Just after the famous scene where Tibbs slaps Endicott back, there is the scene where Tibbs tell Gillespie that he wants to "pull Endicott right down off his hill", and Gillespie challenges Tibbs "you're just like us". We are then shown quite a long shot, to dramatic music, of Tibbs absorbing that comment. For me it's the most dramatic moment in the film because, with sublime paradox, it's also the moment when Gillespie finally recognizes Tibbs as a person that he can relate to as an equal human being. Is it a similar moment for Tibbs? It must have been, because we see a friendship begin to develop between them from that moment. Stupendous movie and so relevant to the USA in 2022.

Rest in peace.... Sidney Poitier will live in our hearts forever!

One of my top five movies! Stupendous performances from Poitier and Steiger, as well as all the other character's parts. Oates as Wood, Wilson as Harvey, Grant as Mrs. Colbert. Superlative acting!

Rod Steiger and Sidney Poitier. Pure brilliance in this and other movies. Sadly they shall not pass this way again.

Well done. I had just revisited the movie, then came upon Rod Steiger's Oscar acceptance speech for his role in it, followed by watching your presentation which appeared out of the blue. In hindsight, it was a fortuitous progression with each phase enriching the previous one. Virgil's rage is enhance by the barely restrained emotions of an otherwise highly controlled individual. He has had a stellar career worthy of high praise.

Besides one of the most iconic lines in film history, ”They call me Mister Tibbs”. I just wanted to point out how Sidney, after the slap, adjusts his jacket ever so slightly and in so doing, rubs Endicott’s nose in the fact that he Tibbs, isn’t taking any shit from anybody no matter what color or how rich you are. Brilliant! I don’t know if it was scripted or an ad-lib but it was epic!

Ti thought that the director captured the facial expression of each actors and actresses so well ,that it drew the audience into their own world. I say that movie was, so brilliant and awesome!

I was 11 when this came out. Saw it with my parents at a drive-in theatre. Loved it immediately and it's been my favourite ever since. We lived in a small city in Ontario, Canada and my dad was the only black in town at the time. Great analysis.

It was really a pleasure and a treat to have you explain and present this great movie..! Very informative and giving us pause and reasons to watch it again with your comments in mind. Thank you.

A quick note that Jester Hairston, who appears as Endicott's butler, was a premier choral composer, arranger and director of his era, as well as a fine actor.

I watched this film yesterday evening and was blown away by it. Your analysis of this film is spot on. Thank you!

Great picture - great in 1967 and great now - I often watch it at home.

I remember seeing it for the first time during the late sixties. It struck me for a very specific reason....our group of friends decided for this film against my better judgement. And when we entered the movie theater while the story unravelled I was overwhelmed by how the plot engaged my imagination beyond my rosiest expectations

You missed the key moment after the slap when Tibbs gets carried away and Steiger says "Boy you're just like the rest of us, aint cha?" - which serves to make the character real, avoid the Guess Who's Coming to Dinner cardboard cut-out

Tears tonight. For the extraordinary Sidney Poitier, an extraordinary man. This the unsurpassed role and story. Thank you for sharing why this film is great.

"Black people run the town"! Great comment! Things that unperpin the movie - further deep than the words on the screenplay!

One thing I want to highlight about the scene with Tibbs and Mrs. Colbert are the layers of storytelling in Poitier's performance. His relationship with this grieving white woman changes so subtly several times, first from the cop doing his due diligence, informing the woman of three distinct pieces of bad news: Your husband is dead, he was killed, we don't know who did it. He's had to do this before and he knows that there's no way to make that information less traumatizing, and that any attempt to do so would be grotesque. Then, as she begins to break down, he offers a shoulder to cry on, then realizes the danger in that gesture, and the rest of the scene is a silent battle in Tibbs's mind between the urge to comfort a fellow human being in unthinkable pain and the knowledge that she holds his life in his hands. It would only take a scream, and the cops in the other room probably wouldn't think twice about shooting him dead. And then when she accepts his gesture of comfort, it's unbelievably cathartic, I teared up when I watched it for the first time. All of that with no dialogue, just Poitier's expressions and body language. It's just a deeply human moment and the thematic core around which the entire movie is built. Amazing film.

