In the Heat of The Night: Analysis Blog
The film lied to that prediction because in the movie they did live separate from another but by being separate it did not equal a utopia. It rather showed the opposite which was creating a more segregated society.
The concept of "separate but equal" did not work out for the people of Sparta because Black people were still constantly faced with discrimination, suspicion, and disrespect. The system was designed to help people like Virgil Tibbs but as seen in the movie he was still faced with racism even as a police officer.
In the Heat of The Night Picture
Fighting the System
You fight an entire racist system when you're just one person by sticking up for yourself just as Virgil Tibbs did. The famous scene where he slaps Eric Edicott shows that he is not afraid of white people and even if there were consequences by doing it. It represents the power imbalance in that era.
The Evolving Friendship
The evolving friendship between Tibbs and Chief Gillespie grew enormously throughout the film. It changed overtime because Chief Gillespie saw that Tibbs was very useful to solving the case. It showed that he was a good detective regardless of his race which Chief Gillespie didn't believe at first.
Their relationship reflects the changes in the broader society that were under way at that time because people were still racist even though African Americans were granted their freedom with the 13th amendment.
Personal Reflection
When looking back on the movie, it left me in an up-positive feeling. It brought me joy seeing that Tibbs and Chief Gillespie put their differences aside and worked together. I loved seeing the on-going friendship that they built throughout the movie.
Women in the Jim Crow South
Women in the Jim Crow South were treated differently. Black women were still being raced with racism meanwhile, white women had privileges that black women didn't but they did have limited rights. Women were still seen as housekeepers and useful to staying home with the children.
Mrs. Colbert, Delores Purdy and Mamma Caleba didn't strike me as being separate but equal. Mrs. Colbert had the most privilege and protection as a white woman. She was given respect by the police and her grief was prioritized. Delores Purdy had some privilege that protected her from the worst treatment. Mama Caleba had no social standing. She was at the bottom of the pyramid where she had no protection against any harm.
The Symbolic Slap Scene
The scene in the nursery where Mr. Endicott getting slapped was a pivotal moment that represented that the old south was gone. When Tibbs slapped him back it broke Endicott's view of Blacks having authority over him. This is pivotal symbolically because Endicott represents the old south and what they believed in. On the other hand Tibbs represents the freedom of Black's. He started crying not just because of the physical shock that went through his body but also the collapse of a man that once had authority over Black's that had just fallen apart.
Reproductive Rights
Women were forced to deal with the issue that has come to be called "reproductive rights" in this era very differently. Mrs. Colbert could easily access medical care because of her connections and money from her husband. Delores Purdy was faced with illegal procedures and limited birth control. Mama Caleba had no help in anything, she had no resources and was very vulnerable.
White Men and the System
In a system that is supposed to be protecting the privileged white men in society, they did not strike me as privileged because they were being constantly accused of murder. Sam was put into immediate suspicion because he went a different route than he normally does. This caused the chief to immediately think he was suspicious. Harvey faced immediate suspicion and arrest just because he escaped prison. Ralph the real murderer was never suspected because he was a normal working class nobody.
Source: I used Claude.AI to help me organize my blog
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