“The Defiant Ones and In the Heat of the Night” In the article Draggin’ the Chain, Emma Hamilton and Troy Saxby analyzed the juxtapositions between the two films, The Defiant Ones and In the Heat of the Night. These two movies are placed within the representation of African American stereotypes that can be void and full of historical reality in the same realm. Hamilton and Saxby explain that certain racial stereotypes can empower the African American race, but at the same time further ingrain an obscured, single-minded view of that race to others. “However, these stereotypes do evolve over time in a way that reflects the unique historical conditions and social needs of a particular context” (CP 168). The time period during the release of these
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Throughout the film Cullen and Jackson reveal similar life experiences that lead them to being criminals. The stories between the men present that African American stereotypes are inaccurate, that these criminal ways are of all races not just one. The Defiant Ones work against stereotypes throughout with Cullen and Jackson by sticking together through the unexpected even up until the end. However, In the Heat of the Night, it lacks breaking down the stereotypes and provides mutual respect between races, but not equality. “The foremost theme in the personal relationships of the protagonists is competition and the personal struggle for power…in both films the African American character leads” (CP 173). I found this section of the article to be helpful in order to understand what some stereotypes in the films depicted. The most prevalent stereotypes were the demonstrations of hatred between African Americans and whites. Both the films depicted actions and a way to end this hatred by working together and respecting each other as individuals and not races. During this time period Martin Luther King Jr. was trying to eradicate the racial chains of discrimination for equality. I believe that Mr. Tibbs is a better depiction of King’s works because he was persistent for justice no matter the hard times that were
Throughout the film Cullen and Jackson reveal similar life experiences that lead them to being criminals. The stories between the men present that African American stereotypes are inaccurate, that these criminal ways are of all races not just one. The Defiant Ones work against stereotypes throughout with Cullen and Jackson by sticking together through the unexpected even up until the end. However, In the Heat of the Night, it lacks breaking down the stereotypes and provides mutual respect between races, but not equality. “The foremost theme in the personal relationships of the protagonists is competition and the personal struggle for power…in both films the African American character leads” (CP 173). I found this section of the article to be helpful in order to understand what some stereotypes in the films depicted. The most prevalent stereotypes were the demonstrations of hatred between African Americans and whites. Both the films depicted actions and a way to end this hatred by working together and respecting each other as individuals and not races. During this time period Martin Luther King Jr. was trying to eradicate the racial chains of discrimination for equality. I believe that Mr. Tibbs is a better depiction of King’s works because he was persistent for justice no matter the hard times that were