{"id":5809,"date":"2010-02-16T15:37:20","date_gmt":"2010-02-16T22:37:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.allouttabubblegum.com\/main\/?p=5809"},"modified":"2010-02-16T15:37:20","modified_gmt":"2010-02-16T22:37:20","slug":"right-vs-racism-and-lots-of-coca-cola","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/allouttabubblegum.com\/new-home\/right-vs-racism-and-lots-of-coca-cola\/","title":{"rendered":"Right vs. Racism …And lots of Coca-Cola"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"intheheatofthenight\"<\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

[THE CHALK-OUTLINE]<\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

In The Heat Of The Night (1967): Breakdown by Kain424<\/span><\/h3>\n

A black Northern detective helps a white Southern police chief solve a homicide.<\/p>\n

[THE EXECUTION]<\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

While many movies were made featuring racial issues and black protagonists in the 60s and 70s, perhaps none were so critically accepted as In The Heat Of The Night<\/strong>.\u00a0 Featuring Academy Award winning black actor Sidney Poitier and two-time Academy Award nominee Rod Steiger, the film contains a powerhouse of acting talent from the era, with small roles also given to Warren Oates and Lee Grant.<\/p>\n

\"Don't<\/p>\n

That being said, it’s surprising how much everyone other than Rod Steiger underplays everything.\u00a0 Poitier plays his role as straight as possible, a living metaphor for the very opposite of so many black stereotypes.\u00a0 He almost never gives in to his emotions, and when he does it’s just another glimpse at a real human character.\u00a0 Steiger offsets his co-star by playing the role of a racially challenged police chief with an ever-increasing aggressiveness.\u00a0 He has his own faults (of which, ethnocentrism is the most prominent), but is allowed to grow as a person and learn to admire the black detective in his white town.<\/p>\n

While the motive for the characters’s crossroads is the scene of a murder, the movie is really about racial integration and equality.\u00a0 Detective Tibbs is arrested and treated with apprehension because he is black.\u00a0 Chief Gillespie must overcome his prejudices in order to accept the help of this outsider.\u00a0 Things are only worsened because of Gillespie’s jump-to-conclusions demeanor and general lack of talent or skill.\u00a0 He sees the intelligent and methodical Tibbs not just as a threat to the town’s unsaid segregation policies, but to his pride as an authority figure as well.<\/p>\n

\"Not<\/p>\n

The two actors work their craft well, emphasizing Sidney Poitier’s quiet performance with Rod Steiger’s shouting and nervous chewing of gum.\u00a0 But it’s with the two characters’ body language that the film really excels.\u00a0 The two sit together in the same shots several times, but often facing away from one another.\u00a0 As they bond, the two begin looking more relaxed together and MISTER Tibbs is even seen sharing a moment in Gillespie’s home.\u00a0 The film shows the beginnings of the buddy-cop genre, and pre-dates the black cop\/white cop combo of Lethal Weapon<\/a> by two decades.\u00a0 I wouldn’t call it a buddy-cop movie, but the themes and many of the moments are definitely there.<\/p>\n

\"Four<\/p>\n

The Action is all very tame, with the sole car chase of the film not amounting to anything better than a dented fender and a foot race.\u00a0 The one fight scene (which immediately follows the car chase) is less an actual battle than a stand-off.\u00a0 Guns are drawn, shots are fired, but only a couple people die in the entire film.\u00a0 So I wouldn’t call what happens a gun fight, but the tension is there.<\/p>\n

\"ALWAYS<\/p>\n

On a side note, either Coca-Cola funded this film’s production or they’re trying some sort of metaphor about white people and dark-colored drinks.\u00a0 Not sure what’s going here.\u00a0 Aside from the constant barrage of Coke logos and Coke drinking characters (seriously, it’s a lot!<\/em>), the score by Quincy Jones is quite memorable.\u00a0 While the themes of racial equality and doing away with stereotypes would be all but jettisoned by the blaxploitation genre, the funktastic score style would be fully embraced.\u00a0 The opening song, sung by Ray Charles, is particularly noteworthy.<\/p>\n

