The movies To Kill a Mockingbird and In the Heat of the Night are two classic movies made in the 1960s. They both have similar themes; they show the racial prejudice of the era and how wrong it is. Both movies were on the side of the civil rights movement, which had its heyday in the 1960s. But, which movie is better? Which movie pulls the viewer in as a participant rather than just an observer?
To Kill a Mockingbird
The story of this movie follows a court case in a small southern town where a black man is unjustly accused of a crime he did not commit. The black man is defended by an eloquent white lawyer who is not affected by his fellow’s racial prejudices. In the end, the black man is convicted even though the lawyer presented a compelling case in his defense. Then after the court case had concluded, the black man tries to flee, but he is shot down by a policeman and dies. Thus is the sad conclusion to the most remembered part of the movie. It offers no hope that this southern town can be reformed.
The viewers see the movie through the eyes of the lawyer’s young daughter who is just starting school. Being a little girl, she is not very perceptive and the movie stays consistent with this and shows little insight into the other characters. Additionally, much of the movie is contained to interactions between the lawyer’s family. There is little to no character development outside the lawyer’s family. All of this reflects into the courtroom scenes. The viewers just feel like the little kid watching the drama unfold. The movie does a poor job at getting the viewers involved in the courtroom scene, or even all the scenes for that matter. Couple this with the sad conclusion and I feel like the movie does a poor job at getting the viewers invested in the story.
In the Heat of the Night
The story of this movie follows a black detective who is visiting a small southern town and he is tasked with helping the local, all-white police department solve a murder. The local police are show to be incompetents who are incapable of finding the true killer. They repeatedly try to convict the wrong person. However, the black detective is a true expert and he is the only one capable of finding the true murderer. But, along the way, the black detective is constantly fettered by the racism of the townsfolk and police department. He receives some help from the police chief mainly on the account of the “brotherhood of the badge,” but that is it. In the end, the black detective does capture the true killer, which earns him the respect of the police department. The movies does offer hope that this southern town can be reformed, as the black detective is successful in overcoming the racism of the town.
Unlike To Kill a Mockingbird, this movie does a good job of getting the viewer involved. There is economic, social, and judicial character interaction. It is not limited to one family. This gives the viewers a clear picture into the life of this southern town. Additionally, the actors in In the Heat of the Night show much more emotion. This helps get the viewer inside the mind of the characters. With the positive ending that offers hope, I think this movie does a much better job of getting the viewers involved.
Conclusion
Both To Kill a Mockingbird and In the Heat of the Night are classic movies that are befitting of the civil rights era. However, I believe that In the Heat of the Night is the superior movie. It is far better at getting the viewer involved in the story and is more interesting overall. To Kill a Mockingbird is not without its merits, but I think its negative outlook and limited insight into life in the town put it below its counterpart. I find no surprise in the fact that In the Heat of the Night made nearly double what To Kill a Mockingbird did at the box office. I believe its definitely the superior movie.
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