Aaron I like the way you explain the movie, from your point of view. Awesome!

Easily the best exploration of Heat that I've seen! Thank You for your thoughtful and revealing treatment; I now MUST buy a copy to watch multiple times! I only wish I could have also seen your observations and thoughts about the music: Ray Charles and Quincy Jones added SO much to the experience, and their music's "Greek Chorus" contribution to that film (not to mention the burgeoning genre) was instantly arresting, literally from the first moment of the film. Well done!!!

An excellent and insightful critique! Very enjoyable!

Likely my favourite film of all time (Besides "Lawrence of Arabia") The Gillespie and Tibbs characters are played outstandingly by Steiger and Poitier in every sense. I still get goose bumps watching the GM&0 EMD E7 Locomotive in the opening credits while Ray Charles croons his heart out.

That slapping scene was all you needed to see to make this movie an all time great. Steiger and Poitier were outstanding propelling them to be in demand for many more.

Great commentary of the movie In the Heat of the Night. RIP 🙏 to legendary actor Sidney Poitier aka Mr Tibbs who has passed away!

Great review thanks. I came across this film yesterday again after 20 years, spectacular acting between Steiger and Pottier.

As a Brit, I watched this film in Cincinnati in 1967 with an Indian friend. A fantastic film and half the audience was stunned. An interesting point for me: after the slap scene, Gillespie responds with "to whom" and if you go back to the beginning of the film Tibbs corrects Gillespie when he says "to who." I am sure in such a carefully crafted film this was making a point that Gillespie was smart and willing to learn even from "the negra." Utterly brilliant in every detail.

Everyone involved with this film, both cast and crew, brought their 'A' game for this one.

I found your channel today... superb! With the death of Sidney Poitier this is very powerful!!

Awesome eye-opening analysis. Merci

Not just the brightness, the focus and angle are tops.

Excellent summary sir. Thank you.

I finally got to see In The Heat of the Night about 3 years back, but alas not in a theatre. After seeing your video, I want to watch it again for all those lovely details that need to be ‘seen’ for greater appreciation of the film. I also agree with you that in comparison to The Graduate or Bonnie and Clyde, good films that they are,, this is more watchable today more than 50 years after its release date. More so in the light of what happened on January 06, 2021.

So I watched the heartbreak kid the other week and was just blown away by it. And I looked up reviews thinking there would be heaps of them.. there really wasn't but I found yours which led me to your rise and fall of Hollywood and i ordered in the heat of the night as you mentioned it a few times .. wow.. just watched it tonight. How cold and angry the whites were like the man at the diner who was just itching to deny him service. Im gonna try to knock out all of these on your list .. thanks for doing these great informative shows.. its really helping me find some great films