All in all, In The Heat Of The Night<\/strong> is decent movie, if a little slow.\u00a0 The racism prevalent in the film is still striking and the acting is naturally great.\u00a0 There are some memorable lines and Steiger actually won the Oscar for his portrayal of the chief.\u00a0 Is it worth the hype?\u00a0 Maybe a little.\u00a0 I guess I’d say to check it out.<\/p>\n

[HOW BAD-ASS ARE THE MAIN CHARACTERS?]<\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"Sidney\"<\/p>\n

Sidney Poitier is Detective Virgil Tibbs<\/span><\/h3>\n

Tibbs is pulled into a murder case by way of circumstance, and as such is at first more than a little reluctant to help out the racist southern police force of Sparta, Mississippi.\u00a0 His need to prove himself to the whites and then, later, his need to simply do the right thing eventually bring him to solve the case.<\/p>\n

Tibbs is intelligent, methodical, collected, but has something to prove.\u00a0 He can be sociable when he wants, but resents his situation.\u00a0 He is the driving force in the investigation, but only when he is able to overcome his own emotions can he see the truth.<\/p>\n

\"Rod\"<\/p>\n

Rod Steiger is Chief Bill Gillespie<\/span><\/h3>\n

Quick to make foregone conclusions and ride them to embarrassing lengths, Gillespie is an aggravated emotional animal.\u00a0 Pressured by outside forces, he is also reluctant to have Tibbs assist in the murder investigation.\u00a0 Gillespie is ultimately an outsider even in the town he presides over.\u00a0 He lives a lonely life, drinking himself to sleep at night and being mocked and disobeyed by the deputies under him.<\/p>\n

Still, despite the lack of skill needed for his profession, Gillespie understands and recognizes his weaknesses as an officer and as a mortal man.\u00a0 He speaks bluntly and to a purpose, even if it isn’t always the right one.\u00a0 He is able to overcome his unsympathetic behavior and learns to admire, rather than fear, the black detective in his white town.<\/p>\n

[THE BODY COUNT: 2]<\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"Cool<\/p>\n

Pretty scant here.\u00a0 We see a body at the start of the movie, a man gets shot later, and an abortion almost<\/em> happens.\u00a0 The violence is all pretty tame, though.\u00a0 In fact, the most blood we see is on a small character’s elbow.<\/p>\n

[MOST SATISFYING ASS-KICKING]<\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

While not really an ass-kicking in the traditional sense, the moment when Virgil returns the racist rich man, Mr. Endicott’s bitch slap is pretty damn satisfying.\u00a0 Endicott turns a conversation about flowers into an awkward rambling about blacks and their need to be taken care of. Naturally this angers Virgil Tibbs, who insinuates that Endicott may be the murderer they are looking for.\u00a0 This show of disrespect causes Endicott to make a meeting for Tibbs’ face with the back of his hand.<\/p>\n

\"Tibbslap\"<\/p>\n

Tibbs immediately returns the gesture, and Endicott begins weeping like a bitch as Tibbs leaves the scene.<\/p>\n

[DUDESWEAT AND MACHISMO]<\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Two male characters share a jail cell together and nothing happens.\u00a0 Oh well, it was the 60s.<\/p>\n

[EXPLOITATION AND MISOGYNY]<\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Though the focus of the movie is entirely on racism, they still make time to show an ill-educated girl of 16 tease her neighbors with some naked night-time strolling around her house. And later, the young lass’s underaged womb becomes a central part to the ensuing investigation of murder, lies and deceit.<\/p>\n

\"Coke<\/p>\n

Plus, she’s a Coke whore.<\/p>\n

[EPIC MOMENT AND BEST ONE-LINER]<\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

