hannahgrahambell I watched Do the Right Thing in my high school film studies class, and it was my first Spike Lee film. (I hope to watch more). Although the film seemed to be structured more like a play than a traditional movie, it nevertheless managed to balance many characters and make several points about race without seeming preachy. The best part of about Do the Right Thing is that it manages to point out the problems about racism without making the issue seem simplistic. One of the best choices Spike Lee made was to give Do the Right Thing comedic elements, a style subsequently used by a more recent film about racial tensions in America, Dear White People. The comedic scenes are born out of serious societal discussions, and they both bring the issues to attention while at the same time highlighting how ridiculous racial divisions really are. Characters form the backbone of Do the Right Thing. There are many of them in the space of a single block (hence the "play-like" feel), and they each get enough screen time to make the vibe of the neighborhood believable. Some are more memorable than others, and they all are connected in one way or another to the main character Mookie (Spike Lee) and his boss, Sal (Danny Aiello). Although the other performances are strong, it is these two characters who elevate the movie. Mookie and Sal are written and played so that they are completely believable as human beings. Too many movies promoting discussion on race, sexism, and/or homophobia tend to present their characters as either the "oppressed" or "oppressor," or they are halfhearted in their attempt to create grey area. Spike Lee does neither of these things, instead showing how ordinary people are affected by racism in this country through small incidents in the movie. The main thing the film accomplishes is that it explains how major incidents over race are rarely as spontaneous as the may seem, and that they are often the culmination of thousands of little tensions that reach a boiling point. Given the current political climate, Do the Right Thing is just as relevant today as it was in 1989.

junkasaisuperfan Why is this movie called "DO THE RIGHT THING"? Everyone does the wrong thing, This is a film that promotes racial hatred & bigotry while glorifying violence towards anyone who doesn't fit your profile of acceptable racial acceptance. Glorified racially motivated hate film.

framptonhollis Full of style, color, and humor, Spike Lee's masterpiece "Do The Right Thing" takes place during the hottest day of the year in a Brooklyn neighborhood. It explores the issue of racism in a powerful and brutal way, showing how every character has their own prejudices, and how some characters are far more villainous and hateful than others. Eventually, this hatred explodes into a finale that can only be described as shocking and chaotic.For a large portion of the film, I was smiling and laughing at all of the joyfulness and comedy that is packed into this somewhat depressing story. Although it's about a strong and mature topic, the film itself is entertaining, hilarious, and likable. But, it's still a very heavy film at times as well.Spike Lee portrays racism in a very powerful and meaningful way, and he doesn't just show whites oppressing blacks, which is refreshing to see, since it's a cliché in a film about race to show that all of the black characters are saints who don't have prejudices of their own. Pretty much every main character in "Do the Right Thing" has their own prejudice, some of them have far more mild prejudices than others, and some of them are far more kind than others. Characters like Radio Raheem and (especially) Buggin' Out are very hateful against the whites, and then characters like Pino are very hateful against the blacks. There's also characters who hold strong prejudices against Asian characters, and elderly characters. Overall, the film shows that hate can be inside of anybody, and can be directed to anybody.Unfortunately, it seems like many people seem to be interrupting the film all wrong. Looking through message boards and reviews, some people may have the idea that "Do the Right Thing" supports the actions of Radio Raheem and Buggin' Out, but they're wrong. Based on the film I watched, the Italian pizzeria owner Sal is actually supposed to be somewhat likable. He cares for and likes his customers, unlike his son Pino, a very racist and unsympathetic character, and Pino comes across as the polar opposite as his very likable and friendly brother Vito. Sadly, Sal unleashes all of his hatred at the end of the film, when Buggin' Out and Radio Raheem unleash their own hatred. Mookie, a very likable black character, is also pushed to the limit at the end of the film. So both Sal and Mookie are good people who are pushed to their limit and unleash hatred, while characters like Da Mayor and Vito are never really filled with hate and remain likable for the entirety of the film, and other characters like Buggin' Out and Pino are very racist and unlikable for the entirety of the film.At least, this is how I interpreted the film.

m-meehan-28239 I had never seen a spike lee film and I am now a fan. This movie was very good. For most of it I really thought that it was a comedy and just showed the views of the directors up bringing. I did think the picture of the movie was strange at first but the use of yellow really did help to emphasize the heat and the costume design and everything just enforced how hot it was. Even the dark apartment with fan set seemed so humid it actually reminded me of how hot my room is in the summer. I loved this movie though and the Italians at the pizza shop had me laughing a ton. The shot where the different races all insulted each other was awesome. The ending was good but avoidable the guy with the radio didn't need to die and I just feel like the trash can through the window just made the situation worse.