Kingston film society screened the classic 60’s crime thriller in honour of Black History Month.
The film, which brought a mirror to racism in the USA, more than holds up with its gripping story, phenomenal acting and clean cinematography.
The movie follows Virgil Tibbs (played by Sidney Poitier), a Black detective from Philadelphia who finds himself embroiled in a winding murder-mystery.
The racist residents of sleepy backwater town, Sparta, Mississippi, serve as the antagonistic force of the film.
The film’s depiction of the abuse Tibbs suffers is raw: whether he’s being chased and cornered by chain wielding confederates or slapped in the face for daring to question a rich white man (a slap which Tibbs defiantly returns), In the Heat of the Night pulls no punches in its depiction of the racist Deep South.
The film opens with Tibbs being falsely accused and arrested for murdering wealthy businessman and soon-to-be factory builder Philip Colbert, only on the assumption that a Black man couldn’t carry as much money as he had in his wallet.
As he’s questioned by police chief Bill Gillespie, played by Rod Steiger, Poitier delivers the famous line: “They call me Mister Tibbs!” rebutting Gillespie’s questions about his authority.
Though Tibbs tries to leave several times, he is dragged back by orders from his lieutenant and widow, Leslie Colbert, as well as the desperate cries of Gillespie, with whom Tibbs is forced to build an unlikely partnership with to survive in Sparta until he can solve Colbert’s murder.
As the mystery unravels, Tibbs must wrestle with his own biases to keep the investigation on track as the ever-incompetent Sparta police bring in wrong suspect after suspect.
The film’s use of long shots and tight set work to make Sparta feel small and claustrophobic, metaphorically cramping around the literally surrounded Tibbs.
The iconic soundtrack, as well as the brilliant acting and story, make In the Heat of the Night just as amazing and poignant a film it was the day it released.
★★★★⯪ 4.5 / 5