Do the right thing, a Spike Lee "joint"

[The White Out]

I just watched this movie on tv, and wow, it blew me away. I really missed out when I was younger.. but that being said.. how much can you appreciate a great film at 11?

Anyways, sorry for not having a quote, but, roughly paraphrasing, Spike Lee said that only white people ask if Mookie was right to throw a trash can thru the window at the end, because they're secretly or at least inwardly saying the loss of a white mans property is more important to them than loss of black life. However, if you examine this a little further, you will find it amazingly hypocritical when you consider Radio Raheem attempts to murder Sal over his radio being busted (black property, white life). The cops arrive, and one of the cops clearly steps over the boundaries, and murders Raheem (excessive force).

Further examining the ending, I think Mookie acted horribly. He betrayed Sal, someone who in the film talked about being proud to feed the black youth as they grow up on his food, someone who clearly is more tolerant than he. Mookie tossed the trash can thru the window, and later, after the pizzeria is burned, one of the rioters posts a picture of MLK and Malcom X(I think thats who they are anyway). Sal didn't murder Radio Raheem, yet a riot is incited in response to an "innocent" black death. I put quotes around innocent because, if I go into someones store and try and choke them to death.. I clearly am taking my life into my own hands when someone tries to stop me. This magical movie moment, glorifying a riot, is insanely irresponsible, and really bothers me. It's not a victory for the black neighborhood, it's a blemish.

Spike Lee presents the rioters as heroes and civil rights trailblazers. He presents an attempted murderer(over a radio), killed by police, as some sort of martyr. I admit, I have a very big problem with this movie, and I think it only goes to widen our difference (racially).. encourage white fear of blacks, and black hate of white people. At the very least, I believe Spike Lee to be at the core, just a smidge racist towards white people.. and the movie.. while terrific.. sort of .. or really.. racist.

[Vulcan]

It's been a long time since I saw this movie so I cant comment much but it was the first movie I've seen that gave the point of view from a young black man. Sure there were lots of warts but that's real life. Great movie.

[Ozy_Flame]

I had to do an analysis on that movie a few years ago....The best thing to do is try and understand the context of why that movie exists, and why it was written the way it was. It's easy for us to judge it as such, but New York 20 years ago was a much different place.

It's a product of it's time, and might not always follow the norms of today's standard.

[blankall]

I have to disagree w/ your analysis of this film. I don't think there are any "heroes" in this film. If you read the quotes presented at the end of the film by Martin Luthor King and Malcolm X, they represent opposite ways of dealing w/ what is essentially a messed up situation for everyone. One embraces peaceful resistance and one embraces violence.

The whole point of the movie is that there is no right answer to this question. Sal's pizza had been in the neighborhood for decades and was a fixture of the community. At the same time, it was not owned by the community. The bit w/ Radio Raheem's death was meant to show an overreaction from both sides that was caused by racial tension that went far beyond the store.

Mookie's character is in no way presented as heroic. Mookie is presented as lazy and with a sense of entitlement. He is a poor husband and a poor father. He is employed by Sal despite all of this. His reaction to destroy the window and set off the riot, is exactly that a reaction. The justification of which is presented as neither good nor bad in the final conversation he has w/ Sal.

Basically the whole point of the film is to ask the question; can we all get along or are we better off living separated? The film is one of the few films that dares to explore the latter.

[Flames in 07]

Originally Posted by The White Out

I just watched this movie on tv, and wow, it blew me away. I really missed out when I was younger.. but that being said.. how much can you appreciate a great film at 11?

Anyways, sorry for not having a quote, but, roughly paraphrasing, Spike Lee said that only white people ask if Mookie was right to throw a trash can thru the window at the end, because they're secretly or at least inwardly saying the loss of a white mans property is more important to them than loss of black life. However, if you examine this a little further, you will find it amazingly hypocritical when you consider Radio Raheem attempts to murder Sal over his radio being busted (black property, white life). The cops arrive, and one of the cops clearly steps over the boundaries, and murders Raheem (excessive force).

