Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

In the Heat of the Night Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 30, 2019

Norman Jewison's "In the Heat of the Night" (1967) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; archival audio commentary with Norman Jewison, cinematographer Haskell Wexler, and actors Rod Steiger and Lee Grant; archival interview with Sidney Poitier; exclusive new video interview with Norman Jewison; and more. The release also arrives with an illustrated leaflet featuring an essay by film critic K. Austin Collins, as well as technical credits. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Gonna get that boy

What happens if a group of people spend their lives isolated in a bubble where all they hear is the echo of their own prejudiced voices? They gradually become convinced that the bubble is a replica of the real world that they are a part of, and eventually the bubble’s rules and logic become their credo. The size of this place rarely matters, what does is how strong it is. The more difficult it is to crack it, the more delusional and dangerous its inhabitants usually are.

Norman Jewison’s film In the Heat of the Night is set in the early ‘60s and it is about one such bubble that has found a cozy place to exist somewhere in the heart of Mississippi. It is so small that in it everybody knows everybody by name, and though often some of its inhabitants don’t see each other for months, at any moment they know exactly where to look for their neighbors -- the blacks are on that side, while the whites are on the exact opposite side. It is a simple map to remember, practical too.

But the seemingly perfect bubble is seriously shaken up when on a hot summer night the cold body of a wealthy businessman who has been preparing to open a plant that will provide employment for a large number of people is discovered by a lonely policeman (Warren Oates), and shortly after a ‘colored man’ (Sidney Poitier) from out of town is picked up at the local train station. Police Chief Gillespie (Rod Steiger) quickly goes to work to solve the murder mystery, and then just as quickly concludes that he has all he needs to officially declare that the killer is the man that has been brought to him. However, Gillespie’s theory instantly falls apart when the ‘killer’ pulls out a police badge and then his superior from up North confirms to him that he is in fact one of his best murder investigators. Gillespie then reluctantly begins reevaluating the murder case, and eventually just as reluctantly agrees to use the investigator to help him solve it. Inside the bubble, however, very few people like the idea, and the closer the two men get to the real killer, the more vocal their objections become.

This award-wining film is based on the popular novel by John Ball and exactly like it uses the murder case as a ruse to scorch a bunch of bigots. It plows right through the ugly that defines them and at the end leaves them to drown in their numerous prejudices and hypocrisy. All of this is extremely easy to see and understand.

However, much like Robert Altman’s The Player -- which is another very good film that uses a murder case to expose a much larger and more diverse group of bigots and hypocrites but in a slightly more delicate manner -- the film also mixes the ugly with a decent dose of humor that can make parts of it look quite surreal, and that is where its Achilles’ heel is because it was meant to look legit. For example, even though Steiger won an Oscar for his performance, the mannerisms of his character are so exaggerated that he frequently emerges as a parody figure that was borrowed from an entirely different film. (The macho attitude and especially the awful mumbling with the chewing gum in the segment where the cold body of the businessman is examined, for instance, are so over the top and out of sync that it is flat-out odd that edits were not made). Quite predictably, when much later on the film attempts to make the crucial point that Steiger and Poitier’s characters are more or less the same because they are loners using their work to hide their frustration, and that they are both left with no other choice but to pretend that the racism around them is just another normal fact of life, the comparison looks incredibly suspicious.

Thankfully, some of the supporting actors manage to look a lot more authentic. Oates, who was born and raised in Kentucky, pretty much nails that classic Southern laid-back attitude, though when Steiger starts confronting him he too begins exaggerating some of the immediate reactions of his deputy.

The soundtrack that Quincy Jones created is very interesting. Instead of simply enhancing the existing atmosphere, the music actually tries to do all sorts of neat things to produce contrasts that bring in new energy. During the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, in Europe plenty of composers did something very similar when they scored various genre films. (Listen to Ennio Morricone’s soundtrack for Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion, and Bruno Madena’s soundtrack for Death Laid an Egg). A very fine recording of Ray Charles singing In the Heat of the Night is also heard in the film.

In the Heat of the Night Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Norman Jewison's In the Heat of the Night arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the leaflet that is provided with this Blu-ray release:

"This new digital transfer was created in 4K resolution on a DFT Scanity film scanner from the 35mm original camera negative at Deluxe in Culver City, California. The restoration was undertaken by Park Circus and MGM, with additional restoration performed by the Criterion Collection. The original monaural soundtrack was restored from the 35mm magnetic DME track by the Criterion Collection using Pro Tools and iZotope RX.

Transfer supervisor: Grover Crisp.
Colorist: Sheri Eisenberg/Deluxe, Culver City, CA."

