In the Heat of the Night Reaction



 "In the Heat of the Night" is one of the most intense films I've watched for school. Virgil Tibbs in this movie does a lot for the black community, because he completely shatters every single racist stereotype about Black intelligence. His smarts and his way about doing things feels in a revolutionary for its time period, because he does what the white folks can't do and is obviously needed by them. 

The film drops you right into a tense part of Mississippi where racial tensions are thick. Tibbs gets pulled into a murder investigation that nobody expects him to solve.  But from the moment that we meet his character it's clear he's not just an average character. From the jump we see that he has a lot of intellectual brilliance that completely upends the racist expectations around him.

What caught me by surprise the most is how Tibbs uses his intelligence as a form of resistance. It's not just about solving the murder. It's about proving that Black professionals are not just capable, but also talented.  His talents and smarts are a weapon in and of its own. Every observation is like a punch against the systemic racism of the time. The local cops, especially Chief Gillespie keeps trying to dismiss  Tibbs. He still refuses to be anything less than professional and smart, even after the disrespect he's given.

My favorite scene was probably when Tibbs smacks the plantation owner. When the white plantation owner tries to intimidate Tibbs, he slaps him, but Tibbs immediately slaps him back. Then the plantation owner tried to act like a victim and make the chief take action on Tibbs.  Tibbs' response was not just a physical response, but it was also a powerful statement. Tibbs is saying that he won't be treated as anything less than a full human being and especially treated as an equal. 

The relationship between Tibbs and Gillespie is interesting. They start out as complete opposites. Tibbs is the smart detective, and Gillespie is the small town cop. As time goes on, we see the chief end up building this respect for Tibbs. This built up respect is important because it helps show that this respect can be possible to have for the black folk. It's like his smarts becomes this symbol that can break down racial barriers.



What makes the film so powerful is how it portrays Black intelligence not just as individual brilliance, but as a form of general resistance. Tibbs isn't just solving a murder. Tibbs is also challenging an entire system that's designed to keep Black people underestimated. Tibbs does a lot to show what the possibilites are for black people if they are able to be taken seriously in the professional field. 

For a film made in 1967, In the Heat of the Night feels ahead of its time. It was way ahead of its time in showing a Black protagonist who is not just intelligent, but definitively smarter than everyone else in the room. Tibbs represents Black excellence that refuses to be silenced.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2nd EOTO Reaction

Image
 Our 2nd each one teach one ended up including the on South Carolina's secession. The whole backstory of how this state became the center of racial tension and economic inequality is deep.   Basically from day one, South Carolina was built on this horrifying economic model where enslaved Africans weren't just workers. Slaves were literally  the entire economic foundation. By 1730, two-thirds of the colony was Black, but they had zero power. These white settlers created this system where human beings were literally just considered property.  Their entire  success depended on completely destroying human lives in a sense. The economic model was so deeply twisted that losing slavery would basically collapse their entire social structure. Plantation owners weren't just wealthy. Plantation owners were essentially a ruling class that had constructed an entire society around the exploitation of slaves, which at the time was legal. Every single aspect of their economy fr...
Read more

First African Americans in Senate/House

Image
  John Willis Menard and Joseph Hayne Rainey made significant strides in the history of African American political representation in the United States. They both confronted racial barriers and set precedents in Congress. Menard was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1868 by winning 64% of the vote but he was yet was ultimately denied his seat by the House Committee. That vote ended up being 130 to 57 against seating him.  This decision was heavily influenced by his race ( which was obvious but not publicly stated for other obvious reasons ) , this highlighted the deeply rooted discrimination African Americans faced even when they were legitimately elected to office. Even on some of the highest platforms, the professionalism of the black folk was still being questioned, which was extremely concerning during this time period. Menard’s case exposed the racial prejudices within the government and highlighted the challenges Black politicians would continue to face. Jos...
Read more

Board of Regents v. Bakke Reaction

Image
 So today we were given the opportunity to get some insight from the trial about the Bakke case, and all together both sides brought a good argument to their table and defended their ideals and reasonings behind them.  I've never really thought deeply about affirmative action before, but this mock trial totally changed my perspective. The case basically came down to this white guy ( Alan Bakke ) who was mad about the University of California Medical School reserving 16 spots out of 100 for minority students. He argued this was reverse discrimination.  His point seems to make sense but at the same time confuses me a little bit. Reserving spots for minority seems to be a great case for equality and really making sure that certain people of color or other races who might not have as much opportunity as the white folk, get included. But at the same time, reserving those 16 spots leaves only 84 open spots for white people to be able to be accepted. Better applicants might be l...
Read more