Further examining the ending, I think Mookie acted horribly. He betrayed Sal, someone who in the film talked about being proud to feed the black youth as they grow up on his food, someone who clearly is more tolerant than he. Mookie tossed the trash can thru the window, and later, after the pizzeria is burned, one of the rioters posts a picture of MLK and Malcom X(I think thats who they are anyway). Sal didn't murder Radio Raheem, yet a riot is incited in response to an "innocent" black death. I put quotes around innocent because, if I go into someones store and try and choke them to death.. I clearly am taking my life into my own hands when someone tries to stop me. This magical movie moment, glorifying a riot, is insanely irresponsible, and really bothers me. It's not a victory for the black neighborhood, it's a blemish.

Spike Lee presents the rioters as heroes and civil rights trailblazers. He presents an attempted murderer(over a radio), killed by police, as some sort of martyr. I admit, I have a very big problem with this movie, and I think it only goes to widen our difference (racially).. encourage white fear of blacks, and black hate of white people. At the very least, I believe Spike Lee to be at the core, just a smidge racist towards white people.. and the movie.. while terrific.. sort of .. or really.. racist.

I agree, good film, well written and directed, but yea you wouldn't be the first to say that Spike is a smidge racist. I always think a good test is pretend it was the other way around, would a white guy get away with what Spike does?

[The White Out]

Originally Posted by blankall

I have to disagree w/ your analysis of this film. I don't think there are any "heroes" in this film. If you read the quotes presented at the end of the film by Martin Luthor King and Malcolm X, they represent opposite ways of dealing w/ what is essentially a messed up situation for everyone. One embraces peaceful resistance and one embraces violence.

The whole point of the movie is that there is no right answer to this question. Sal's pizza had been in the neighborhood for decades and was a fixture of the community. At the same time, it was not owned by the community. The bit w/ Radio Raheem's death was meant to show an overreaction from both sides that was caused by racial tension that went far beyond the store.

Mookie's character is in no way presented as heroic. Mookie is presented as lazy and with a sense of entitlement. He is a poor husband and a poor father. He is employed by Sal despite all of this. His reaction to destroy the window and set off the riot, is exactly that a reaction. The justification of which is presented as neither good nor bad in the final conversation he has w/ Sal.

Basically the whole point of the film is to ask the question; can we all get along or are we better off living separated? The film is one of the few films that dares to explore the latter.

I disagree totally.. kind of. I agree that during the bulk of the film, each character is presented as being flawed in some way. Each has their own racial stereotype or believes in one, or, they're either lazy or mean or whatever.

However at the end of the film, I feel that the rioters and Mookie in particular were givin a sense of empowerment, that they were glorified by their actions, and I honestly think the name of the film was in reference to burning down the pizzaeria and now harming Sal.

[Flames in 07]

Originally Posted by The White Out

I disagree totally.. kind of. I agree that during the bulk of the film, each character is presented as being flawed in some way. Each has their own racial stereotype or believes in one, or, they're either lazy or mean or whatever.

However at the end of the film, I feel that the rioters and Mookie in particular were givin a sense of empowerment, that they were glorified by their actions, and I honestly think the name of the film was in reference to burning down the pizzaeria and now harming Sal.

yep. Remember the name of the song that went with that movie?

[JiriHrdina]

Great movie but some of his lesser known films are even better.

I think 25th Hour is vastly under-rated. Worth seeing for the final 5 minutes of the film alone. Just tremendous.

[JimmytheT]

I think the point of the ending, is that no one heeded the words of the drunk old man (played by the late Ozzy Davis); "Always do the right thing".

In the end, no one did the right thing.

[Flames in 07]

Originally Posted by JimmytheT

I think the point of the ending, is that no one heeded the words of the drunk old man (played by the late Ozzy Davis); "Always do the right thing".

In the end, no one did the right thing.

I remember that's what I thought, but I also thought 8 or 9 out of 10 people would just think that they stuck it to the man, or 'fight the power'.