Customer Reviews
Summer in the city 
2008-07-17
Director Spike Lee wastes no time turning up the heat in this provocative allegorical dramedy about race relations in America, filtered through a day in the life of Brooklyn's multi-ethnic Bed-Stuy neighborhood. From the opening credits, which literally explode onto the screen with a muy caliente Rosie Perez busting some serious moves to the strains of Public Enemy's "Fight the Power", to the jaw-dropping climax, this is one of those rare films that manages to engage mind, body and soul all at once. One of the few films on the subject that is not afraid to admit to and confront the fact that bigotry comes in all colors. I think it remains his finest work to date. The cast includes Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Danny Aiello, John Turturro and Giancarlo Esposito. Criterion-what took you guys so long?
Shockingly overrated 
2008-05-12
The entire world loves this movie for reasons I have yet to comprehend. There is not one single likable character to be found in this picture, least of all the main character, whom Spike Lee presents as a saint for inciting a race riot. Not coincidentally, Mookie is played (badly) by Lee himself.
What Lee has constructed is a fantasy playground for himself. As his body of work shows, he's primarily interested in the lives of black Americans. His vision, however, often manifests itself as immature and highly unrealistic. For instance, not only does Mookie get to dramatically kick off the race riot (by throwing a garbage can through a window), he also gets to come back and hobnob with the proprietor of the destroyed pizzeria. Oh, and he gets to keep the money Sal owes him, plus more if he wants it.
Go ahead and rate my review as unhelpful if you want, but in my opinion this movie, like so many other made by Lee, presents his wet dream of race relations: Blacks, whites, and other minorities are equally stereotypical and horrible, but blacks are at least cool, which allows them to commit outrageous acts of destruction and get away with it. What an awful message; what an awful movie.
A beautiful movie, by the genius of our time. 
2008-05-02
Do the right thing is amazing!!! As we all know it is the tale of race relations in America, set in Brooklyn in the Bedford-Stuyvesant community. This movie glows as it shows the racial tension that still goes on today. Lee shows that as diverse as America is, instead of diplomatically talking out our differences, we fear what we do not understand and as minorities fight ourselves, while (some) of the racist majority laugh as they like to see our downfall. It is downright dazzling that Spike Lee can show culture whether black, Italian, Chinese, and white in a fun perspective when talking about race. The day like this one has happened in communities across America racial tension and all and it is about time that somebody said documented it. This being stated a common point is often missed in the film when Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Who did the right thing? They and the black characters both did. By buggin' out boycotting Sal's Pizzeria for selling pizza to African Americans in their community, and not acknowledging them (pictures on the wall), he represents Martin Luther King. MLK boycotted to make a difference and when inspiring leadership he found it hard to get followers in some states (like buggin out did). When they burned down the shop as a act of revolution for killing radio rahiem it was Malcolm X, not to say that Malcolm was violent, he was nonviolent, and peaceful man who believed in self defense, however, he said that revolution is violent and that is what happened. In the end Spike Lee communicated how a man lost his shop and another man lost his life becuase we did not, and still at times are not working together to solve our problems. Spike Lee is the last classic director we have in illustrating what America tries to hide, and challenges us to change it!!!!
Film Masterpiece 2008-04-17
This is still Spike Lee's greatest film and a powerhouse. I have a personal favorite but I like this one very much. A hot Brooklyn day, a pizza place, a black neighborhood and an Italian pizza parlor combine together in a violent night. It creates strong emotions and one can really identify with the people living in this neighborhood. Spike Lee is great in his films and should consider acting more often. Very moving and will stay with you long after. I've seen it several times and the impact is the same as it was when it was initially released. It's sad that nothing has changed all that much and may have gotten worse in spots. New York City is better but other cities have fallen behind.
Spike Lee's Best Film 2008-04-01
A must see for any movie buff, or culture warrior. Spike Lee does it again in DTRT. A true representation of racial lines, and racial divides done in a way that will have you laughing and angry. Bravo Spike Lee, Bravo.
A must see. 2008-03-31
Spike Lee's incendiary look at race relations in America, circa 1989, is so colorful and exuberant for its first three-quarters that you can almost forget the terrible confrontation that the movie inexorably builds toward.
Do the Right Thing is a joyful, tumultuous masterpiece--maybe the best film ever made about race in America, revealing racial prejudices and stereotypes in all their guises and demonstrating how a deadly riot can erupt out of a series of small misunderstandings. Set on one block in Bedford-Stuyvesant on the hottest day of the summer, the movie shows the whole spectrum of life in this neighborhood and then leaves it up to us to decide if, in the end, anybody actually does the "right thing." Featuring Danny Aiello as Sal, the pizza parlor owner; Lee himself as Mookie, the lazy pizza-delivery guy; John Turturro and Richard Edson as Sal's sons; Lee's sister Joie as Mookie's sister Jade; Rosie Perez as Mookie's girlfriend Tina; Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee as the block elders, Da Mayor and Mother Sister; Giancarlo Esposito as Mookie's hot-headed friend Buggin' Out; Bill Nunn as the boom-box toting Radio Raheem; and Samuel L. Jackson as deejay Mister Señor Love Daddy. A rich and nuanced film to watch, treasure, and learn from--over and over again.
