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In The Heat Of The Night Film Analysis

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The 3 concepts in the film In the Heat of the Night mystery drama are verisimilitude, cinematic language and realism. The director, Norman Jewison, characterizes a realistic verisimilar portrayal through the actors and dialogue, cinematic language which suggests an influence of racial prejudices to the viewer, and a cinematic interest of a film representing realism during the civil rights movement era. In 1964 segregation ended, however, during the filming of In the Heat of the Night segregation and prejudices are apparent and characterized as realism during the time within the film. The verisimilar dialog and character portrayal, for example, is shown in the scene at Compton’s restaurant when Tibbs says he is going into the restaurant with Sam and the waiters makes it clear that he will not serve Tibbs because he is a negro. Subsequently, Tibbs tells Gillespie that he does not think he should go with him to see mama since it is the part of town where he may not feel comfortable. …show more content…

Through dialog, mise-en-scène and other aspects of the film, the sound, and film editing; Jewison creates the Sparta town and the citizens in a realistic way using the characters’ attitudes in Sparta, Mississippi town to the viewer. For example, everyone knows Mama and what she does is illegal abortions. While the film creates a stir in content, through backstory, and the characters, historically it was the civil rights movement era. Moreover, the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, on April 4, 1968, coincides within the same year that the film In the Heat of the Night won 5 academy awards, while the famous slap was delivered to Endicott from

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