In the Heat of the Night

Norman Jewison's In the Heat of the Night (1967) is a flawed but enjoyable drama. Not subtle or especially inventive, it earns points for its strong lead performances and powerful characterization. It certainly holds up much better than Sidney Poitier's other big 1967 film.

Sparta, Mississippi witnesses the murder of a Northern land developer. Police Chief Bill Gillespie (Rod Steiger) has no clue where to start, but fortunately Philadelphia detective Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) is in town. Tibbs initially chafes at Gillespie's racism, but wins the Chief's respect with his investigative skills. Tibbs thinks the evidence points towards cotton boss Eric Endicott (Larry Gates), but the townspeople band together to protect him. Only the victim's widow (Lee Grant) keeps Gillespie from running Tibbs out of town.

Plotwise, In the Heat of the Night is a rote police procedural. The murder mystery isn't all that compelling, with a climax that resolves things too easily, and Tibbs is a supercop who can tell a man's guilt at a quick glance. The Southern seediness (including some nudity) is overwrought and the supporting cast goofy ciphers. Jewison and writer Sterling Silliphant hammer home their racial tolerance theme, using Colbert's widow to pointedly comment on local racism. This is definitely a liberal "message film," the lesson placed front and center.

What makes Heat special is its characters. Tibbs is a landmark movie hero. Not only a smart cop, Tibbs also stands up for himself: black audiences loved Tibbs telling off Gillespie and slapping Endicott around. After seeing Sidney Poitier turn the other cheek in film after film, it's liberating to watch him (literally) strike back. Still compromised, he's nonetheless the precursor of tough blaxploitation heroes like Lieutenant Pope (Across 110th Street) and John Shaft. Certainly modern stars like Will Smith and Denzel Washington owe a lot to Poitier's characterization.

Similarly, Gillespie transcends the redneck stereotype perpetrated by contemporary films like The Chase. He's an unpopular man pushed around by the shifty Mayor (William Schallert) and hectoring townspeople. Prejudiced at first, Gillespie quickly comes to respect Tibbs and empathizes with his outsider status, allowing them to believably bond. Silliphant's writing makes their relationship arc credible, and it's a treat just to watch the protagonists spar.

Jewison's direction is fine; he overdoes the seedy, sweaty atmosphere but delivers the dramatic high points just fine. Haskell Wexler's moody photography adds a good deal to the film, giving Sparta a wonderfully rustic look. Ray Charles contributes an excellent title song, though Quincy Jones's score sounds like a bad TV show.

Sidney Poitier gives one of his best performances. Tibbs is a big step up from the emasculated hero of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?, and Poitier gives a great performance with strength, quiet grace and rare humor. Rod Steiger won an Oscar, and he's equally fine. His character starts off as a stereotype but Steiger plays Gillespie just right, hammy but down-to-earth. The two have great chemistry and put subsequent buddy pairings to shame.

The supporting cast is mixed. Warren Oates (The Wild Bunch) is uncharacteristically lame playing a white trash Barney Fife. Scott Wilson (In Cold Blood) steals his scenes as a jittery murder suspect. Larry Gates (The Sand Pebbles) is appropriately hateful but the assorted cracker scum are cornpone ciphers. Lee Grant overplays her part, making sure we get the message in no uncertain terms.

In the Heat of the Night isn't a perfect film, using a routine plot and hamfisted preachments as a crutch. Whenever it's focused on Poitier and Steiger, however, it's golden.