Do the Right Thing (1989)

 Do the Right Thing (1989)

I was shaken by the ending of Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing. It took me so long to finally watch the movie which is shameful given today’s climate and recent events. My first Lee film was 1988’s School Daze. While I could see the talent, I was not impressed quite frankly. His next film did the trick. Lee was in complete control of the story. He knew how he wanted his story to progress but held his cards close to the chest. The first half, while you can sense some simmering tensions, was about getting to know a group of people and their sense of community. It was about people living their everyday lives. A slow-build with some fine comedy moments sprinkled in Lee’s script. Then, he laid down the hammer as racial violence comes into play. It is hard to believe the movie came out in 1989. Some sequences are eerily reminiscent of what is happening in today’s world. It goes to show how far (or not) we came as a society.

I find it hilarious how Lee came up with the film’s idea. Alfred Hitchcock Presents claimed that hot weather increases violent behavior. I can see that idea because I personally become more agitated if the weather is extremely hot. That combined with the 1986 Howard Beach racial incident and a police shooting allowed Lee to formulate his script. The film, when debuted at Cannes Festival, instantly became a controversial picture. Columnists stupidly claimed that the film will incite black people to riot. You can see why Lee was very frustrated by those comments. Despite being highly though of upon release, that stigma stayed with the film till present day. The final act is shocking, but it is just part of the power that came with the film.

Mostly, Lee’s film is about a bunch of people living their lives in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant. On this particular Sunday, it is the hottest day of the summer. Sal Fragione (Danny Aiello) is the owner of a pizzeria and has worked at the store every day for 25 years. The neighborhood used to be Italian-Americans but became home to African Americans and Hispanics over the years. His son, Pino (John Turturro) is openly racist and wants to move the pizzeria out of the neighborhood. Sal does not want to leave as he feels his pizzeria is part of the community. Then there was the complaint. Buggin’ Out (Giancarlo Esposito) inquires why there are no pictures of black people on the restaurant’s wall…just white Italian Americans. Now frustration and anger lead to violence that will ultimately change lives. In addition, we meet people like Da Mayor (Ossie Davis) who is the community’s everyman, Radio Raheem (Bill Nunn) whose “Fight the Power” on the boombox defines his life, the disc jockey (Samuel L. Jackson) that provides the running commentary, and Mookie (Spike Lee) who delivers pizzas.

The ensemble cast is nothing short of excellent. Danny Aiello is the one with the most difficult role, and he plays it so well. The ending scene between his character and Mookie is a scene of acting brilliance…one that requires open-ended responses. This was not even Aiello’s part to begin with. Lee lobbied hard for Robert De Niro, which would have been an excellent choice. Instead, Aiello delivered and received an Academy Award nomination in the process (one of the very few nominations and many people perceived as unfair). Everyone is great. Giancarlo Esposito as the local militant, Bill Nunn as a victim of injustice, and Rosie Perez makes her debut here (she did have a difficult time filming).

Given everything going on in the world, it is important that Do the Right Thing is seen. Thirty years later, this is even more relevant and topical than ever. Lee has always been known to show anger in his movies. You see that here, but there is also some love and hope. Lee created a community with different types of people which means different solutions to the problem whether its militant violence or peaceful pieties. Different people use different methods to react to one situation which escalated the powerful ending. As a New Yorker, I understand what the characters are going through. Gentrification has become a problem for the city. That is only scratching the surface, but that’s an argument for another place and time. The movie itself is important, but it is well-made. It is beautifully shot by Ernest R. Dickerson who did a great job making the city look hotter than any desert. Lee created a movie that is confident and not afraid of any controversy. That is why people watch the film all these years later.

My Grade: A-