American History in Spike Lees Do the Right Thing - Essay Example

DO THE RIGHT THING Ryan Lafleche Kwantlen Do the Right Thing Director Spike Lee's, "Do the Right Thing" (1989) is a powerful film that explores myriad issues that are relevant to this day, thereby making it a timeless classic. Set in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, the film depicts a microcosm of American society where people from different ethnic backgrounds, attempt unsuccessfully to coexist. It is the hottest day of the year and even as the mercury rises and tempers flare, a seemingly trivial incident sets off a chain-reaction that explodes in cataclysmic destruction. A lot has been said and written about this movie. Some people find it incendiary and a destructive influence while others have lauded it as a thought-provoking masterpiece on race-relations. This research paper will attempt an analysis of the film pertaining to social class, racial issues, human nature, morality, and historical significance while trying to prove that it is indeed a masterpiece and far from incendiary. The Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood is inhabited mainly by African-Americans but the grocery is run by Koreans, the pizzeria by an Italian-American Sal and his two sons, Pino and Vito and to round out the ethnic assortment, the Brownstone is owned by a yuppie named Clive. Mookie, the pizza-delivery boy is a pivotal character and represents the tenuous link between the Blacks and Whites. Mookie's friend Buggin Out gets into a dispute with Sal concerning his Wall of fame which does not feature any prominent Blacks. The latter retorts sharply and Buggin Out leaves in high dudgeon. This particular incident sets in motion the events which will result in the death of a black man (Radio Raheem), Buggin Out's arrest, and the burning down of Sal's famous pizzeria. As the story picks up pace, the very atmosphere cackles with the intensity of unresolved conflicts rooted in history as well as mired in the present. The denizens of the neighborhood with their own particular peccadilloes interact with one another, each contributing a little to the rising unrest which results in eventual conflagration. Lee explores the causes for the tragedy in his direct and non-judgmental manner, and they will be discussed in detail below. The disparity between the classes economy-wise, in an increasingly materialistic word is a telling factor that ferments the seeds of inter-racial hostility and resentment. According to Reid (1997), "The film explores philosophical issues that impinge on the economic" (p. 4). For instance there is a scene depicting three Black men discussing how the Koreans can manage to prosper in their neighborhood, while they themselves have accomplished nothing of worth. The question raised here is whether the blacks have been held down by a bigoted establishment or their own lack of enterprise. However there appears to be no doubt in the minds of the three men. As one character so succinctly puts it, "It's gotta be cuz we're Black. No other explanation, nobody don't want the Black man to be about shit". This particular mindset manifests itself in a particularly dangerous moment towards the end when an infuriated mob threatens to burn down the grocery store. The Koreans escape by appealing to the mob and saying they are also "Black" meaning they belong to the hapless minority. Thus we are also made cognizant of the fact that despite everything they have been through over the ages, the Blacks themselves are not above racism. Meanwhile Mookie has to endure the constant taunting of his boss's son Pino. The open antagonism between the two may have resulted in Mookie's throwing of the trash-can into the pizzeria - a single confused action bought on by hidden hurts and the passion of the moment which unleashes the fury of the mob and goads them to violent excesses. In the words of Meyer, "The film powerfully portrays how conflicts in the business setting entail and are reflective of conflicts between racial and ethnic groups" (as cited in Lovell, 1998, p. 16). Racial issues constitute the underlying subtext of the movie. According to Pouzoulet, "Spike Lee's film is replete with references to a series of racial incidents that polarized New York and sharpened interethnic tensions" (as cited in Reid, 1997, p.36). The movie alludes to three incidents in particular. The cop uses a choke hold to restrain Radio Raheem and strangles him to death. This is a direct reference to the death of Michael Stewart in the same manner. Eleanor Bumpers was another victim of police brutality; she was an old woman who was shot to death by the cops attempting to evict her from the premises. The Howard Beach incident is also alluded to in the movie. Three Black men were attacked in a pizza parlor and one of them Michael Griffith was killed. The mob remembers these ugly episodes and starts baying for blood. There is a montage sequence in the film that shows close-ups of characters representing particular ethnic groups, mouthing racial slurs about other groups. This sequence highlights the exaggerated stereotypes, misconceptions and subsequent mistrust that deepen the gulf between the diverse communities in the neighborhood. According to Ebert (2001), "Racism is so deeply ingrained in our society that the disease itself creates mischief, while most blacks and whites alike are only onlookers". In his portrayal of racial issues, Lee does not take sides or preach or advocate mindless violence. His characters are all too human and there is nothing overtly heroic or villainous about any of them Black or White. The pivotal characters, Mookie and Sal are both