Movie Review – In the Heat of the Night

In the Heat of the Night – (1967) – The town of Sparta, Mississippi has high hopes for a new factory in their town.  Then the man who was to build that factory is killed on the street.  Police initially suspect a black man travelling through town named Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) but he turns out to be a homicide detective from Philadelphia.  When Sheriff Gillepsie (Rod Steiger) verifies that fact he gets a suprising gift.  Tibbs boss offers the small town department the use of Tibbs’s expertise.  Together the two must find a way past their personal expectations and biases to solve the case.

I will admit that a little bit of tingle ran down my spine when this disc arrived.  I haven’t seen this movie in years but it’s one that sticks with you.  There’s everything to love about it. It opens to the sound of Ray Charles singing. The screenplay by Stirling Silliphant is fabulous.  Steiger and Poitier wonderful are beyond words.  The supporting cast is centered on Warren Oates and Lee Grant with plenty of other familiar faces.  In the hands of a skilled and veteran director like Norman Jewison it’s just an astounding movie.

What’s best in this movie is that everyone is shown with thier flaws.  Tibbs pride makes the situation harder.  Gillespie’s small town mentality and racism makes him doubt every word and action of Tibbs.  At the same time both men are honorable and trying to do the best they can despite their situation.  They will struggle with the facts of the case and their antipathy for each other. Tubbs finds himself in a world he wants no part of and Gillespie has the outside world inflicted on his nice, safe town.  In the end more than just a killer will be discovered.  Each will have to confront parts of themselves.

“In the Heat of the Night” was nominated for seven Academy Awards and won five.  That included Best Film, Best Actor (Steiger) and Best Adapted Screenplay.

There’s a feeling I get when I watching something very special.  My energy level goes up and I smile all the way through.  It’s exactly how I felt watchingthis movie.

Rating – ***** Worth Owning