Black Lives Matter mini-season
This classic, multi-Oscared murder melodrama of racial tension makes an ideal opener to our short ‘Black Lives Matter’ selection.
Set in a small Mississippi cotton town where Steiger’s bigoted sheriff finds himself forced into collaboration with Poitier’s arrogant black homicide expert from Philadelphia, the film still oozes Southern sweat and a documentary realism 53 years later, as well as being horribly even more relevant.
With blistering performances from both stars at the height of their power as actors and a tremendous score courtesy of Ray Charles and Quincy Jones, this important film still demands to be seen – particularly by anyone who may have missed it!
95% – Rotten Tomatoes
7.9/10 – IMDB
“This is an uncommonly alive little thriller, knowing just what it wants to do and doing it well.”
“Poitier’s excellent performance both transcends and lifts the pretensions of the film, eschewing earlier mannerisms and projecting a wealth of emotion in facial communication.”