well-meaning individuals and it is extremely unfortunate that they become key-figures in a situation engineered by forces beyond their control. Through his keen understanding of human nature and empathy, Lee shows that sometimes extreme rage is understandable; however he neither condemns nor condones the violence it inevitably breeds. And according to Kellner (1995), "Lee's text tends to be open, to elicit divergent readings, and to generate a wealth of often divergent responses" (p.160). Thus his work is neither incendiary nor propagandist. And as Ebert (2001) puts it, "Those who found this film an incitement to violence are saying much about themselves, and nothing useful about the movie." This film is a journey into the inner recesses of human nature. Lee explores the grey area between good and bad, justice and vengeance and viewers are invited to form their own opinions. In the words of Kellner (1995), "His work is highly serious and strives for specific transformative moral and political effects. Yet there are also ambiguities in Lee's work" (p. 160). This ambiguity, moral and otherwise is characteristic of the movie. Lee deliberately layers it with contradictory meaning. The characters themselves epitomize this particular characteristic by eliciting mixed responses from the viewer. Lee's juxtaposition of conflicting ideologies is manifested in a scene where Radio Raheem shows Mookie the "brass knuckles" rings on his right and left hand spelling Love and Hate respectively and proceeds to tell Mookie the story of the eternal warfare between the two powerful emotions. He concludes by saying Love wins after a bitter struggle. Later following Radio Raheem's untimely demise, Mookie hurls the trash-can into Sal's famous pizzeria screaming "Hate" in a particularly perverse twist. In a similar context, he juxtaposes the opposing philosophies of Martin Luther King, "Violence as a way of achieving racial justice is both impractical and immoral a descending spiral ending in destruction for all" and Malcolm X, "I don't even call it violence when its self defense, I call it intelligence". Kellner (1995) asks, "Does he agree with the politics of Malcolm X or Martin Luther King Is he advocating reform or revolution, integration or black nationalism, or a synthesis of the two" (p.160). Lee of course leaves the viewers to arrive at their own answers. The movie also has its moments of exquisite tenderness, which emphasizes the soft sides in characters destined to embrace violence making it all the more poignant by contrast. Mookie's affectionate nature is revealed in his brief interaction with Ruby, and his good-natured friendship with many of the inhabitants, including his boss's son Vito. Likewise crusty Sal has feelings for Mookie's sister Jade, and he expresses it by making her pizza slices extra special. The movie has historical significance as well. According to Pouzoulet, "To understand the historical importance of Lee's film, one must first understand the neoconservative politics of the Koch administration, which laid the foundation for the reign of interethnic hatred and murders that Lee suggestively portrays" (as cited in Reid, 1997, p. 38). It is commonly believed that the movie attempted to influence the New York City mayor's elections. Furthermore, this movie deserves credit for its fair portrayal of race relations and attempting to improve communication between the different ethnic groups in an increasingly multicultural America. Lee's film is dialectic in nature. His approach thrives on the tension generated between conflicting ideas and is a throwback to the Socratic method of investigating and arriving at the truth by means of disputation. Kellner (1995) likens Lee to the most influential German dramatist of the twentieth century, "Like Bertold Brecht, Spike Lee produces a cinema that dramatizes the necessity of making moral and political choices. They show examples of social and asocial behavior, and convey didactic messages to the audience. Both strive to teach people to discover and do the right thing, while criticizing improper and antisocial behavior" (p. 159).Therefore Lee's movie is intended to serve as a wake up call to do the right thing. According to Reid (1997), "This film will remain an important fixture in the American film canon because Lee weaves a complex image of the inescapable social exchanges that occur in an increasingly diverse America" (p. 11). Thus the film provides an insightful look into the many facets of American society and the elements which may herald the destruction of its multicolored fabric from within. The pervading atmosphere of the film towards the end is one of profound sadness and it endorses the need for people not only to tolerate but to embrace the differences that make people so unique. In conclusion it would be perfectly justified to call the film a modern-day masterpiece. And the viewer will do well to remember Sal's parting words, "Doctor, always try to do the right thing." References Ebert, R. (2001). Do the right thing. Retrieved July 20, 2006 from http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/articleAID=/20010527/REVIEWS08/105270301/1023 Reid, M.A. (Ed.). (1997). Spike Lee's do the right thing. New York: Cambridge University Press. Kellner, D. (1995). Media culture: Cultural studies, identity, and politics between the modern and the postmodern. New York: Routledge. Lee, S. (Producer), & Lee, S. (Director). (1989). Do the right thin [Motion picture]. United States: Forty Acres and a Mule Filmworks, Inc. Lovell, J.P. (Ed.). (1998). Insights from film into violence and oppression: Shattered dreams of the good life. USA: Praeger Publishers. Read More