Fantastic film, fantastic documentary by you. My favorite scene was at the side of the factory where portier ask somebody so sure about wooden stieger retorts why do you doubt it. A great scene where you realize that yet again that Gillespie just wants what's right that's his underlining motivate he doesn't put his pride first as soon as he realizes that kids has a point he immediately stops and ask him what he wants. It was a very great scene come very complicated men. I enjoyed this film so much and I enjoyed your review so much. Thank you for bringing attention in such an engaging way to this great film. The only film from this director that I didn't really care for was fiddler on the roof I thought it was just flat, I didn't care about the characters and I thought it was very trite not in the direction but just in the whole execution of the film the dialogue, everything I thought was so dull and I was pretty apathetic about everything and everyone in that film by the time it was over I thought I don't care about anyone but me right now hoping this end soon so I can get up and go have a cigarette. I even liked moonstruck despite my dislike for the one-dimensional Cher, who in my opinion should be wearing the same t-shirt that Will Smith wears saying I am overacting I am playing this character I know you don't buy it because I'm so obviously acting I'm so obviously going through the motions and I'm so obviously laying it on so thick that I feel like I'm drowning in maple syrup poured on a half done pancake. But this film was very laid back and it's delivery yet in your face at the same time. The skill aspect in this film was amazing in the making of it by all concern. and I thought the scene in the greenhouse, I thought Henry was the true scenes dealer with his wordless presence and reaction. How about no mention of foul owl on the prowl? A great song, seem to fit perfectly, I heard they wanted Little Red Riding Hood from Sam the sham originally I don't know if that's true or not but it definitely would have been a lesser choice for this film. I love that they cast nobodies besides the two leads I mean by nobody's I mean well you know what I mean. Not big Blockbuster Stars and cameos and things like that. The one thing I thought was really interesting that was the great Marlon Brando playing the murdered man's wife, he can play anything! But seriously I saw an ovary run of the Hollywood squares not too long after I saw this film again on youtube, and Lee Grant was one of the Stars it was from 68 to 69 I don't know, but I've heard different opinions of her but man she was so hot I thought. This film kind of frumped her up a little but like shampoo the movie, I mean she was just sexy as hell. I don't know if she's still living but I saw an infomercial with her not too long ago and I thought oh my God there's Eric stoltz in mask. Lee what did you do what did you do, don't stop trying to age with dignity and you know? I mean her face look like somebody had jammed on the car and skidded for about 30 yards and ripped up the payment and stretched it out so thin and it was starting to look like a scene out of blood on the highway! I could have thought of a lot of better things to do with her at the end of The Omen II besides kill her if I was Damien I would have had some milf fun with my stepmom today before I exploded her into flames. And the girl's brother, the one that got killed in the end, what a name! Purdy, I guess that stood for he was purdy f****** stupid! Anyway, last thing to say here is I loved tips response to the abortion lady when she tried to put him down and said oh why you sell yourself why you working for the man any retorts with do you want to go to jail or not? You could see his disgusting resign about her when all she cared about was not getting busted and he goes sadly no you're not going to get busted keep doing your substandard disgusting lifestyle you'll hang yourself in the end is what his attitude seem to say to me. Anyway will you somebody stop me from droning on here? All right I'll stop myself. I have to go to work anyway. By the way I am a doctor. Yes a real MD doctor. Ouch.

Pretty good review but the only thing you forgot was when the Chief confronted Virgil's own prejudice after the slap that plays a small part in his rage with dealing with the bigots of Sparta. Very well acted by Sidney and Rod.

Brilliant analysis of my favorite film.

The part of the slap scene I like is the sound of Endicott's feet being displaced.

I truly appreciated your analysis, if I may, a profound deconstructing of the film! You've allowed us to probe deeper into this story and recognize its social cultural impact on American society! I have to tell you they're scenes that I have watched maybe 10 times and it still feels new, fresh, as though I am seeing it for the first time! The people on the Plantation are sharecropers, the vestige of slave society! Such a Cultural Powerful Film in an effort to breakdown stereotypes that are prevalent still!

The extra things like the goofball in the diner grooving to “Foul Owl on the Prowl” made me smile. That actually is some song, I think I get it. 😉

Great analysis and i`m only half way through. So many beautiful details in this film i already picked up on first sight when i was 12 or 13 ... Thank you so much for emphasizing these wonderful moments to todays audience.

My all time favorite film! It really took balls to make that in 1967!

Such good review. Saw this movie in the seventies and impressed me a lot. Now I have a more complete perspective. Thanks.

Great commentary and I loved how you talked about this movie called In The Heat of the Night. All of these actors were awesome. 👏👏

Excellent reviews and presentation. I saw this movie while serving with the U. S. Air Force in Thailand.

It was a great film and i love it especially it was portrayed by Sidney Poitier and how the movie was made. It was only at this time that i

One of the top 10 movíès ever made

You are so right will watch it again your insight is grand

very good review..you covered the movie deeply..great movie

Just found you. Great video! Really well done. Subscribed on first view of one of your posts. First time I did that. ;) I will recommend you to my friends and every film buff I know. Again, thank you.

I just now discovered Aaron Hunter! He is one of the best movie critics I have ever watched and listened to!

This film is in the top 10 as the greatest film of All Time right behind two other standout pictures, The Godfather and On the Waterfront!!!!!

Very insightful, thank you.