EP-M: The Realization<\/span><\/h3>\n

Gillespie finds Tibbs in the field where Colbert’s factory is to be built.\u00a0 Gillespie is still certain the killer is his deputy, Sam, but Tibbs thinks otherwise.\u00a0 The chief has the motive (money) and thinks Sam drove his police cruiser up to the field, clubbed Colbert in the head, then drove the victim’s own car back to town and dumped the body in the street.\u00a0 But Tibbs tells him he has the wrong man.\u00a0 When Gillespie asks Virgil what makes him so sure, Tibbs drives a hole right through the chief’s theory, blunt in its implications and clear in its obviousness:<\/p>\n

“Sam couldn’t have driven two cars!”<\/strong><\/p>\n

For the final time, Tibbs proves Bill Gillespie wrong.\u00a0 But for the first time, removed from his office and political pressures, the chief understands and begins to respect the black detective.<\/p>\n

THE LINE<\/span><\/h3>\n

Gillespie, after having been proven wrong by the evidence provided by Tibbs for the innocence of a suspect, takes the opportunity to insult the wounder of his pride.<\/p>\n

Gillespie:<\/span> <\/span>“Virgil, that’s a funny name for a nigger boy to come from Philadelphia. What do they call you up there?”<\/h3>\n

\"They<\/p>\n

“They call me MISTER Tibbs!”<\/span><\/h2>\n

[THE MORAL OF THE STORY]<\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"Ebony<\/p>\n

To clearly see the truth, one must first overcome their prejudices.<\/p>\n

[THE CHECKLIST: 10 outta 25]<\/span><\/h2>\n

[\u00a0 ] Athlete(s) Turned \u201cActor\u201d
\n[\u00a0 ] Clinging To The Outside Of A Moving Vehicle
\n[\u00a0 ] Crotch Attack
\n[X] Dialogue Telling Us How Bad-Ass The Main Character(s) Is\/Are
\n[\u00a0 ] Ending Featuring An Ambulance, A Blanket or A Towel
\n[X] Factory\/Warehouse
\n[\u00a0 ] Giant Explosion(s)
\n[\u00a0 ] Heavy Artillery
\n[X] Improvised Weapon(s)
\n[\u00a0 ] Macho Mode(s) Of Transportation
\n[X] Main Character Sports Facial Accessory(s) [Steiger’s cop sunglasses]
\n[\u00a0 ] Manly Embrace(s)
\n[\u00a0 ] Notorious Stunt-Man Sighting
\n[\u00a0 ] Passage(s) Of Time Via Montage
\n[X] Politically Fueled Plot Point(s)
\n[\u00a0 ] Senseless Destruction Of Property
\n[\u00a0 ] Shoot Out(s) and\/or Sword Fight(s)
\n[\u00a0 ] Slow-Motion Finishing Move(s)\/Death(s)
\n[X] Stupid Authoritative Figure(s)
\n[X] Substance Usage and\/or Abuse
\n[\u00a0 ] Tis The Season
\n[\u00a0 ] Torture Sequence(s)
\n[X] Unnecessary Sequel [They Call Me MISTER Tibbs!]
\n[X] Vehicle Chase(s)
\n[X] Vigilante Justice<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"In
\n<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[THE CHALK-OUTLINE] In The Heat Of The Night (1967): Breakdown by Kain424 A black Northern detective helps a white Southern police chief solve a homicide. [THE EXECUTION] While many movies were made featuring racial issues and black protagonists in the 60s and 70s, perhaps none were so critically accepted as In The Heat Of The … Read moreRight vs. Racism …And lots of Coca-Cola<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[1411,1515,2049],"class_list":["post-5809","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews","tag-rod-steiger","tag-sidney-poitier","tag-warren-oates"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/allouttabubblegum.com\/new-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5809","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/allouttabubblegum.com\/new-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/allouttabubblegum.com\/new-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/allouttabubblegum.com\/new-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/allouttabubblegum.com\/new-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5809"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/allouttabubblegum.com\/new-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5809\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/allouttabubblegum.com\/new-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5809"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/allouttabubblegum.com\/new-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5809"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/allouttabubblegum.com\/new-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5809"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}