Introduction
Welcome to by corner! Last week, I shared eight more of Aesop's shortest fables. This week, I'm sharing my thoughts on the films In the Heat of the Night and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.
I decided that it would be a good idea to go back to the Turner Classic Movies (TCM) TV channel for my next few movie review columns. The movies TCM plays I'm often interested in but haven't actually seen. For February, TCM's schedule is running from February 1 to March 3. All of the movies played in that time will either by Oscar nominees or winners. I thought that was pretty cool!
So without Further ado: Enjoy!
In the Heat of the Night
In the Heat of the Night is a 1967 American mystery drama film directed by Norman Jewison, produced by Walter Miresch, and starring Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger. It tells the story of Virgil Tibbs (Poitier), a Black police detective from Philadelphia, who becomes embroiled in a murder investigation in a small town in Mississippi. The film was adapted by Stirling Silliphant from John Ball's 1965 novel of the same name.
At the 40th Academy Awards the film was nominated for seven Oscars, winning five, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actor for Rod Steiger. Quincy Jones' score, featuring a title song performed by Ray Charles, was nominated for a Grammy Award.
Plot: African-American Philadelphia police detective Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) is arrested on suspicion of murder by Bill Gillespie (Rod Steiger), the racist police chief of tiny Sparta, Mississippi. After Tibbs proves not only on his own innocence but that of another man, he joins forces with Gillespie to track down the real killer. Their investigation takes them through every social level of the town, with Tibbs making enemies as well as unlikely friends as he hunts for the truth.
Acting: There was no problem with the main cast of actors. They were excellent. Some of the minor characters were slightly overacted in my opinion, but nothing outrageous.
Technical Aspects: In the Heat of the Night is important for being the first major Hollywood film in color that was lit with proper consideration for a Black person.
That's pretty cool! Not something I ever thought about before, how lighting would affect individual actors. It's nice to know that the director thought of this and put it into practice.
Themes: The theme of this movie is primarily racism.
A dea man is discovered and the police arrest the first black man they can find. Even after discovering he is a police detective, the police and the rest of the town treat him poorly, threaten to chase him out, beat him or even kill him.
It's unfortunate to say and admit, but events like this were considered normal at the time. And, as much as I'd like to say we live in a better time now, there are still places and people today like the ones portrayed in the movie.
Evaluation: Although cop/action movies aren't generally my cup of tea, I did like this movie. I also though it was important that I watch it. Also a good movie to watch for Black History Month!
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is a 1954 American musical film, directed by Stanley Donen, with music by Gene de Paul, lyrics by Johnny Mercer and choreography by Michael Kidd. The screenplay, by Albert Hackett, Frances Goodrich and Dorothy Kingsley, is based on the short story "The Sobbin' Women" by Stephen Vincent Benét which was based in turn on the ancient Roman legend of the Rape of the Sabine Women.
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers won the Academy Award for Best Scoring of a Musical Picture and was nominated for four additional awards, including Best Picture.
Plot: During the 1850s, Milly (Jane Powell), a pretty young cook, marries Adam (Howard Keel), a grizzled woodsman, after a brief courtship. When the two return to Adam's farm, Milly is shocked to meet his six ill-mannered brothers, all of whom live in his cabin. She promptly begins teaching the brothers proper behavior, and most importantly, how to court a woman. But, after the brothers kidnap six local girls during a town barn-raising, a group of indignant villagers tries to track them down.
Acting: Nothing to complain about.
Technical Aspects: The soundtrack was amazing! So many catchy tunes that will be stuck in my head even though I don't know the words.
Themes: Family, marriage, love and gender roles. For a film set in the 1850s, and filmed in the 1950s, this movie is surprisingly very progressive regarding women and their roles in the family and marriage. Women can do more than keep house and raise children. Similarly, marriage isn't just saying their vows and live happily ever after. Work and effort need to be put in to get any favorable result.
Evaluation: I enjoyed this movie quite a bit, and I'll probably watch it again. I'll definitely buy the soundtrack. However, there were parts of this movie that didn't age well and therefore made me cringe unbearably.
Kidnapping women and holding them hostage for hopeful marriage after only meeting them once is NOT okay and is in fact NOT romantic. (Though they do learn their lesson.) I had a huge problem with that part of the movie. Love in general is a very thin topic in this movie. Most of the relationships are born out of love at first sight, which is fine, but not realistic. The couples didn't really make me believe they were actually in love, just married.
That's it for this week! What were your thoughts? Feel free to share them with us! You can call us, email us, visit us at the office, leave us a comment or message on Facebook, or even mail us something. Keep the comments, suggestions, questions, submissions, etc. coming our way! We'd love to hear from you!