I applaud and appreciate your efforts! I'm watching ItHotN on Pluto now, and as Stieger drove through the town, I saw what I thought could have been a Dollar General sign on a storefront. A google of shooting locations brought me here. Sweet! I LOVE retracing movie scenes, to see the changes. I often wonder "what does that area look like now?" Thanks for the trip! I'm glad the train station survived. And that hand truck, or whatever it's actually called, could very well be the same one. I was hoping the diner had somehow survived. And, I wonder how the mechanic's kids' lives turned out. I saw the movie in the theater in 1967 as an 11 yr old. Its a top 5 film for me. 2 great actors, acting great. And, of course, the social implications.

Great analysis, I just subscribed!👍

brillant analysis!

Beautiful presentation of real thrill of the film

Steiger gave two of the greatest performances in movie history with on the waterfront and In the Heat of the night.

I was 17 when I saw this Movie I happen to be in Port of Spain, Trinidad, WEST Indies ( W. I. ) As The Saying Goes It was The Talk of The Town, a complete Sold oot of every Show. Thank you for your Explanation of the Movie, I Now Have A greater understanding of the Movie, ' In The Heat Of The Night" and Three of My Favourite Actors, Pointier, Stieger, Oates, Dead in Body Alive in Spirit. Thanks KZfaq GREAT Job Also The Narator. 5 🌟☮️.

This was a great analysis of the Heat of the Night. The Bowtie Professor!

A Beautiful movie

great stuff, enjoyed that

Fantastic review and excellent in depth analysis 👏👍👌😀🙌 from Pakistan

amazing movie, great script, and Sidney is perfect in this

Well done

11:17 What a scene ! Aaron tries to explain the scene.

Great analysis Aaron ... thoroughly enjoyed this. Please do Cool Hand Luke from the same year!

Great review

I was born in 68. By the time I saw this film as an early adolescence, I expected Sidney's character to slap back. Not surprising to me , it was expected.

Thank you!

Great analysis. One of my top five films. As much as I enjoyed Bonnie and Clyde and also The Graduate they can't compare with In The Heat of the Night. Also Steiger deserved the Oscar for this performance but looking back I cannot understand why Poitier was not nominated for his performance. Warren Beatty ( Bonnie and Clyde ) and Paul Newman ( Cool Hand Luke ), both fine actors, were nominated. Poitier's performance in this film surpasses both of them.

This may have been noted somewhere earlier in the comments (I apologize if I missed it). George C. Scott was originally approached for the roll of Chief Gillespie.

Very interesting.

Good review. I agree with everything you said. But apart the racial, political and cultural aspects that this movie so compelling explores, I found many other very interesting moments which I would have liked examined. On top of everything, the fact that in the first few minutes the Maestro Norman Jewison gives the audience an important clue......I don't want to spoil it for whoever hasn't seen the film yet. Love & Peace.

Probably one of my all time favorite movies.

Great Film. Thumbs Up!

I actually saw this film at the time of its release in UK…. It was very very powerful then… and thought provoking… and realistically harsh in its treatment of prejudice and openly ‘brutal’ language used by people against the black American community .Another great film made by those who wanted to challenge the inhumanity of humans to each other!!..Both Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger were magnificent in their portrayals ….It made a very lasting impression on me…which I have never forgotten, despite never having seen it since then!!…👏👏👏….Sue (UK)

Thank you for your excellent and very detailed review. To this day I find this film deeply upsetting, for it's immediate reaction of contempt to a black man, classifying and suspecting him entirely because he is black - frankly it sickens me. And it's a triumph of Sidney Poitiers and Rod Strigers acting that you believe at the end that they have come to some kind of mutual respect and understanding. There have been so many films since, some truly unbearable, about the attitude to black people in the Southern States of America, but I think this film will always be remrmbered and always be a classic. Sidney Poitier moves through it like a great dancer, judging every step.

Another point to remember about lighting is that camera technology was not always the same state as when this film was made. The science/art of lighting for a film has progressed as the resolution and colorization of filming has occurred. So it's not just so cut and dry that no one cared to properly light people according to their skin complexion. Part of it is also it doesn't matter so much if you're filming in a lower resolution for both shading and color.

