Do The Right Thing (Blu-ray)

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It´s seems hard to believe that Spike Lee´s poignant masterpiece "Do The Right Thing" was released twenty years ago today as I write this review. I can remember driving thirty miles to buy the Public Enemy album that contained the song "Fight the Power" and remember my first time watching this picture. It seems even harder to believe that it has been just over eight years since I last watched the film when I reviewed the Criterion DVD release on June 20, 2001. Eight years is a long time, but the fact that "Do The Right Thing" has warranted a brand new 20th Anniversary Release with director Spike Lee filming all new supplements and a commentary shows the importance of this picture to the public and to Lee himself. "Do The Right Thing" is one of those rare films that touches the pulse of the public and has an important message to say. Lee delivers that message to perfection.

Spike Lee´s "Do The Right Thing" is one of the most controversial films in cinematic history. The film debuted at Cannes in 1989 and was ecstatically embraced by critics. This tale of racial strain on a group of citizens of Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn stirred just as much attention when it landed upon American shores, though not all was praise. Racial cries were heard from both sides. At first, whites slammed Lee for being racist. Then, "Do The Right Thing" mustered only a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Danny Aiello and a nomination for Best Original Screenplay for Lee. This added to the racial fervor created by "Do The Right Thing," and blacks began to blast the Academy for being racial against Spike Lee´s masterful film. The film contained references to actual racial-related acts at the time and was faced with a lot of anger, but now twenty years later, "Do The Right Thing" has outlasted its critics.

"Do The Right Thing" unfolds on one of the hottest days of the year on a street in Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn. The neighborhood is predominantly black, but features Sal´s Famous pizza shop and a Korean grocery store. Disc jockey Senor Love Daddy (Samuel L. Jackson) spins the tunes and provides a soundtrack to the blazing hot day as three men sit on a corner in front of a hot red wall and discuss the going ons. The men are Sweet Dick Willie (Robin Harris), Coconut Sid (Frankie Faison) and ML (Paul Benjamin). An old drunk known as the Mayor (Ossie Davis) is respected by some, but cannot gain the affections of the elderly Mother-Sister (Ruby Dee). While everybody is just trying to remain comfortable on this day, the mentally handicapped Smiley (Roger Guenveur Smith) is marking photographs of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. and trying to sell them for a couple dollars.

With such hot and humid conditions, the neighborhood of Bed-Stuy is ripe for tempered confrontations and "Do The Right Thing" creates tension as Sal´s Famous proprietor Sal Frangione (Danny Aiello) and his two sons Vito (Richard Edson) and Pino (John Turturro) find their twenty five years of business in jeopardy. Vito does not enjoy working for his father and feels a great deal of racial hatred. Pino is friends with Mookie (Spike Lee), who delivers pizza for Sal and is only interested in making his money. At one point, some friends of Mookie´s become upset because only Italian-American´s are shown in pictures on Sal´s walls. These friends, Radio Raheem (Bill Nunn) and Buggin´ Out (Giancarlo Esposito) decide to start a boycott against Sal and his pizza shop. This leads to strong racial tensions on a day where the sweltering heat is already affecting most of the citizens of Bed-Stuy.

As the story progresses and the hot day ends, Mookie´s employment with Sal comes under question as he demands to get paid early and leaves for a long spell to have sex with his girlfriend Tina (Rosie Perez) and continues to give Sal lip service; especially after Sal is overly kind to Mookie´s sister Jade (Joie Lee). Buggin´ Out and Radio can only talk Smiley into joining their crusade against Sal and Pino´s actions against others in the neighborhood cause racial strain against Sal´s Famous. When Sal lets four of the neighborhood teens into his shop after close for four slices of pizza, the temperature and the racial tensions unfold as Buggin´ Out and Radio force their way into the shop and Radio´s loud playing of "Fight the Power" and Buggin´ Out´s protest for pictures of black men on the walls is too much to handle after a long day.

The story is a powerful tale that tells of not only normal day life, but also how stress and pressure can affect anybody. It shows the transformation of one character that is well liked and seems to be a peacekeeper, into the one who unexpectedly causes great commotion. America´s racial tension is a large focal point of the film and it offers views from both sides of the fence as to why there exist feelings of racial hatred and offers a glimpse at what can occur because of racial hatred and violence. "Do The Right Thing" is stereotypical in many ways. However, it is meant to be just a generalized look at life in parts of America like Brooklyn´s Bed-Stuy district. Lee does well taking this sample of life and extrapolating it to give such a powerful message on race and racial tensions.

"Do The Right Thing" is a landmark film not only for the message it delivers, but also for an incredibly talented cast and wonderful direction by Lee. Martin Lawrence and Rosie Perez mark their big screen debuts and Samuel L. Jackson makes an early appearance. Miguel Sandoval as Officer Gary Long is another familiar face that is part of the ensemble gathered by Lee for "Do The Right Thing." Every member of the cast puts forth a terrific performance and it is amazing that Spike Lee is able to gather such a powerful pool of talent and deliver such a coherent final product. You would expect some egos to shine through in the performance or stories of attitudes clashing, but none of that existed and the entire crew worked well together as they played out the hatred and distrust required for their characters. "Do The Right Thing" is powerful in part because of its amazing and talented cast.

Lee´s direction is top notch for what was only his third time helming a film and to this day "Do The Right Thing" remains his most important and powerful film. Much has been said about Lee´s depiction of Bed-Stuy and how the film does not accurately portray a real day in the life of its citizens. "Do The Right Thing" is intended to be a story, not a documentary, and Lee has crafted a fine tale. The look of the neighborhood is colorful and just attractive enough to work on the big screen. It never becomes too produced or comes to a point where it no longer appears to not be authentic representation. The different personalities are introduced in a manner that almost instantly gives enough insight into the character to fully understand them. There are a number of different characters in the film to follow and Lee manages to give substance to each and every one of them.

I have watched "Do The Right Thing" at least half a dozen times. This is a movie I have always enjoyed and with each passing year I find a stronger appreciation for Lee´s masterpiece. Yes, there is strong language and the stereotypes and situations are overblown to add emphasis on the message that Lee was trying to convey to his audience. Race is an ugly thing and Spike Lee was not afraid to make things a little ugly to make his point. This is an important film and a landmark picture in many ways. The controversy against "Do The Right Thing" has died down and after twenty years "Do The Right Thing" can finally stand on its own without the controversy affecting the views of those that may watch the picture. As a society, we must stand against race and "Do The Right Thing" stands as a lesson on why this is important. In another twenty years, this picture will continue to stand strong.

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