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Do the Right Thing, 1989, 120 minutes, Rated R
By Carla Robinson
Do the Right Thing is very much like Caribbean rum. It grows more potent with
age. In this cinematic tour de force, Spike Lee creates a world that is entertaining, yet
void of the usual mind-numbing, simplistic elements that have made themselves known in too
many African-American films before and since. It is a true tragi-comedy, masterfully
running the gamut from knee-slapping hilarity to a sadness so palpable that you wear it
like a three-piece suit. The high-top fades, biker shorts, and four-finger rings that
comprise the film's wardrobe may be dated, but the subject matter, unfortunately, never
grows tired. |
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Neither does Spike's deft handling of
it. The story, as anyone who wasn't comatose in 1989 probably knows, follows the events of
one long, sweltering day in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. These events culminate in the death of one
of its residents, Radio Raheem (Bill Nunn), at the hands of police. Do the Right Thing,
possibly more than any other Spike Lee film, reveals his directorial ace-in-the-hole: hire
the best actors you can with the budget God gave you and make room for them to do their
thing. An inspired cast of actors, including Nunn, John Turturro, Robin Harris, Ruby Dee,
and Ozzie Davis shine as some of the neighborhood characters that lend the film its
bright, clashing tapestry.
What is most brilliant about this work is that it manages to be an indictment of racism
itself, rather than a branding of one particular ethnic group as racist. Spike's intense
montage of people hurling racial insults directly into the camera is both a gripping
directorial choice and a great equalizer. It shows that we are all guilty of harboring
prejudice toward those we view as "other."
Raising the question of culpability to its pinnacle, the film sets up a situation in which
Radio Raheem's death could indirectly be blamed on both Sal (Danny Aiello, in a moving,
Oscar-nominated performance), and Buggin' Out (Giancarlo Esposito), the rabble-rouser who
leads Radio Raheem in the demand that Sal "put some brothers" on the walls of
his pizzeria. When Spike's character, the stubbornly neutral Mookie, incites a riot by
tossing a trash can through Sal's window, it is less than gratifying and certainly not
cathartic, as we are left wondering, how did all this happen? |
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This is not a film for people seeking
simple solutions to complex problems. It is better suited for those of us who find it
comforting that someone at least bothered to examine the big issues. And that he's done it
in an unpredictable, insightful, talk-provoking manner. Even though it offers as many ways
of seeing as there are viewers, Do the Right Thing is crystal clear on one thing: Police
intolerance kills, literally. At the end, before the credits, Spike pays homage to a list
of police brutality victims by dedicating his film to their families. Sadly, he could add
new names to that list, which should quell any doubt about the film's steadfast immediacy.
M
March 2000
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