movies blog | April 29, 2011 | 3 comments

More than 20 years later, 'Do The Right Thing' still hasn't caused riots

The critics were wrong. In 1989, several film critics and scholars criticized Spike Lee and his film "Do The Right Thing" for glorifying rage in black citizens, in Brooklyn, and some feared that mass viewership of the film might incite violence in neighborhoods across the United States. Twenty-two years later, Bedford-Stuyvesant may still be considered one of the most volatile communities in New York, but the neighborhood continues on, not routinely plagued by summer rioters that name Spike Lee as their leader.

"The African-American moviegoing audience is intelligent. They understand what's happening on the screen," Spike Lee tells Henry Louis Gates Jr., editor in chief of The Root, in a 2009 retrospective. For critics to warn audiences about anything different back in the late '80s has always struck him as completely condescending.

For Lee, "Do The Right Thing" studies the way heat and close quarters affect the behaviors among myriad races and genders whose lives overlap daily. The movie remains intentionally ambiguous, a litmus test for anyone who views it, Lee says. Reactions to that ambiguity then reveal a person's own thoughts, major concerns, and tolerance when presented with race-related situations.

Do the Right Thing - Trailer
Tags: Do the Right Thing - Trailer

The results are ongoing. "Do The Right Thing" tackles more than rage. It also covers love, friendship, compassion for strangers, and examines the reactions people have when dealing with interpersonal conflict. That misconceptions about Spike Lee's intentions for making the film still exist only proves its lasting relevance and effectiveness. More than controversy, it's about conversation, something "Do The Right Thing" viewings really have started, every day since its release.

 


(Click through to see the full interview.)

 

- Chanelle Berlin Johnson


"Do The Right Thing" premieres on Sunday, May 1 at 7/6c on Current TV. Check the schedule for local listings.

  1. groups:
    movies blog
  2. tags:
    Movies,  Current Flicks,  Spike Lee,  Do The Right Thing,  1 more
  3.     
    |

3 comments // More than 20 years later, 'Do The Right Thing' still hasn't caused riots

  • Yam_Soup
  • ebunn
  • thedirtman
    • +1
      thedirtman  

    • The "always do the right thing" advice is central to the movie. It sounds simple enough to follow simple advice. There are so many temptations in the world to take shortcuts, to become confused or distracted that the path becomes hidden and lost. Sometimes, it might seem as there is no path. A more longer and more complex advice in the world is no better. Sometimes doing the right thing might involve backing down, or doing what others want simply to avoid problems - something that Americans do not look at glamorously to say the least.

      How much Hollywood crap makes it looks easy for stars to never back down or walk away without it ever causing grief to anyone. This realistic portrayal makes "Do the Right Thing" one of the best movies of all time.

    • 1 year ago
chanelleberlin
more from movies blog:
from the community

top videos