I remember watching this movie in the 70's with my parents and brothers and sisters. I really thought that Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger did and awesome job portraying these characters in this movie. It's really sad that when people don't get along with one another it always causes problems. But' I must say this is one of my favorite movies of all times.

Well presented and commentated. I was particularly struck when you pointed out that the blacks ran the town. In that, I found you to be very insightful and honest in verbalizing what I'm sure would have had you ostracized, if not beeten up. 😅😅

Well well done.

I agree that, in the scene between Lee Grant and Sidney, there is all that fraught racial context. However, something else fascinating is that the brilliant Lee Grant shows us that she doesn't initially want Sidney to touch her NOT because he is black, but because she is in shock. And when she does take his hand.... beautiful and powerful moment.

A true masterpiece with amazing actors 👏

Imo it's just a brilliant stroke of writing, directing, a strong and compelling story and certainly pitch perfect casting. Great acting by Sidney and Rod in that moment. However the tv show from the 80's with Carroll O'Conner and Howard Rollins was even better and they somehow improved on the characters of Tibbs and Gillespie over Poitier and Steiger which you'd think was impossible. Anyway, Sidney was robbed of the Oscar for his role of Virgil Tibbs. R.I.P. to a true legend..

i put on this thinking it was a 80s movie it took me a good hour to be shocked about the realease date

The best seen is when the "slap" happens. Take notice of the Black waiter with the Lemonade in the seen

Excellent job reviewing Heat of the Night. I didn't realize how important lighting for Poitier was until you explained. That Slap of Plantation Owners face was release 300 years of abuse, torture and brutally against Black people. It was a powerful symbol that blacks not going take abuse anymore.

Even the minor characters in this movie are captivating and have some depth. The deputies who are all prejudice can’t help but acknowledge Virgil’s theories and do 3:40 so in an entertaining fashion.

My all time favourite!!!

Very nice. Great movie, well narrated. You are right to appreciate this on all points, absolutely: lovely movie, music, brilliant acting, direction. A real standout in every way, far more exciting than The Graduate and B & C, you are right. I agree too that the film lives on in every way. That is pure lefty bunk that the film lacks force or nerve. Name me one film that has more. This one just vibrates but it is possible that you had to have been there. Maybe the young don't get it. I grew up right there and I know. If a black guy walked with his white girl friend back then, they stood a chance of being shot. It was nervy of them to make this film, with a tall beautiful black man outwitting the fat slob sheriff...geez, Poitier was Obama, only 40 years early. It was electric. And, of course, Steiger was fabulous.

For those not knowing history, this movie was and is a good representation of those times. Now those with inquiring minds need to do some research.

It seemed apparent to me that Gillespie definitely wanted Tibbs’ help in solving the murder early on in the film. After the phone call to the Philadelphia police chief, Gillespie is dropping strong hints to Tibbs that he respects his apparent professional aptitude, asking him to look at the body because “I am (Gillespie) not an expert …. officer”

Thank you so much that was a very enjoyable 29:22✌️

This one of my favorite movies it was funny that I went back to watch this movie again after many many years after seeing the movie The Green Book. I found it had the same message just that The Green Book was a look back at time but In The Heat Of The Night was set up in the present time and maybe the white people of The States didn't want to see the message.

Oscar could have gone to Poitier or Steiger, both performances were outstandíng

Best line " because Im not an expert, Officer

Thank you so much, Mr. Hunter, you did a great job on analyzing the film ! I am not an American but I used to live there from 1993 to 2013.

When I was little I was so happy when Mr. Tibbs hit him back - it was justice. A former abused child.

Almost everyone misses the true point-CLASSISM not racism.

THANK YOU! I really enjoyed listening to you analyse this fantastic film! May I be so bold as to suggest another film for you to make a video about? It's one of my favourite films and it also won an Oscar. The film is "Women In Love" by Ken Russell (1969). Glenda Jackson won a best actress award for her part in the film. Thank you and keep up the good work!

This is a thorough commentary on a great film ! Here up north even the white people in the theater cheered ; The look on Rod Steiger's face was priceless 🤣🤣