--Jim Emerson
The Tangled Knot of American Race Relations 2008-03-02
I used to think Spike Lee was a racist. Now I'm not so sure. I'm not absolutely sure he isn't. If Lee is racist, then most everyone has a little racism in them. Judging solely by Do the Right Thing, Lee takes a pretty dim view of just about everyone, black or white. There are very few white roles in the movie & Lee is obligated to portray most of the few whites negatively for dramatic intensity. If all the white guys are nice, open-minded one-worlders, then there is no movie. However, Lee is careful to portray many of the black characters negatively, too. Many of Lee's black characters are loud, selfish, rude, vulgar, racist, violent, militant and/or stupid. These same people are also kind, reasonable, pleasant, smart, peaceful, thoughtful, curious, courteous and fair. In other words, they are normal people.
It is interesting to note the only two businesses in the movie are owned by families, neither of them black. This is a predominantly black neighborhood. Where are the black businesses? Out of all the black people, only the pizza gofer, the mentally disabled man and the DJ seem to be working for a living. All of the whites are employed or have evidence (a beautiful car) of employment. At the very least, there is evidence of class resentment between the haves represented by the nonblack business owners and the have nots represented by most of the black customers.
Roger Guenveur Smith plays a mentally disabled man who hawks pictures of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. Who is this guy? What is the purpose of this character? He is sometimes treated with scorn and disrespect as he repeats his stuttering mantra of Malcolm and Martin throughout the movie. Sometimes he is treated with kindness and patience but mostly he is left alone to do his thing. Pay close attention to who is nice to him and who isn't.
Martin and Malcolm. nonviolence or militancy? Outspoken opposition or seething rage? A rational mind in an irrational world or hateful malevolence that fuels racism? Interesting to note: during the end of each of their lives, both MLK Jr. and Malcolm X turned away from racial social politics and towards economic class politics. Lee undoubtable knew this when he made this movie.
Sal's Pizzeria is owned by the Italian-American Sal and he employes his two sons. One of the sons is racist, the other seems to be not so much racist as cheerfully dimwitted in a friendly-to-all sort of way. Sal is overworked, stressed and just wants to keep the peace. He is neither a racist nor openminded. Sal hangs photographs of famous Italian-Americans all over the walls. It's his business and his right to decorate the place as he sees fit. Most of his predominantly black clientele don't seem to care one way or the other. They like the pizza. A local wannabe militant wants Sal to hang pictures of African-Americans on the wall and we see the militant's point. Would it absolutely kill Sal to hang pictures of Jackie Robinson, Michael Jordan, or MLK Jr. on the wall? It is a mostly black neighborhood, after all and showing a little local color would be a smart play. Showing you value your customers' feelings is more money in the register and no skin off your nose. Unfortunately, the militant is loud, aggressive and nasty. He scours the neighborhood, trying to recruit a boycott army but most are disinterested. His only successful recruit is Radio Raheem. Radio just wants to play his music loud whenever and wherever he sees fit, no matter the disruption he may be causing. The radio is his security blanket and protection from the world. It's not much of a life but it is his perogative to insulate himself from those who might care about him and even befriend him. As it is, he is a vaguely respected and mostly ignored neighborhood curiousity. Kind of like the retarded man. The aggressive opposition puts Sal on the defensive and forces him to be stubborn or lose face. Sometimes, calm reasoning is more effective than shouting demands.
The final and most controversial part of the movie is the most affecting. Calm rational discussion gives way to violence and violent retribution. Lee seems to be saying: we will remain peaceful as long as you remain peaceful but we will not be placid lambs led to slaughter. The tragedy of Do the Right Thing is not just the violence. The violence is the result of a completely avoidable breakdown in communication between Sal's Pizzeria and the militants. This lack of conversation is the tragedy. If calmer heads had prevailed on both sides, it is likely noone would have been killed and noone's property damaged. Lee offers no conclusions. No pat answers or convenient summary. He does not explain what the right thing is but challenges himself and the audience to ask what the right thing is.
A Classic 2008-01-17
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.
stupid 2007-10-09
The story had no plot.I couldn't believe how stupid it was.I wouldn't waste my money or time on this.If you want my copy i would be happy to give it to anyone who would want it.
Violence creates bitterness in the survivors and brutality in the destroyers. 2007-09-30
Spike Lee's intense and harrowing story takes place down the street from you. It's an in-depth look at racial tensions that still plague much of the country.
This provocative tap on your inner conscience progresses simply, almost like a documentary. As it manuevers through the events of the day, it demonstrates the simmering hatred and destructive agitation people feel toward people of different ethnic backgrounds.
There is an extrememly powerful scene where different members of the community stare directly at the camera and vent. They vocally purge themselves of their pent up frustration toward their neighbors. It's a no-holds-barred explosion of distorted truth that hampers them from harmony with their diverse surroundings.
This is an important film that will really stick with you. Hopefully its an influence that can effect a gradual change across America.
