No deep solutions are suggested in this subtle and meticulously observed study. Yet Director Norman Jewison has used his camera to extract a cer tain rough-cut beauty from each protagonist.
In the Heat of the Night (1967)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:28
Fresh:27
Rotten:1
Average Rating:8.1/10
Consensus: Tense, funny, and thought-provoking all at once, and lifted by strong performances from Sydney Poitier and Rod Steiger, director Norman Jewison's look at murder and racism in small-town America continues to resonate today.
Synopsis: Norman Jewison helms this Best Picture winner about a black Philadelphia detective (Sidney Poitier) who becomes involved in a murder case in a small, bigoted southern town, much to the chagrin of... Norman Jewison helms this Best Picture winner about a black Philadelphia detective (Sidney Poitier) who becomes involved in a murder case in a small, bigoted southern town, much to the chagrin of the local redneck police chief (Rod Steiger). An excellent production, IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT was adapted by Stirling Silliphant from John Ball's novel. The drama boasts seven Academy Award nominations and five statuettes, including Best Picture, Best Actor--Rod Steiger, and Best (Adapted) Screenplay. [More]
Starring: Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, Warren Oates, Lee Grant
Starring: Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, Warren Oates, Lee Grant, Quentin Dean, James Patterson, William Schallert, Scott Wilson
Director: Norman Jewison
Director: Norman Jewison
Producer: Walter Mirisch
Screenwriter: Stirling Silliphant
Composer: Quincy Jones
Reviews for In the Heat of the Night
far -- far -- more interested in racial politics than criminal capers, and it's Tibbs' interactions with the local yokels that make the film so memorable
An excellent Sidney Poitier performance, and an outstanding one by Rod Steiger, overcome some noteworthy flaws to make In The Heat of the Night an absorbing contemporary murder drama.
The cleverness of Silliphant's script is in combining the investigation of a murder with a message film.
Rod Steiger delivers an engaging performance as a bigoted police chief who comes to trust a strong black homicide detective.
Norman Jewison's drama is a message film in the guise of a small-town murder mystery, propagating interracial friendship between blacks and whites.
Oozes sufficient Southern sweat and features enough admirably crumpled character faces to make up for its over-strident liberal rhetoric.
A film that has the look and sound of actuality and the pounding pulse of truth.
Age hasn't done much for Norman Jewison's In the Heat of the Night.
Latest News for In the Heat of the Night
June 22, 2007:
AFI Announces Top 100 Movies of All Time ... Again
Ten years ago the AFI gave us a list of the Top 100 American Films Ever Made -- and when that was done they churned out 15 other lists every few years. And then last night they... More...
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