VHS Movie Reviews for In the Heat of the Night [VHS]

In the Heat of the Night [VHS]

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VHS Movie Reviews of In the Heat of the Night [VHS]

Movie Review: Cinema Milestone and Entertaining Movie
Summary: 5 Stars

Winner of best picture for 1967, In The Heat of The Night may have just been another crime thriller or murder mystery, but the profound and topical subject matter elevated by the artists attached make the movie a must see for any serious film student or student of sociology for that matter. Race relations, abortion, class struggle and small town politics all play key roles in the story and all are essential to the plot - not merely convenient window dressing.

Sydney Poitier plays Virgil Tibbs, an African American detective visiting his mother in the Deep South. He hails from Philadelphia where he's the department's top-notch homicide investigator. When a wealthy businessman is found bludgeoned to death, Tibbs is arrested as a suspect by a less than competent police officer. After it's learned that Tibbs is a cop himself, he's coerced by Gilespie (Rod Steiger) the local police chief to stay in town so that he may assist with the investigation. What follows is a murder mystery full of twists, driven by realistically drawn and realized characters all embroiled in small town conventions and taboos as they deal with the disruption of outsiders intensified by the heated racial tensions which were inescapable during the late 1960's America. In The Heat of The Night may not have been the first major film to deal with race relations, nor is it certainly the last, but it's hard to name one that does it so skillfully and entertainingly. Chock full of three-dimensional characters who never come off as preachy or artificial, we never doubt their motivation or actions for a second. And just when we think we can predict what one of them is going to say or do, we're surprised to learn we're wrong. It's a film which always keeps the audience guessing and thinking.

In the lead roles, Steiger and Poitier both excel. Each man physically looks the part of their respective roles and Steiger, always a master of accents, nails the lilting tones of a middle aged Southerner perfectly. When both men are on the screen together, little else is noticed. Their exchanges are incredibly electric - two master actors displaying their craft and making it look effortless. The screenplay by Stirling Silliphant captures the flavor of the time and place wonderfully never skirting away from language, which while tame by today's standards was mature, even raw for 1967. Lee Grant gives a restrained performance as the widow of the murder victim and the only thing wanting about her portrayal is that she's not given nearly enough screen time. When her character demands that Tibbs act as lead on the case or else she'll use her wealth and influence against the town, it's neither forced nor contrived. She knows that Tibbs is simply the best person for the job and no skin color, stink of cronyism nor risk of small town cops losing face in the shadow of a high paid big city counterpart will or should sway the decision.

The movie spawned a sequel, "They Call Me Mr. Tibbs." and subsequently a long running TV series starring Carol O'Connor of All In the Family fame filling in the role of Chief Gilespie. Clearly the characters contained so much depth they could carry on with many other stories. It's arguable that for both Steiger and Poitier, few other films or roles are as identifiable or as important to their reputations or career than the ones they create here.

In The Heat Of The Night remains a groundbreaking film, but is always accessible and adheres to the cardinal rule of good film making: it's great entertainment. While today's crime stories and murder mysteries contain multiple car chases and set pieces for maximum shock value, In The Heat of The Night quietly and powerfully still stands up and remains still relevant. Recently, the US Supreme Court's Sandra Day O' Connor retired from the bench and the candidate to fill her position had controversy swarming all about him - specifically in regard to Roe VS Wade. For while race relations have calmed and small towns may no longer be the places of absolute intolerance to minorities as in days past, the issues of abortion, class struggle and full equality for our multi ethnic society still demand our full attention and energies.

Movie Review: Random Thoughts from a Twisted Mind
Summary: 5 Stars

From Quincy Jones' score to Haskell Wexler's cinematography "In the Heat of the Night" is worthy of inclusion on anyone's top ten films list.

But as ground breaking as the film was on the subject of 1967 race relations, the most amazing thing is how well it has held up almost 40 years later. I think it rings so true because of way they elected to play several key scenes.

Watch for the carefully orchestrated scene between Mrs. Colbert (Lee Grant) and Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) when alone in the chief's office early in the film. He has just told her that her husband has been murdered and she recoils from his first two attempts to comfort her. Given the upfront racism exhibited in the film up to that point, you assume that it is more of the same. But this is Mrs. Colbert's first scene and when she does not rebuff his third attempt to comfort her you realize that she is completely unaware of his race, she is just devastated by what he has told her and would have rebuffed anyone as she struggled to accept what she has just learned. The attentive viewer realizes that their own prejudice, kindled by what they have seen up to that point in the film, caused them to jump to the wrong conclusion about her character's motivation.

Then watch for the evolving attitude of Chief Gillespie (Rod Steiger) toward Tibbs. Early on he comes to professionally respect him (as he respects the town's black mechanic), then he comes to respect Tibbs as a man when he slaps Endicott (something no other man-black or white-would dare), and finally he comes to respect him as a human being when Tibbs reveals a lust to take Endicott down. The irony being that it is finding Tibbs capable of a higher level human weakness (not a strength) that opens Gillespie's eyes to the fallacy of racism.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

Movie Review: A Movie everyone should see
Summary: 5 Stars

I just saw this movie tonight on TV and I can't believe that I waited this long to watch it.

The story takes place in a racist Mississippi town. One night a local police officer finds a dead body lying in the middle of main street. A short time later the same officer mistakenly arrests a man by the name of Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier)because the officer believes he is the murderer.
Once back at the police station Virgil makes the announcement that he is a homicide detective from Philadelphia in town for a visit.
After Virgil is let go, the police mistakenly arrest another man for the murder, and this time Virgil kinda takes over, and within minutes announces that the man cannot be the murderer because he is left handed while the killer was right handed.
Later on, Virgil is asked by the chief of police (Rod Steiger) to stay in town and help solve the case.
When the local rednecks learn that a black police officer has taken over the case, they decide to run the man out of town. Virgil refuses to let the men scare him off and he ends up solving the murder.

Movie Review: "They call me Mr. Tibbs!"
Summary: 5 Stars

I remember growing up watching the television series "In the Heat of the Night" with my parents before bed every night, but I saw this film for the first time last night, and when I heard Ray Charles singing the theme song I was flooded with good memories. Now I have to say, this film is damn near perfect. It has all the elements for a great film, from a riviting storyline, great acting and interesting charactors. Sidney Poitier plays Virgil Tibbs, an African-American cop who's falsly arrested for the murder of a rich white man. Virgil was visiting his mother in a small Mississippi town of Sparta when the bigot sherrif accuses him of murder. After revieling his identity his services are offered since he works homicide and may be able to help solve the murder. From that point on we watch as the town fights to kick Virgil out, and we see Sherrif Bill Gillespie (played by Rod Steiger in his Oscar winning role) learn to accept Virgil. Theres a scene where Virgil and Bill are drinking and talking in Bill's home and Bill is talking about how he has no one, no kids, no wife, no friends, and you start to see him as the man he is and not the bigot he was. This is far more than just a movie about murder, it's a movie about acceptance and change and how one town, brought up with one way of thinking can change that way when they realize their faults. It's great to see how Virgil goes from the outcast to the respected partner. Sidney and Rod are great together here, as is Lee Grant as the widow, who in her two short scenes shows enough feeling and emotion to earn her a Golden Globe nod...and the scene where she learns of her husbands misfortune is acting at it's greatest. Brilliant movie!