In the Heat of the Night

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Trailer—In the Heat of the Night

In the Heat of the Night

Rod Steiger won best actor, deserved it, and was matched eyebrow for eyebrow by Sidney Poitier's Unforgettable Creation of Mr. Virgil Tibbs, police detective. The supporting cast is perfect, with Beah Richards, William Prince, and Scott Wilson as special standouts. The dialogue by Siliphant is crisply written, the direction by Jewison is non-pareil, and the mystery is difficult and resolves things perfectly. As an overall American mystery, I must vote for this even over the Maltese Falcon (which of course is also great). Forget the hit-and-miss TV spin-off and treat yourself to the real thing.

This film deserved to win the Academy Award for best picture of 1967 -- just as Rod Steiger deserved to win Best Actor. In the Heat of the Night has it all though. What seems like a relatively simple case, turns into a complex murder mystery. I defy you to solve the mystery before the final minutes! As if the mystery wasn't enough, the film is a sociologists' text book example on prejudice and privilege. This movie hasn't aged a bit -- one of the classics.

A clash of identities between a black big-city detective and an overweight white sheriff down in the bigoted South. A murder brings them together (that, and some story contrivances), but as a mutual admiration begins to develop we see all different shades of humanity. It's a picture designed to show off hot-headed emotions, and Rod Steiger (in an Oscar-winning performance) is the perfect actor to pull this off: with his silly yellow-tinted shades and crooked policeman's cap, he's an outdated cartoon, but one with an underlying sense of sadness and self-loathing. Sidney Poitier straightens him out, he and the rest of the town. Easy to see why Poitier was such a hero to audiences of this era (of any color): he pulls no punches, and the prickly reminder of his race isn't a nagging issue. Like all character-oriented dramas that strive for something extra, this isn't much of a murder-mystery; however, as an acting piece it's first-rate. ***1/2 from ****

One of the best films of all time, a Best Picture Oscar winner, and a highly deserved one at that. After reading a plot summary, it would be easy for someone to classify Norman Jewison's IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT as a simple buddy-cop movie, but it is so much more - this is film-making at it's finest. An absolutely merciless mystery, NIGHT contains some incredibly intense scenes that might make some viewers uncomfortable (the garage confrontation comes immediately to mind). The film is expertly put together, with the feel of heady film noir. The performances are first rate: both Poitier and Rod Steiger were nominated for Best Actor, with the Oscar actually going home to Steiger (the film won four other Oscars as well). The Poitier-Steiger pairing is one of the most potent in film history, and their slowly growing friendship is one of the most touching. is a glowing example of what happens when an excellent cast, director, and screenplay combine to make an exceptional film.

Outstanding performances from Poitier & Steiger in a film that's genuinely shocking once you consider the prejudice and evil it contains, even more so when you witness those same traits in society over 50 years later. Will we ever learn!

Whodunits are a dime a dozen in my view.What makes In the Heat of the Night so unique in the murder mystery genre is it's setting:The racially tense deep south.This is what I enjoy about the film.You have two major plot lines to keep you engrossed:The investigation into the murder itself,and the racial tensions between Sidney Poitier's Virgil Tibbs character and virtually every other character in the film.The film is loaded with great acting,particularly from Poitier,who,not surprisingly,considers this his best work and is his favorite amongst all the projects he has done.Not only is this recommended viewing,it is recommended for a spot on your home video shelf.