In the heat of the night

"They call me Mr. Tibbs", why those words pack so much power I don't know but they just do. Those words can be found in Norman Jewison's Oscar winning creation from 1967 called "In the heat of the night." So is this movie a classic well I say, I reckon ya'll. This movie has bad unbelievable plot twists right from the beginning that go all the way to the end but none of that matters. What does matter is what was at the heart of this movie, the acting and the message. This movie came about at a time when overt racism was still prevalent in southern culture. This movie shows us every stereotype associated with this blemish on American history, including cotton picking on the plantation and lawn jockeys, the only possible exception is the absence of white hooded KKK members though they are there just not in robes. Why this movie works is not the plot which is about solving a murder, but the struggles of both blacks and whites to get past racism following the civil rights movement. In this regard it not only works but deserves to be called a classic because of what people, who are growing up now in America with a mixed race President, can take from a time not too long ago when things were much different in this country. The acting especially by Rod Steiger is phenomenal, and he was rewarded with the academy award for best acting that year. So if you get the chance check out this flick, unless you can't get past the obvious plot flaws it is a great viewing experience.