In the Heat of the Night (1967) - Southern racism blasted in Jewison's riveting crime drama

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A very "groovy" and "hip" zeitgeist-tasting poster for Norman Jewison's In the Heat of the Night

An important engineer is found slain in a small South state town, and right away homicide investigating expert Virgil Tibbs from an Eastern state is accused. But he'll soon be tasked with collaborating with the local racists.

 

In the Heat of the Night is written by Stirling Silliphant (Over the Top (1987)), adapting the same-titled 1965 novel by John Ball (Judo Boy (1964)), and directed by great Canadian-American filmmaker Norman Jewison (40 Pounds of Trouble (1962)).

It is an electric, powerful picture, - still one of the most stimulating American films of all time. The racism theme is served with aplomb; through the terrific performance of Sidney Poitier (The Jackal (1997)), the audience experiences what it may have been like to be black in the American South, both the belittlement and the menace involved. Rod Steiger (End of Days (1999)) inhabits the local sheriff, who learns something from the outsider during the course of the film, in role-model fashion. All of the local rednecks are portrayed convincingly. The cotton farm scene is especially effective.

In a way the murder plot is 'second fiddle' to the racism theme here. Quincy Jones' (Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2005)) score (abetted with participation from Ray Charles) is a hip and mighty musical pairing that also deserves praise. Haskel Wexler's (Something's Gotta Give (2009)) cinematography is outstanding. SPOILER In the Heat of the Night succeeds in condensing its issue at hand in a meaningful way to reach an optimistically hopeful conclusion; that human meetings may break down hatreds and prejudice.

 

Related post:

 

Norman Jewison: The Hurricane (1999) - Terrific performances in Jewison's long racism drama

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 2 mil. $

Box office: Reportedly 24.3 mil. $ (North American alone)

= Mega-hit (projected return of 17.5 times its cost)

[In the Heat of the Night was released 2 August (USA, Philippines) and runs 110 minutes. Poitier was paid 200k $ and 20 % of the profits for his performance; Steiger 150k $. Shooting took place from September - November 1966 in Illinois, Tennessee and in Los Angeles, California. The film had reportedly racked in 11 mil. $ in North American rentals (the gross minus the exhibitor's cut) by 1971, which would make the 24.3 mil. $ domestic gross realistic. If the international reception was markedly less enthusiastic, - not unlikely due to the film's very American theme of Southern racism, - a very conservatively set 35 mil. $ world gross may be projected. The film was nominated for 7 Oscars, winning 5: For Best Picture, Actor (Steiger), Adapted Screenplay, Editing and Sound. It lost Best Director to Mike Nichols for The Graduate and Sound Effects to The Dirty Dozen. The film also won 2/4 BAFTA nominations, 3/7 Golden Globes and was nominated for a Grammy, among other honors. Poitier returned as Tibbs in the two sequels They Call Me Mister Tibbs (1970) and The Organization (1971). A 1988-95 spin-off series also entitled In the Heat of the Night was also made. Jewison returned with The Thomas Crown Affair (1968). Poitier returned in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967); Steiger in The Girl and the General (1967). In the Heat of the Night is certified fresh at 96 % with an 8.40/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of In the Heat of the Night?