Do The Right Thing Reviews

Bed Stuy - Do or Die!

When you go to talk about a Spike Lee Joint you know you’re not just talking about something important in cinema history, but also in American history. These are statements of truth for the black community in America and they carry with them a message that speaks a truth to every person who watches. Do the Right Thing came at a time of high racial tension and a time when black america was shouting to gets its voice heard above the white noise of those in charge. Public Enemy, as can be heard here, did a lot to give people that voice and Spike Lee is highly regarded for doing the same thing.

It is immediately apparent that this early offering from Lee is a product of its time, but how could it not be when it talks about such pressing issues? The 80’s feel is all leg-warming, body-popping, lycra-wearing and in your face from the start, and the intro sequence is a great flip-side to the neighbourhood Cosby show intro’s of the same era, which it sets out to identify with. Lee reminds us at all times that this is local community in a black neighbourhood - which is what he does best - and that we should get to know our characters before we judge their actions.

This makes for a great level of skipping about between characters and loads of leeway for segues and interludes to happen. The film does feel a bit segmented at times and I regularly forgot that all of the action was supposed to be taking place over one day. However, the freedom allowed from covering so many different view points, gives us a great number of comedy moments and a greater investment in the community. From Sammy L’s turn as DJ Senor Love Daddy to the old men on the corner talking bull all day long to Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee’s romance; we live with these people so that we can feel what it is like when their community is faced with destruction at the hands of racial violence. And it hits hard.

At the base of this film lies the racial tensions that were running high in America and especially New York in the eighties. Here is a predominantly black community which is fed by Italians and provided for by Koreans, but which is protected - or more appropriately, policed - by White men. Everyone is busy trying to hold themselves together in a difficult situation where there’s no work and there’s no money; they’re trying to do their best to live beside other nationalities who live differently to them; they’re trying to figure out how a country like America is supposed to bond together; and most of all they’re trying to cope with the damned heat. Eventually something has to give.

We see in full blown detail how events escalate and then snowball one after the other into total carnage. It is not difficult to see how riots start and destruction is wrought because of one action. In the end it never comes down to who started it, it comes down to what people are fighting for; and in this film absolutely everybody is standing up for themselves and fighting for their own rights. They are all too busy asserting themselves that they fail to see it from any other point of view. As they fail to understand each other, they fail to co-exist and eventually turn on one another.

I was surprised to see Spike Lee himself being the one to start the mayhem as he launches the garbage can through the window. He is always the one to say ‘calm down’, he encourages us to think before we act, but here he’s the one kicking it all off. It seems he’s doing something artistically that he would never get to do in real life; he’s showing us that he’s the one (the easy-going, sensible, rational one) who gets most angry about it all and that he wants to do something about it.

He shows us what would happen, in convincing knock-on effect fashion, if people were to act on their feelings. We see the very quick disintegration of society and the strength of mob-rule; something that showed threatening signs of breaking through onto the real streets of America at the time. This is why he did it. This was what he wanted to show us. So that we may guard against it.

Ultimately this will be found to be Spike lee’s greatest achievement, and rightly so, for what it says and what it changed in people’s thoughts. The acting is superb, from a great cast; the dialogue is obviously snappy and flowing; the comedy is laugh out loud - just check the three stooges and the battery scene; and the message is clear. All making an astounding film that helps us to Do the Right Thing.

Extra cheese is two dollars

Spike Lee does two things (I don't mean to be patronising; he also watches basketball a lot). The social comment thing and the high style thing. DTRT is more of the first (whilst Mo Better Blues is more of the second) and is a very good film. Lee plays the lead, Mookie, and the plot boils up on one really hot day in Bedford Stuyvesant. A good Actor spotting film. Bill Nunn as Radio Rahim, John Turturro as Vito, SL Jackson as We Love Radio, Ossie Davis as Da Mayor, John Savage as man with bike, the great Robin Harris. A good summer night film with something to think about.

sweet heat

Top spike lee film. With more tension than most american movies, it lives a day in the life of a place where different ethnic minorities must share the streets and try to tolerate each other. very eighties and very good.

still good

It's fun to watch the extreme 80's style! but the message of this is still relevent.

It moves quite slowly, and you're waiting pretty much the whole film for the **** to hit the fan, and it definitely does! A slow, uneventful day ending in atrocity. The idea of nothing much snowballing to extreme levels rings true. It's a thought provoking story which is unfortunately very relevent to the western world

Spike Lee's Best?

Just a great movie with a wonderful 'feel' about it. The characters are all interesting and introduced without the story dragging at all. Spot actors/actresses in their early careers (Rosie Perez) and a lot of familiar faces, all excellent in their roles. Beautifully filmed.

absoloute classic

absoloute classic, raw, powerful and way ahead of its time.

[Highly rated reviewer]

please forget the hype

Spike lee stars and directs as Mookie the pizza boy on the hottest day in summer in the late 80s. The story here centres around Lee and many peripheral characters including giancarlo esposito, john turturroi and an early appearance from Martin Lawrence. The film is like a theatre production with dodgy sets, high colours. It is a resemblance of that period of living colour, public enemy, bright lights and big trousers. I was expecting big things of this film, after watching several good Lee movies, i had heard this was one of the best. What i got was racial drivel, if a white man had shot this movie and reversed the roles it would have been scandalous, but heavy handed Lee fumbels through an open script with the finesse of a overweight ballerina. The music is good, as with most Lee films but the dialogue was trite and the ending, without spoiling it was racist and unethical. If lee was white he would be in the Klan. I was happy at having watched the movie for brief moments of brilliance, but overall was let down by the amateur nature and treatment of the charcters.

Not stood the test of time

It is probably ten years since I last saw this. Unfortunately it has not stood the test of time. Still worth a look to see gritty, realistic filmmaking by a daring young director. Probably would have helped if the picture and soundtrack was re-mastered.

A Very Cool Film..

This is a very cool film with a serious message. It's got some cracking dialogue and some good performances from a mixed cast.

Some may be offended by Lee's straight up attitude as he doesn't hide his feelings, but I felt it made for a very thought provoking film.

Spike Lee did the right thing

A film that shows the powerful and poignant portrait of contemporary urban life. Amazingly filmed, colourful and exuberant scenes for the first three-quarters and then the sudden change highlighting the climax of racism and brutality. One of Spikes' finest projects.