In the Heat of the Night

I think that it’s really interesting to look at a film like In the Heat of the Night in the terms of this class, especially since racism is such a prevalent issue throughout the film.

There are various references to slavery in the mise-en-scene of this film . I think that the most powerful are those in reference to Endicott and Endicott’s power within Sparta. His house looks very much like the large mansions from the plantation films that Gerrero mentions. Additionally, the mansion is surrounded by cotton fields being worked by African American “employees.” As the camera pans across these fields there a soulful, spiritual playing in the background. We also hear from Endicott how he sees African Americans as being unable to care for themselves, needing “feeding and nurturing” from him. Finally, throughout the film, Detective Tibbs is hassled by southerners bearing thick chains, which may be representative of the bondage of slavery. I find all of this very interesting to look at within the context of the film because it seems to suggest that while this film is about race, it’s making a statement about how the chains of slavery were still very much in power when the film was set/made, 1967.

The film shows how even a successful, intelligent, well-mannered, and accomplished black man was still regarded as a slave in the south in the 60’s. The chief repeatedly calls Det. Tibbs “boy” and Tibbs even refers to himself as Sparta’s new “whipping boy” when he talks to the mechanic he stays with while in town. However, it seems to me that this message would debunk Gerrero’s argument that Sidney Poitier’s characters show a one-dimensional view of African American life and culture.

Furthermore, I’d like to argue against Gerrero’s argument for the desexualization of Sidney Poitier’s characters. I don’t think in In the Heat of the Night desexualizes Tibbs based on the fact that he is a black man. Let’s think about the female characters in the film: the crazy girl who wanders around naked, the woman grieving for her recently murdered husband, and the woman who’s going to give the girl the abortion. I don’t know about you, but these don’t seem like particularly appealing women to have any sort of romantic interest in. The only one I see as having the slightest chance is the Mrs. Leslie Colbert, and I just get the feeling that Tibbs has his head on straight enough to not go after a woman in mourning. These aren’t the only women offered up as a love interest for just Tibbs, these are the only possible love interests in the whole movie. And while the girl does seems to get around, let’s be honest, that still doesn’t make her particularly appealing. Also, Tibbs doesn’t have a wife or a family life, but neither does he chief. Tibbs also references how he was once close to marriage, but it didn’t work out (which goes back to King’s theory of cops’ inability to connect with those around them, this is also seen throughout the film).

I really enjoyed watching In the Heat of the Night, I hadn’t seen it in a really long time. However, I don’t agree with Gerrero’s generalizations about Poitier characters, at lease not in the context of this film.