In the Heat of the Night - 4K UHD Imprint Films Limited Edition

Third time’s the charm? A mere four months ago, I reviewed the Criterion Collection’s 4K release of In the Heat of the Night. It’s one of my favorite films that I can watch countless times and never tire of. Case in point, when I sat down for this release, I merely meant to sample scenes and do the disc flippies against the Criterion disc for comparison. Well, I didn’t flip the discs. I ended up watching the whole damn movie straight through again, as if I hadn’t seen it a hundred times already. Norman Jewison’s film is just one of those works where if I start it, I’m not stopping. So this review took quite a bit longer than intended because once I did get down to the disc flippies, I almost had the same problem again, replaying favorite sequences and forgetting to change discs. First World Reviewer Problems, I guess. 

As before, I’m going to let Mr. Krauss’ words take it from here. He wrote amazing coverage for three of our previous reviews for this film that I simply can’t top, and would merely repeat most of his talking points already. 

"They call me Mister Tibbs!" stands as one of cinema's most memorable and passionately delivered lines. Yet the power of that immortal retort stems not just from a disrespected character's indignation over racial bigotry. Back in 1967, the words also struck a raw nerve in people all across the country and reflected the ever-strengthening winds of social change. Blacks rarely confronted Southern whites, but the Civil Rights Movement began breaking down barriers, and In the Heat of the Night, a searing indictment of prejudice disguised as a murder mystery, sought to prove achieving common ground was possible and racial harmony might not be such a far-fetched idea after all. Norman Jewison's Oscar-winning film signaled an evolution in U.S. race relations, as blacks began to forcefully assert themselves and stand up to domineering whites who diminished their worth and stole their dignity.

When I reviewed the first Blu-ray edition of In the Heat of the Night five years ago, I waxed poetic about how far we had come as a nation since 1967 and how that progress “significantly diminished” the visceral impact of In the Heat of the Night. Well, sitting here in early 2019, I’m not so sure those words are still true, or if they were ever true at all. Recent events and changing tides have sadly inflamed racial rhetoric and broadened divides, and as a result, Jewison’s film is arguably as relevant and powerful today as it was a half-century ago. 

In a way, I wish it wasn’t. I wish I could categorize In the Heat of the Night as an antiquated period piece or a devastating reminder of a shameful period in our social history. Of course, we’ve come a long way since 1967, but we’ve never quite come far enough. As I wrote in 2014, “this engrossing, meticulously constructed production still strikes a chord because race remains a hot-button issue.” Well, that button is only getting hotter these days.

Perhaps because of its topicality - or maybe in spite of it - In the Heat of the Night won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1967. Racial tensions ran so high during that turbulent period, the movie's star, Sidney Poitier, probably the most renowned African-American in the U.S. after Martin Luther King Jr., refused to shoot the picture on location in Mississippi, for no other reason than it was too dangerous. (Illinois was used instead, although Poitier did reluctantly agree to shoot briefly in Tennessee, so a critical cotton-picking scene could be authentically filmed. Reportedly, he slept with a pistol under his pillow.) Almost from the get-go, Stirling Silliphant's Oscar-winning screenplay depicts that uneasy atmosphere in the fictional community of Sparta, Mississippi, where blacks are under relentless suspicion and dutifully live as marginalized, invisible second-class citizens who fear their white superiors will unfairly target and bully them. 

Virgil Tibbs (Poitier) knows this world well. Though he's a proud, successful, intelligent, and self-assured man, he's aware of the rules and keeps his head down. But after a local businessman is found dead in the street, an overzealous police officer (Warren Oates) discovers Tibbs patiently waiting for a train at the local depot, and, without any evidence other than the color of his skin, accuses him of the crime. When he's brought before the new town sheriff, Bill Gillespie (Rod Steiger), a blustery, gum-chewing bigot who runs his force with an iron hand, Tibbs reveals to everyone's surprise that he's a northerner and - get this - a Philadelphia police detective who was just innocently changing trains at the Sparta station.

After his identity is confirmed, Tibbs, who's also conveniently a homicide expert, is commanded by his Pennsylvania bosses to remain in Sparta and assist in solving the whodunit, much to Gillespie's chagrin. Working with a loud-mouthed, hot-headed, and unapologetically bigoted police chief is distasteful to Tibbs, and Gillespie can barely stomach taking directives from a black "boy" whom he knows is smarter, more polished, and more skilled than he. Yet this odd couple forms a tenuous partnership fraught with periodic head-butting, and as they become more intimately involved, each earns the other's grudging respect.

Though the murder mystery plot (which I found too preciously constructed and mechanically executed) drives In the Heat of the Night, its success hinges on the incendiary chemistry between Poitier and Steiger. The two actors often spar like heavyweight fighters, circling each other in the ring, then pouncing when one lets down his guard. They make quite a pair, but surprisingly their finest scene together isn't the classic “Mr. Tibbs” exchange, but rather an intimate, low-key discussion about loneliness, family, and dedication to a thankless job. Steiger won a Best Actor Oscar for his riveting, no-holds-barred portrayal, yet while he's always fun to watch, too often bombastic histrionics overshadow his performance. Poitier is more restrained, though at times it seems as if the mantle of "America's foremost black actor" weighs him down and lends his work a slight affectation. 

Aside from the "Mister Tibbs" line, Poitier's most memorable and influential moment occurs when he's summarily slapped by an uppity white business magnate during a casual interrogation. Without missing a beat, Tibbs retaliates in kind, striking the man across the face with double the force and sending a message not just to the character, but also to the audience at large that African-Americans aren't going to be pushed around, condescended to, or abused by whites or anyone else anymore. Black Power may not have been born at that particular instant, but TIbbs’ knee-jerk reaction made a bold statement that resonated among an oppressed race that clamored for equality.

