FILMBRATS - REVIEWS

When the man who planned to build a giant factory turns up murdered in the streets, the police of Sparta, Mississippi are up in arms. They bring in Virgil Tibbs, who was in the small southern town visiting his mother, assuming he committed the crime simply because he’s black. Police Chief Bill Gillespie discovers that Tibbs is a homicide detective up in Philadelphia. Now the two are stuck together, because Mr. Tibbs is assigned to help solve this murder case that the locals are so quick to close.

The key to the film lies in the relationship between the two top cops. Everything follows their line of progression. As their relationship moves from Tibbs and Gillespie to Virgil and Bill, so do the atmosphere and the cinematography. Surprisingly, as the two become more accustomed to one another, the tension within the film increases. For one, the murder puzzle gets more complex and closer to fruition. Also, the overtly racist town gets more and more anxious for this hot shot black detective to git – and if’n he don’, well, then they’s about to fix that thar problem theyselves. Tibbs has no real intention on leaving until the job gets done, however, because his pride is on the line.

Screenwriter Stirling Silliphant (who also worked on the television series “Perry Mason”) adapts John Ball’s novel brilliantly. Not only is the murder mystery interesting, it’d probably be good enough to stand the movie up on its own without the help of the intense characterization. There are plenty of unforeseen events and turns to keep you guessing until the end if you wanted. However, you may be too distracted by the inner workings of the characters. This screenplay is very sharp and couldn’t be executed better. It shows a side of bigotry not often seen: that intolerance does not always equal ignorance. The film is a battle of two egos. Neither lead is completely good, or inherently bad. The culture clash that they experience forces them to revaluate their thinking and sparks a lot of heated exchanges. This is all punctuated by the outstanding acting by Sidney Poitier (Tibbs) and Rod Steiger (Gillespie). Poitier at times seems pretty uncomfortable on screen, which I’d like to attribute to as part of his role rather than an acting misstep. Either way, he doesn’t quite own the part the way Steiger does. Rod shows incredible range and depth full of emotions that get turned on like a light switch. It all just flows out in one of the most incredibly natural performances I’ve seen.

The cinematography by Haskell Wexler (“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”) is nothing short of genius. Immediately in the film, you can see the sharp contrast (read conflict) conveyed in the visuals with harsh rim lights providing the brightest spots on the screen. As the movie progresses, this distinguishable difference between light and dark lessens and we get a more neutral and natural look. The looks and the feels of the scenes vary widely, depending on what’s being depicted. The frantic chase scene with handheld running camerawork smoothly cuts together with the lingering scenes at the station. This is also a credit to editor Hal Ashby who’s impeccable pacing proves that a deathly slow sequence can be not only watchable, but also fascinating.

There are a couple of musical missteps in the form of inappropriate cues and out of place songs, but otherwise the film is near perfect. Director Norman Jewison has assembled a poignant, thought-provoking piece of art that warrants not only watching but analyzing and studying.

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