In the Heat of the Night

The movie In the Heat of the Night effectively portrays the Progressive Era. I think that it shows this through the friendship that grows between Chief Bill Gillespie and Detective Virgil Tibbs, and through the racism that is still prevalent. In this film, I was able to see how this film goes against the case of Plessy v. Ferguson, because in this movie I can see that even though the African Americans and the whites lived separate from each other, it did not create a utopia. 

For the people of Sparta, this idea and concept of separate but equal did not work, but instead created more conflict. Throughout the film, I saw how Detective Virgil Tibbs is able to change and improve the people and the police system in Sparta. When watching the movie I can see that Tibbs change things for the better by not taking anything from anyone and showing the people around him that just because he is African American does not mean that he cannot solve or be as smart or smarter than his co-workers, and his does this when he and the Chief police Gillespie become friends and gaining his and his co-workers trust.

While I was watching the film, I was able to see how Gillespie and Tibbs' relationship went from a hostility and being forced to work together to a relationship of friendship and respect. When I see their relationship, I can think and look at how, just like the course of their relationship in the movie, in the real world, it was also happening like that. What I mean by that is that after slavery was abolished, some white people still did not like African Americans and thought of them as below them, and then, just like at the end of the movie, we can see how white people started the like and respect African Americans. 

Tibbs and Gillespie are in the so-to-be factory land talking about the case

When I look back at the movie, it gives me a positive feeling. This is because throughout the film, I saw how two people who are different yet so alike in the end come together and build a bond. When looking back at the film, I did and did not think that the system was protecting the privileged white men. I say this because they still got thrown under the bus by others, but at the same time, they did get different privileges than African Americans. 

Overall, this is a great film that is about the Progressive Era. This movie, I would say, is a great example of the Jim Crow Laws, the idea of abortion, and racism that African Americans still faced after the abolition of slavery. I would also say that this film is great for people who love a story about two different people being forced to come together and end up creating a bond in the end. I think that Tibbs and Gillespie are great examples of how, even though we may look, think, and act differently, in the end, when we come together, we can make great things happen.