VHS : Do The Right Thing [1989]

Rating: - A Masterpiece of Urban Cinema
While some people find Spike Lee's filmic style a little too "in your face" at time, it is impossible to deny that he has extraordinary talent as both screenwriter and director after watching his best movie, Do The Right Thing (1989). With its cast completely on form, each person gives an electrifying performance, directing that enables us to empathise with every character and brillinatly juxtaposes ultra realism with surrealism, and a script that is both halarious and though provoking, Do The Right Thing is a brilliant movie, both entertaining and thought provoking, that should be viewed by everyone. Featuring on many top 100 film polls, Do The Right Thing is without a doubt one of the best movies of the 1980s and one of the best new york movies ever made.

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Rating: - A Classic
Forget the recently made film Crash which far from being a critical analysis of race and class in society this film, made over a decade before is the one you want to see.

Set in a predominantly black neighbourhood the story revolves around one main street on a hot summer where tempers reach disastrous conclusions. The film examines race and our own views on race from all perspectives, while Crash was condescending nonsense which did nothing but help the liberal left to sleep well at night knowing that amongst the working class (in the films case the Hispanic joiner, maid and police officer) There are still a large number prepared to tolerate what abuse we choose to heap upon them with a smile and a "Yes boss." Who don't feel anger as any other human does but rather accepts a role as the happy victim.

Spike Lee tears all that up and gives us a clear indication of the tensions that exist amongst working class people thrown together and competing for the same small space that they all live in. This film could have been set in London or Paris (Indeed the French film "La Haine" came out not long after) In the film we have the Italian Pizza restaurant, a restaurant that had been there for years when the area was predominantly Italian, where most Italians had moved out Sal had chosen to stay, accepting that things change and choosing to get on with his new neighbours and customers. While Sal chooses this role his 2 sons are somewhat different. One, a lad who has grown up amongst blacks and seeing no reason to accept the prejudice that his brother (a lad whose racism seems to be more a result of prejudice he suffers at the hands of his 'friends' for working in a shop in a black area).

Spike Lee is a young lad drifting along in life working in the Pizza shop while his sister, far more ambitious sees life as far more than the confines of her local neighbourhood. Other characters could be found in almost every working class neighbourhood in the world. The loudmouth bums who just choose to walk the streets, the drunk who bothers nobody but has his own story to tell, the old men sitting off with a few beers who think they are the owners of the community, the minority shop keeper whose lack of English sets him apart from the community he works in, the police who work the area whose prejudice is again based on class, of an area they see as 'gone to waste' through crime and poverty.

The film examines all angles, from the Korean shop-keeper to the white lad who has just moved into the neighbourhood. This is not a film where you will see one victim and one bully but rather a film where you will see working class people as they are. I recall reading once that the difference between working class and middle class people was that the working class if they have a prejudice will openly express it while the middle class will hide it behind polite snobbery.

Some will look at this film looking for a side to take (If you are white the Italians or black the black community) But I would argue rather look at this film for what it is. A insight to a working class community. Its also interesting to note that working class communities (in the UK at least) are considered the most multi racial of all communities. One only has to look at this film (black, white, Hispanic, Asian) To see that is clearly the same case in America. It rightly exposes that working class people will not sit back and be victims but will fight back sometimes with disastrous conclusions.

I cant recommend this film enough. Maybe after it we will all examine our own prejudices before its too late.

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Rating: - The movie that put Spike on the map, and deservedly so
The first time I've seen Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing" was at the theater and the movie refused to leave my mind for about several weeks. It just kept replaying itself constantly in my mind of the events and the turn a bouts of the story. The writing is so sharp and the movie is hilarious as well as the only movie to make Roger Ebert cry.

Deceptively open and simple in its presentation, this is one of the most complex and layered movies about human relationships that I have ever seen during that time. This movie is every bit as compound as its subject matter. I disagree with those who characterize the film as "preachy." Quite to the contrary, I think the genius of the film is precisely in the fact that Spike does not tell the viewer what to think - he just compels you to think.

Spike spends most of the movie setting up his characters and their situations, some are comedic, some are dramatic, and some are both. The acting is naturally great, with John Turturro, Danny Aiello, and Spike himself standing out as the best played and most interesting characters. The movie looks very much "of the 80's" as far as fashion and things like that go but that doesn't take any power away from the movie. But the biggest question people seem to have after they have watched this movie is about doing the right thing and whether or not Mookie did it. Spike always only says that he's never been asked that question by a person of color. However my feeling on the matter is this: Did Mookie do the right thing? No. Did Sal do the right thing? No. From the time that Radio Raheem comes into Sal's at the end, not one person does the right thing. Not Mookie, Sal, Radio, Buggin Out, the cops, or whoever. Everything horrible that happens could have been avoided if one person had done the right thing, and yet nobody does.

I think that's why the movie stuck with me. Most movies would show everyone (or just the "hero") doing the right thing and everything turning out happily, but that's not what usually happens in reality. Too often people give in to their worst instincts. In here we have New York explodes over a seemingly little incident because racial tensions are always just below the surface. This film is truly a work of art and out all Of the Spike Lee movies I've seen this is one of his finest. "Do the Right Thing" is one of the signatures of an American classic.

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Rating: - Bordering between racist and brilliant
The film's best scene characterises the best and worst of life, race relations and this film. 'Radio Raheed' shows us two knuckle-dusters - one called 'LOVE' one called 'HATE' and describes that life is a constant battle between the two, yet love always prevails in the end. 'Do the Right thing' is in itself the same struggle between the great and sometimes excessive elements of Lee's talents.

Lee's work is very explosive, energy-laden and colourful. His characters are often repulsive, foul-mouthed and amazingly vivid. This film is no exception. It concentrates on the relationships between all the multiple characters - white, black and Korean. Although the dialogues are excellent and realistic they tend to get slightly heavy-handed sometimes. Especially the soliloquies are iritating at times due to their unrelenting tension and vibrancy, yet they are truthful and profound as well.

Credit must go to Lee for his vision and courage not to shy away from the unpleasant characterisations that are essential in order to truthfully depict life in multi-cultural communities. His plethora of antagonists from the indifferent Italian rolemodel 'Sal' and the elderly 'The Mayor', to the repulsive 'Pinot' and his black counterpart.

Ostensibly 'Do the Right thing' is a film about the underlying and undeniable tensions that always simmer between different races. However, it is more than just a study in race relations, its a study in people themselves; the duality of man, the uncomfortable tendencies all humans - black or white, have.

Although Lee seems to behold some grudges towards certain sections of American society at times it would be fair to say he treats all sides of the fence with equality and justice. 'Do the Right thing' is uncomfortable, unflinching and unrivalled visceral filmmaking on racial relationships. Even though it gets a little garish at times I would not hesitate from recommending it to anyone. Buy it now!

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Rating: - Buy this yesterday!
Intense, funky, cool, hot, and one of the most accomplished and memorable films you'll ever see.