In the Heat of the Night was released in 1967 and tells a story set in Mississippi, so racism is naturally its focus. Both Rod Steiger and Sydney Poitier did a great job showing how, despite history and prejudice, blacks and whites can indeed work together and appreciate the humanity of one another. The depiction of most of the whites in the Deep South in this film is quite derogatory, but to be honest, not less than the Cohen brothers´ modern depictions of such people. There are exceptions to every tendency, however, and in this case there are individuals who rise above their upbringing and social context to appreciate the value of all human beings.
This is a good example of why there should be no censorship of works of art, ever. The word ´nigger´ is used throughout, but it is essential accurately to depict what Mississippi was like in order to be able to understand how much hatred and prejudice needed to be surmounted--and still do to some extent. To whitewash the history as though people did not use words such as ´nigger´ and wave Confederate flags as signs of white supremacy would be to discount the real strides made by human beings on this front over the past century.
This is a good example of why there should be no censorship of works of art, ever. The word ´nigger´ is used throughout, but it is essential accurately to depict what Mississippi was like in order to be able to understand how much hatred and prejudice needed to be surmounted--and still do to some extent. To whitewash the history as though people did not use words such as ´nigger´ and wave Confederate flags as signs of white supremacy would be to discount the real strides made by human beings on this front over the past century.