This new release of In the Heat of the Night represents a very substantial upgrade in quality over the first release of the film that MGM produced a few years ago. However, I don't think that this is actually surprising because the previous release was sourced from an older and quite problematic master with plenty of serious issues (sharpening was the most obvious and damaging one). There are a few specific improvements that I would like to highlight. First, depth is vastly superior, and more importantly, some of the biggest improvements are actually during darker footage where now you will be able to see proper delineation and nuances (see screencaptures #5, 7, and 9). On a bigger screen the difference in quality can be so striking that it can lead some viewers to speculate that it is of the type that a proper DVD to Blu-ray upgrade usually reveals. Second, now the visuals have proper and solid density, which together with the lack of compromising digital adjustments ensures an all-around very stable organic appearance. Third, the color grading is outstanding. There are nicely balanced and very healthy primaries, plus excellent ranges of supporting and equally healthy nuances. In terms of overall balance and fluidity the current presentation truly is on an entirely different level, strengthening and preserving native organic qualities that were lost on the old transfer. There are no stability issues. Debris, damage marks, scratches, cuts, stains, and all other distracting age-related imperfections have been completely removed. Excellent restoration. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

In the Heat of the Night Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I think that Quincy Jones' music effortlessly enhances the intended atmosphere and never disturbs the film's native dynamic balance. Basically, it is very easy to identified in the back. The dialog is clear, stable, and very clean. There are no pops, audio dropouts, or distortions to report.

In the Heat of the Night Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - an original trailer for In the Heat of the Night. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

• Norman Jewison - in this new video interview, Norman Jewison recalls how he was given John Ball's novel and his first thoughts on whether it could make a good film, and discusses his work with various cast and crew members during the production of In the Heat of the Night. The interview was conducted exclusively for Criterion in Toronto in 2018. In English, not subtitled. (13 min, 1080p).

• Lee Grant - in this new video interview, actress Lee Grant discusses her blacklisting in Hollywood and how it impacted her acting career as well as her contribution to In the Heat of the Night. Sadly, the interview contains expletives that make parts of it sound like extracts from a political outburst. The interview was conducted exclusively for Criterion in New York in 2018. In English, not subtitled. (15 min, 1080p).

• Sidney Poitier - in this archival video interview, Sidney Poitier recalls how he became involved with In the Heat of the Night and explains it was risky project at the time when it was initiated. The interview was included in the American Film Institute's 100 Years... 100 Cheers television special which originally aired on June 14, 2006. In English, not subtitled. (8 min, 1080i).

• Aram Goudsouzian - in this new video interview, Aram Goudsouzian, chair of the history department the University of Memphis and author of Sidney Poitier: Man, Actor, Icon, discusses the evolution of Sidney Poitier's career and the type of characters that he played and eventually solidified his image as a Hollywood star. The interview was conducted exclusively for Criterion in Memphis, Tennessee, in October 2018. In English, not subtitled. (18 min, 1080p).

• Turning Up the Heat - this archival program takes a closer at the production history of In the Heat of the Night. Included in it are clips from interviews with director Norman Jewison, producer Walter Mirisch, filmmakers John Singleton and Reginald Hudlin, and film historian Patricia King Hanson, amongst others. The program was produced in 2008. In English, not subtitled. (22 min, 1080i).

• Quincy Jones - this archival featurette focuses on Quincy Jones' career and the unique soundtrack that he created for In the Heat of the Night. Included in it are clips from interviews with the Grammy-winning composer, jazz legend Herbie Hancock, and film music historian Jon Burlingame, amongst others. The program was produced in 2008. In English, not subtitled. (13 min, 1080i).

• Audio Commentary - this archival audio commentary features Norman Jewison, cinematographer Haskell Wexler, and actors Rod Steiger and Lee Grant. It was recorded in 2008, and has already appeared on other home video releases of In the Heat of the Night.
  
  1. Into a mystery
  2. Over the top
  3. Separate but equal
  4. Great dance
  5. Lighting
  6. Truthful and honest
  7. Location, location, location
  8. That one moment
  9. So real
  10. Laughter and tears
  11. Big damn responsibility
  12. Connection
  13. Making it believable
  14. Good enough

• Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring an essay by film critic K. Austin Collins, as well as technical credits.

In the Heat of the Night Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Some years ago there were enough creative people in Hollywood that had a genuine connection with real America that allowed them to understand the experiences of ordinary Americans and some recreated them in their films. In the Heat of the Night is a product of this understanding. In case you are wondering, this isn't my opinion. It is actually shared in the archival audio commentary that is included on this release, and I just happen to wholeheartedly agree with it. Of course, times are different now. I think that contemporary Hollywood is actually even worse than the elitist community that Robert Altman depicted in The Player, and that crucial connection between its stars and ordinary Americans that existed in the old days is basically gone now. It is one of the key reasons why in recent years there has been so much public animosity between the two sides. In the Heat of the Night tells a story about a murder case, but it is really about prejudice, the ugliest type of bigotry, and ultimately the refusal to accept that the 'other side' has the right to be... well, right. Think about this. Criterion's release is sourced from a brand new 4K restoration that is an absolute revelation, and I know it will remain the definitive presentation of the film. If you have the previous release that MGM produced a few years ago, do not hesitate to upgrade. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.