award
for Best Picture. White guilt over having denied
black actors decent roles for the previous half
century may have played a role. It was considered
a seminal film upon release for its condemnation
of bigotry.
Ironically, the film is in itself bigoted: it
supports the common prejudice that rural white
Southerners are ignorant, violent and racist
no-accounts. Even the Mayor ("Patty Duke Show"
dad William Schallert) believes that a black man
should be shot if he slaps a white man, while the
sheriff denies black men their names, calling
them "boy". The townsfolk dress as if they shop
for clothes at Goodwill. No doubt racism is
rampant, in the South as well as the North, in
the 1960s as well as now. But the film goes too
far in making its point, losing credibility in
its shrillness. Poitier's use of slang (e.g. "Can
you dig it?") also dates the film.
To be fair, the story never drags, and the title
song (performed by Ray Charles) is outstanding.
Steiger won Best Actor for his performance. His
character gradually gains respect for Poitier,
and by film's end they have nearly become friends.
"In the Heat of the Night" spawned two sequels
starring Poitier, and a long-running television
series. (69/100)
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