IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT (1967)

* * * *

D: Norman Jewison (Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, Warren Oates, Lee Grant)

PG, C-109m, USA

Best Picture, Best Actor (Steiger)

Tagline: "They got a murder on their hands. They don't know what to do with it."


After being falsely accused of murder, a black detective (Poitier) reluctantly joins forces with a bigoted town sheriff (Steiger) to catch the real killer in small-town Mississippi. What transpires next is a clash of wills.

Yes, the Gillespie character is a bigot, but unlike most of his fellow rednecks, he had the capacity to change. He has a temper, but isn't cruel for the sake of being cruel. He's a product of his environment. I suspect he may have been a KKK member in his youth, but age and being surrounded by idiots might have made him go, "Hmmm..."

Virgil Tibbs (Poitier) is awesome, but even he isn't perfect. Like the other cops, he wants a person to be guilty, simply because he doesn't like them. He's as prejudiced as Gillespie, but more cool-headed, which is a very good thing. His feelings get in the way, which leads to a potentially deadly encounter during an interview with a witness. He can be arrogant, especially to the town residents, simply because his quiet confidence and calm gaze is so unsettling. Sidney Poitier is so perfect here -- dignified, with only a flicker of rage in his eyes. I can't imagine anyone else in the role (there was a brief TV series starring Carrol O'Connor (Archie Bunker) as Bill Gillespie, but I can't remember who played TV Tibbs. Denzel Washington could probably do his own interpretation, but it just wouldn't be the same.

Don't let the dated cars and clothes fool you. Some things have changed for the better, but human nature and bigotry has always been an uneasy partnership. This film works as a police thriller, character study and social commentary.

DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944)

* * * *

D: Billy Wilder (Barbara Stanwyck, Fred McMurray, Edward G. Robinson)

PG, b/w-107m, USA

Tagline: From the Moment They met it was Murder!

How could he know that murder could sometimes smell like honeysuckle?

Based on James M. Cain's 1943 classic novel, this sordid tale of an ice-cold housewife who conspires with an insurance salesman to kill her husband scores on every level. Barbara Stanwyck sets the bar high with her portrayal of a heartless femme fatale. She wasn't conventionally beautiful, but she's so compelling in personality and perverse sensuality ("That's one honey of an ankle bracelet."), that it doesn't matter. No one equals Phyllis Dietrichson, in presence and genuine evil, with a few exceptions (Mattie Walker (Body Heat, 1981), Bridget Gregory (The Last Seduction, 1994).

Perfect film. Even with the silly blonde wig, Stanwyck is the ultimate femme fatale. The dialogue is brilliant: sharp, cutting, and hilarious. McMurray wasn't known for his villain roles (except in The Apartment), but he's completely believable as a smart schemer who underestimates the ones who can really do him damage.

The latter even gives a sly nod to Indemnity's characters' names. E.G. Robinson steals the show as their unwitting nemesis. The script just crackles.

CHARIOTS OF FIRE (1981)

* * 1/2

PG-13, C-124m, UK.

D: Hugh Hudson. Ian Charleson, Ben Cross, Ian Holm, John Gielgud, Dennis Christopher.

Tagline: With Wings on their Heels and Hope in their Hearts

This is a "nice", inoffensive film about two British track athletes competing in the Paris 1924 Olympics. Some people LOVE it for its message of good sportsmanship and standing up for your beliefs. If you're like me, you'll... enjoy some parts (esp. the iconic running on the beach scene), but be bored the rest of the time. There's no real conflict. It's just... nice.

I found the main conflicts of the story to be ordinary and easily resolved. One is that Scotsman Eric Liddell, a devout Catholic minister and

And worst of all, THIS beat Raiders of the Lost Ark for Best Picture?! *sobs* I know, action pictures don't generally win Best Picture, and it's a shame. Raiders is more an action movie - it's a classic. If Raiders couldn't win, then the other contenders would have been a better choice, IMO. Reds was well-made and probably deserved to win. On Golden Pond (maybe - haven't seen it). Atlantic City was good, but not "Best Picture" IMO. Perhaps I would have liked Chariots of Fire better if it hadn't won Best Picture - my expectations were too high, and I was looking for something that wasn't there.

That being said, Chariots of Fire is a polarizing film. Love it or hate it. Make the call.