"In The Heat of the Night"

 In the Heat of the Night: A Reflection on Race, Justice, and Change

In the Heat of the Night is a strong movie based in the Jim Crow South around which a murder in a small town in Mississippi was carried out on a rich man. The suspects then turn out to be one of the police officers as well and this makes the investigation even more complicated. The novel centers around the life of Virgil Tibbs, an African American detective named Sidney Poitier, who is not only in the wrong place regarding the case as he is wrongly suspected of having committed the crime. Tibbs unwillingly gets teamed with the white local police chief, Bill Gillespie, a man who is initially angry that Tibbs is around and commanding. The movie explores the conflict between the two men, revealing the opposite view on race, power, and justice as the investigation unfolds. As the time passes, the character of both characters grow and develop in a meaningful way coming to receive an awkward yet heartfelt mutual respect.

The brutal life experience under the Jim crows laws in the American South during the 1960s is also one of the strongest features of the film. Released in the thick of the Civil Rights Movement, the film challenges the overt biases that dominated at that point in the history of the country. In the experience that is shared by Tibbs with the white people in Sparta, the story brings into light the way racism was defining all areas of social and professional relations. The first suspicion of Gillespie toward Tibbs is based on racial prejudice as well as in his personal pride, however, as soon as Tibbs proves that he is a smart person and can solve cases, the attitude in Gillespie changes. Their changing relationship highlights a greater meaning of the movie that there can be a possibility of understanding and respect even in the systems constructed on inequality.

This acting of Virgil Tibbs by Sidney Poitier is one of the most definite roles that he ever plays. It is his serene power, intellectual assurance and upright character which render Tibbs an engaging character and make him unwilling to be undermined by the bigotry which surrounds him. Even the silent strength of dignity before injustice is a wonderful depiction by Poitier who achieved in his role a hero of struggle, a hero of the truth.

The bottom line is that In the Heat of the Night does not rely on the plot of mystery to provide a scathing critique of race, power and the human condition. Through the analysis of racism in the law enforcement and the society as a whole, it brings perennial questions about justice and equality. The sincerity and bravery of the film in treating these issues have made it not only a masterpiece in cinema but also a permanent reminder as to the need to be empathetic, progressive and collaborative in fighting the evil of prejudice.