MUBI

My my my

This film always puts me in the mood for pizza, and it has every right to.
It is very much like a pizza in a lot of ways……….but it’s up to you to decide what type of pizza.
My fav thing about Spike Lee is his anger, but at the same time I dont understand it. Since when has he been discriminated against ?
But enough about his need to see anger management, Do The Right Thing captures a time and place like no other.
The films zest for culture and color slowly simmers at you like the long hot summer’s day it portrays.
The characters are as natural as can be, especially the random white people :)
Spike Lee should really think about doing more acting because he really has a unique screen presence.
The films theme song ‘Fight The Power’ by Public Enemy is one of the anthems of frustration.
My advice to you before you sit down to watch this film is to listen to some De La Soul, and to remember to love one another.
PS: Boom Boxes 4 eva!!

Do The Right Thing is considered to be Spike Lee’s opus and the quintessential film for those interested in race ethnics and cinema. And this is true, for the most part, if you can stand any of these characters. Just about everyone hates someone else, which leads to a volcanic eruption of a conclusion, one that still sifts through my mind. Not to say that the film isn’t enjoyable, because it is. It wasn’t until the last quarter of the film, where Radio comes into the Sal’s Famous Pizza place, that really got me hooked though. Sure, I enjoyed watching the inhabitants of this small community interact, but it always seemed the same, and ended in someone getting pissed off and swearing. I liked Da Mayor and the radio dj, and I even liked Sal. Personally, I do think that Sal is racist, but unlike his son he is much more tolerant to the community. He gets along fine with Mookie’s sister but when Radio refused to turn off his boombox Sal erupted into a pile of racial slurs before annihilating his boombox. One could argue that it’s just a spur of the moment thing, that Sal wasn’t really thinking and maybe only said those words to get Radio out of his place, either way Sal is alright in my book. Mookie, however, not so much. Spike Lee explained that Mookie represented most African-American males at the time period: lazy men who avoid responsibility. We can see this in Mookie since he avoids his girlfriend and his son like the plague. There’s a lot going on in this film, but once it settles down in your head, it is quite enjoyable. And then there’s the trash can to the window. Was it justified? I don’t think that it was, but I’m sure that Spike Lee will just call me a racist for deeming a white man’s property as more important than a black man’s death. That’s false and Spike Lee is an idiot for making that comment. I feel that Mookie didn’t really resent his job, but he did resent it just enough to incite the riot and let the place burn to the ground. The kind of thing where he can claim credit for starting it when people ask him why he wasn’t inside tearing the place down. In all honesty I felt really bad for Sal, and Sal could have just called the police when Radio refused to leave, but he made the mistake of destroying his music. People have been debating this for twenty years, so here’s my two cents.

He had directed and released two films prior to this, and had made a small splash, but it’s with this hand grenade of a film that Spike Lee truly exploded to the top ranks of American filmmakers. A searing and incendiary study of race relations, Do the Right Thing not only was among the most polarizing and original films of its time, but it also helped to open the door for a host African-American filmmakers. It’s a shame that Lee has never quite risen to this height since.

(Originally written August 23, 2005)

“Elvis was a hero to most but he never meant s—- to me, the sucka was flat out racist, simple and plain. Motherf—- him and John Wayne”

From the opening title sequence with Rosie Perez passionately dancing to Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power,” the audience knows that they are in for a powerful piece of art. With Do the Right Thing, Spike Lee presents a unique and complex view of the relationships in an African American community. The film acts as a celebration of the African American culture and as a call for change. However, the film does not take itself too seriously, effectively using comedy to portray the black community. It’s a technical wonder with its own unique visual style. All of the colors help to emphasize the blazing heat that causes the ethnic tensions to escalate. The film experiments with the art form itself; there are moments where the characters speak to the camera, including a sequence in which different people yell racially-slurred insults at the camera. This is an in-your-face presentation of the truth. However, the film never goes so far as to only make caricatures to prove a point. Each character is given special attention and is brought to life with unique personalities. Radio Raheem is characterized by his strong presence and his jewelry which alludes to The Night of the Hunter. Buggin’ Out has such a distinct look and attitude thanks to Giancarlo Esposito’s brilliant performance. A film that has Frank Sinatra’s photograph burned in flames is bound to challenge the way Americans perceive culture and values. It seems strange that Sinatra is always so frequently mentioned as a fantastic artist when many African American artists never receive the same attention. Do the Right Thing also asks questions about how much we care about human life and challenges us to see how quickly we can forget the loss of a life. Spike Lee provides such a potent message without spelling everything out. The movie never tells us what the right thing actually is. The film beautifully ends with contrasting quotes from Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. After watching the events of the film unfold, the audience is able to decide for themselves which they think is correct.

This film is unreal, in that it takes you to a certain time and place that no other film could do. Bill Lee’s eccentric jazz score and Ernest Dickerson’s cinematography and use of “red hot” color schemes also help to place the viewer in that Bed-Stuy neighborhood for that one long, tumultuous day where everything that can go wrong, will go wrong. The performances are spot on, especially with Danny Aiello and Ossie Davis. Definitely Lee’s best film, and it stands out in his resume amongst a number of other excellent films.