Do the Right Thing [Blu-ray]
Genre: Comedy
Rating: R
Release Date: 30-JUN-2009
Media Type: Blu-Ray
“Do The Right Thing” was written, produced, and directed by Spike Lee who also stars as the movie’s main character, Mookie. The film is set in 1989 on the hottest day of the summer on a block in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. Most of the action occurs around Sal’s Pizzeria. Sal’s Pizzeria is an Italian-American “pizza joint” that has been thriving in this predominantly African-American neighborhood for over 25 years. The “pizza joint”is run by Sal with help from his two sons Pino and Vito. Mookie works as the restaurant’s delivery boy.
The movie highlights and is a study of the daily lives of the neighborhoods various inhabitants. It addresses predominant racial prejudices and stereotypes while tracking the inhabitants’ survival. One way that this is shown is through the businesses that exist and thrive off of the neighborhood. Businesses such as Sal’s as well as a Korean owned store thrive off of and take money out of the community, while African-American owned stores are rarely found. The lack of African-American representation in the community’s businesses soon becomes an issue as a character by the name of Buggin’ Out questions Sal for only having Italian-Americans on the wall in his restaurant, but no African-Americans, the race that is essentially supporting him and putting money in his pocket. Sal shrugs him off telling him that it is his restaurant therefore he can do whatever he wants. As a result, Buggin’ Out decides to organize a boycott and enlists the help of Radio Raheem, who is like the neighborhood’s “jukebox.” Radio Raheem constantly walks around with his huge radio as he blasts Public Enemy’s hit song “Fight the Power”, the power being white supremacy. Though he may seem obnoxious to some, Radio Raheem is a strong and vital character as he is a representation of someone trying to rise above his current state of opression and speak out. However, he is never afforded the opportunity to truly do so because he is choked to death by a white police offer after an altercation between he and Sal ensues. Radio Raheem’s death devastates the neighborhood and causes the citizens to riot and burn down Sal’s Pizzeria.
Throughout the movie, we see various types of racial prejudice all of which never truly die, but are rather pushed under the surface and ignored. Pino even expresses to Sal that Mookie can’t be trusted because he’s black. Radio Raheem’s death at the hands of a white police officer symbolizes how the black community, as well as other prejudice stricken communities feel when they try to speak out, they are afraid, afraid that “tha man” will silence them for good. Spike Lee does a great job of showing the injustices that existed at that time and that still exist today. If we refuse to educate ourselves as a nation and ignore these issues then we too are to blame, for ignorance is not bliss, and by being ignorant, we are helping to perpetuate the very issue in which we are trying to diminish.
Do The Right Thing Review – Adam Cheung – Randolph, NJ United States
Do the Right Thing, a Spike Lee joint, takes you into the heart of Bedford – Stuyvesant, Brooklyn on a sweltering summer day. Most of the entire film takes place over just one day. Though one day is a short amount of time, many issues arise. The issues, mostly rooted from racial conflict, are humorous but at the same time provocative and heartfelt.
The main character, Pookie played by director Spike Lee, works as a pizza delivery guy for Sal’s Famous Pizzeria. Sal’s Pizzeria is owned by a white man who runs the business with his two sons. Pookie, a young African American male with a girlfriend and a young son, is often the guy the neighborhood people go to for advice or to rant about whatever. After a young man gets upset about the absence of African Americans on the wall at Sal’s Pizzeria, he lets Pookie hear it. When an attempted boycott of the pizzeria fails, the young man and his friend, Radio Rahim, confront Sal. Soon after, a riot breaks out which results in the death of Radio Rahim and Sal’s Pizzeria going up in flames.
While the movie lacks direction and plot through the majority of the film, its goal is to take the racial conflict of Bedstuy and broadcast it to the audience, many of which who were probably unaware of the severity and volume of the issue. By doing this affectively, the film was granted the prestige of being “culturally significant” by the United States Library of Congress. Do the Right Thing is humorous while also being culturally informative. It gives insight that appears real and significant, which can easily be appreciated by any viewer.
Great Movie on Race Relations – BRIAN Geppert – Lynnwood, WA
A great mix of characters and music from 1989… makes you think. A must-see for anyone that likes rap/hip-hop.
Do the Right Thing – Lucy Weathers –
Do the right thing concerns racial conflicts that take place every day on a block in Brooklyn. Throughout the entire movie it is tension filled and has an ending that smashes the blocks final racial breaking point. Every character in the movie is somewhat racist, even though there are glimpses of different races helping each other there is another scene right after to contradict the previous scene. There are no main characters in the movie; there is Mookie, the black pizza delivery boy, Sal the white Italian owner of the pizza shop, Radio Raheem, a giant black “protestor”, and many more that inflict racial slurs against each other. There is only one character that shows that she is all good and that is jade, she is the small piece of hope that tries to keep all the races together, but she is in very few scenes which also confirms the lack of understanding between the races. The ending scenes of the movie can also be seen as the climax of this film, this is when Radio Raheem and Sal start to fight and Radio Raheem is killed by the police. This sends the whole block into an outrage and they end up burning down the Sal’s pizzeria. After this incident I think that all the respect is lost on every race in the community, they have done the damage to each other and the communication is lost.
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Add comment December 12th, 2009