...a thoughtful moral drama, an absorbing character study, an enjoyable comedy, and a mystery thriller all rolled into one.
Tibbs, on the other hand, is more than a pure-hearted hero or a hotshot city slicker. As Gillespie points out to him, Tibbs is inwardly just as prejudiced against whites as the white people of Sparta are outwardly prejudiced against blacks. In fact, Gillespie even uses Tibbs' pride, and his prejudice, against him in persuading him to stay and solve the case. If you've only come to know these characters from the TV series (with Carroll O'Conner and Howard Rollins, Jr.), you have seen much of the edge taken off both men.
Video:
The picture is presented in a 1.74:1 ratio widescreen, enhanced for 16x9 televisions. Colors are good, with facial tones especially natural. The snag is that the colors are rather soft-focused, and the image is slightly grainy. It's a decent reproduction, not a great one, and it's hard to tell if the fault lies with the transfer itself or with the original print.
Audio:
The audio, though, is clearly below average, even for an older film in monaural. The soundtrack is harsh and edgy, with a relatively high level of background noise. It's not difficult to discern dialogue, but it's a little uncomfortable when listening through a high-quality sound system.
Extras:
As far as bonus items go, this disc doesn't go far. The main extra is an audio commentary with director Norman Jewison, actors Lee Grant and Rod Steiger, and cinematographer Haskell Wexler. Then there are English, French, and Spanish spoken language choices; French and Spanish subtitle choices; and a mere sixteen scene selections. MGM include their familiar informational booklet insert, but it's quite brief, only two pages of mostly trivia notes. The theatrical trailer that comes with the disc is of the pan-and-scan variety and considerably worn.
Parting Thoughts:
"In the Heat of the Night" avoids most of the clichés that a film about race relations could fall into, but there are still a few nagging doubts I had by the film's end. For instance, why didn't Tibbs introduce himself to Deputy Wood as a police officer in the first place and show the deputy his badge? Why would Tibbs' chief offer Tibbs' services to Gillespie unasked? Why are there several sequences, like the chase of the would-be murderer, that go on too long and seem like mere filler? And why do so many people show up so conveniently and so coincidentally at the right times? Only in the movies, I suppose. Nevertheless, these are mere trifles in a film that otherwise grabs and maintains our attention from beginning to end. It was a deserving Academy Award winner.
Video:
The picture is presented in a 1.74:1 ratio widescreen, enhanced for 16x9 televisions. Colors are good, with facial tones especially natural. The snag is that the colors are rather soft-focused, and the image is slightly grainy. It's a decent reproduction, not a great one, and it's hard to tell if the fault lies with the transfer itself or with the original print.
Audio:
The audio, though, is clearly below average, even for an older film in monaural. The soundtrack is harsh and edgy, with a relatively high level of background noise. It's not difficult to discern dialogue, but it's a little uncomfortable when listening through a high-quality sound system.
Extras:
As far as bonus items go, this disc doesn't go far. The main extra is an audio commentary with director Norman Jewison, actors Lee Grant and Rod Steiger, and cinematographer Haskell Wexler. Then there are English, French, and Spanish spoken language choices; French and Spanish subtitle choices; and a mere sixteen scene selections. MGM include their familiar informational booklet insert, but it's quite brief, only two pages of mostly trivia notes. The theatrical trailer that comes with the disc is of the pan-and-scan variety and considerably worn.
Parting Thoughts:
"In the Heat of the Night" avoids most of the clichés that a film about race relations could fall into, but there are still a few nagging doubts I had by the film's end. For instance, why didn't Tibbs introduce himself to Deputy Wood as a police officer in the first place and show the deputy his badge? Why would Tibbs' chief offer Tibbs' services to Gillespie unasked? Why are there several sequences, like the chase of the would-be murderer, that go on too long and seem like mere filler? And why do so many people show up so conveniently and so coincidentally at the right times? Only in the movies, I suppose. Nevertheless, these are mere trifles in a film that otherwise grabs and maintains our attention from beginning to end. It was a deserving Academy Award winner.
Average user rating (1-5):
[release]6003[/release]