In the Heat of the Night surely won the Best Picture Oscar because of its powerful message and forceful presentation. Movies like The Graduate and Bonnie and Clyde may exude more artistry, but their themes pale in comparison. For once, substance trumped style, and because this fine film refused to pull any punches in 1967, it's still able to pummel audiences today.  

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray 
The latest edition of In the Heat of the Night comes home to 4K UHD with a two-disc limited edition set from Australia’s Imprint Films. Number 428 in their growing collection, the 4K is pressed on a BD100 (but leaves over plenty of disc space on the table, more on that in a second), a Region Free BD50 serves the 1080p. The discs are housed in a black two-disc case. This set also includes a hardcover book featuring an essay by historian Travis Woods as well as stills and marketing materials. The whole package is housed in another of Imprint’s stylish hardstock boxes with lid. Each disc loads to a static image main menu with standard navigation options. This run is limited to 1500 units. 

Well, I said it in my last review, if another 4K disc came out with HDR that could make this film look better, I’d eat some crow. Here I am now, sitting before you with a serving of crow, albeit a very small portion. Nuts and bolts, this transfer from Imprint appears to use the same restoration master that KLSC and Criterion sourced for their discs, but now we get to observe this film in 2160p with a Dolby Vision grade. I understand that the German release also included Dolby Vision, but without that disc, I have no way of knowing if it's the same grade, master, etc. Key bits out of the way, fine details like facial features, clothing textures, and production design all appear identical. While this master comes in about 10 shorter on the gigabyte side than Criterion’s and runs an average of about 15-20mbps lower, I didn’t spot any notable differences in the presentation. Film grain has a similarly resolved appearance without being too noisy or encroaching. Obviously, a different encoding with a little bit more compression, but I didn’t witness any adverse side effects or unsightly artifacting on my setup. 

Now for the Dolby Vision HDR grade. After the excellent SDR discs from KLSC and Criterion here in the States, the presence of Dolby Vision offers a modest upgrade. To be fair to those past discs, there really wasn’t much room left for improvement. Color timing for this edition is nearly identical. Truthfully, at times, I thought I put the wrong disc in. If my television didn’t indicate Dolby Vision, I would have assumed otherwise. However, after watching through this disc and doing the appropriate flippies with Criterion’s offering, I started to see the small differences in contrast and black levels. It’s not an astronomical improvement, but I could distinguish these differences in bright lighting and see the improvements in shadow gradience, especially during the film’s climax. The longer I sat with it the more appealing it became. On the scoreboard, I would certainly give this disc the visual edge, but the margin is very narrow. While our scoring system registers the same 4.5/5 rating, I’d give this a 4.75/5. Certainly better, possibly the best we’ll see (barring any other release edition to wash ashore), but not enough of an immediate upgrade to suggest that if you’re happy with the Criterion or KLSC discs that you go out and buy the film again. 

On the audio side, Criterion uses the DTS-HD MA 5.1 that KLSC offered for their disc while delivering the same LPCM mono track they used for their initial Blu-ray. Truth be told, you can’t go wrong with either track. Both are great. I lean towards the LPCM mix in this instance, as I would the DTS-HD MA 2.0 track on the KLSC set, but I have to admit that the 5.1 is a quality job. I like that it doesn’t go overboard or try to be too flashy or expansive with the mix, keeping to the film’s tight framing and the great score from the late Quincy Jones. Regardless of which way you side for sound, it’s nice that Criterion opted to include both options. Note: The included Blu-ray disc is identical to their previous Blu-ray and only offers the LPCM mono mix.

Jumping into the fray for bonus features, Imprint offers its own selection of exclusives mixed with archival materials. There’s some overlap between the various releases we’ve looked at; no two releases have been the same. The Audio Commentary, featuring Jewison, Wexler, Rod Steiger, and Lee Grant, remains a highlight if you’ve never listened to it. 

4K UHD

• Audio Commentary featuring Norman Jewison, Haskell Wexler, Rod Steiger, and Lee Grant

Blu-ray Disc

• Audio Commentary featuring Norman Jewison, Haskell Wexler, Rod Steiger, and Lee Grant
• When the Picture Was Over: The Life and Films of Rod Steiger - Video Essay (HD 11:18)
• Turning Up the Heat: Movie-Making in the ‘60s (HD 21:10)
• The Slap Heart Around the World (HD 7:25)
• Quincy Jones: Breaking New Sound (HD 13:12)
• Trailers from Hell: In the Heat of the Night with Michael Schlesinger (HD 3:35)
• Original Theatrical Trailer 

Here we are, less than five months later, and I have another review of In the Heat of the Night on 4K UHD to look at. I said it in the last review, this is a damned messy hobby sometimes. Not that I ever get tired of watching this film, I don’t, but for now, I hope this is the last edition I have to consider for some time. Regardless of whether or not you pick up a domestic edition or import this one, Norman Jewison’s In the Heat of the Night is a genuine classic that deserves shelfspace consideration. It’s a film that takes a firm stand on cultural issues but never gets bogged down by a message that it forgets to deliver an intensely entertaining film. Now, the good folks way down under at Imprint Films give us another release to consider. Offering up a restrained but effective Dolby Vision HDR grade, there’s enough of an improvement, however modest, to give this release the visual edge. Audio is on par with past releases in the States, as is the selection of extras. On top of HDR, the difference maker will be the deluxe packaging, which is quite the handsome set, with an excellent book of materials to delve into. Highly Recommended

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