In the Heat of the Night

"In the Heat of the Night" is a 1967 American mystery drama directed by Norman Jewison. Set in the south, which was very racially separated at the time, the movie follows an African American detective while he investigates a murder in a small Mississippi town. 

The movie powerfully demonstrates the harsh realities of the "separate but equal" doctrine held up in the Supreme Court's decision in Plessy vs. Ferguson. Depicting a racially divided society in Sparta, Mississippi, the movie exemplifies the meaning behind "separate but equal," which is an unequal and unjust world. The system ends up placing African Americans into a life of violence. Through the racial tensions and treatment of Det. Tibbs, the film debunks the idea that separate facilities can never ever be equal in their quality. 

One of the most vivid indicators of inequality in the Sparta area is the community's treatment of Detective Tibbs. Even though he is an experienced detective, the white residents of the town view him with spitefulness. When he first arrived in town, he is falsely accused of murder simply because of the color of his skin. Right from the bat we are introduced to the failure of the "separate but equal" doctrine because it shows that being African American in a town like Sparta means that you can be presumed guilty regardless of your character. 

There are a great amount of disparities between the communities of African Americans and Whites in Sparta. African Americans are denied equal opportunities as the whites, and are living under a constant threat of violence. Far from a utopia, the doctrine has pushed Black citizens to a lower social and economic status, yet again allowing the white population to have superiority and greater control over what they would call "minorities."

The towns police department is led by Chief Gillespie. Initially, the relationship between Det. Tibbs and Chief Gillespie has a lot of mistrust and suspicion. Gillespie, a white chief of police embodies many of the biases and racist attitudes of a typical small white town. When the two have to come together to work with one another on a murder case, their relationship gradually shifts from resentment to mutual respect.  This comes to recognize the promise of the "separate but equal" doctrine where people finally begin to recognize the humanity of the other race, yet the system of segregation doesn't allow for the same relationships. More so, this relationship symbolizes the potential for understanding change in an ever so stuck up American southern society. 

For the people of Sparta, the term, "separate but equal" means more than segregation, it means a way of life to them; it is the way in which they view African Americans, people of inferiority, people whose lives and rights are at a constant risk of being violated. 

I think looking back on how I viewed this movie, I finally left the room with a positive feeling. While it delved into the painful and uncomfortable truths about racism towards African Americans in the south, there were many points of hope, resilience, and change. One of the most notable things as I mentioned before was the relationship between Gillespie and Tibbs. While they may not have become the best of friends, the progress they make is quite meaningful, and it symbolizes that even a small step is a step forward. So while there are dark points, I left with a bit of optimism, showing how people can grow towards optimism even if it takes a lot of time and is a very small improvement.