Spike Lee is by far one of thee greatest Directors & Producers of all time. His movies are more than entertaining, they are real; they cover issues a lot of African Americans face, but everyone can’t see or grasp unless it’s through a Spike Lee movie.
For those who didn’t see Spike Lee’s 1989 classic “Do The Right Thing,” in a nutshell it is about the hottest day in Bed-Stuy Brooklyn, and hate and the intolerance towards one another and their opinions, including stereotypes, boils over into violence.
I love this movie, but they’re a few scenes that make the movie powerful!!!
Radio Raheem played by Bill Nunn (who was also in New Jack City as one of Nino Brown’s protégés. Radio Raheem walks around with a huge boom box blasting Public Enemy “Fight The Power,” with his “love” and “hate” four ring brass knuckles. My first scene I chose was when Mookie was delivering pizza seen Radio Raheem on his way to Sal’s (the local pizzeria) walking around playing “Fight The Power” and sees Radio Raheem’s brass knuckles and is hype to see them. Radio Raheem explains his brass knuckles as boxing announcer and the struggle between the two forces.
My second scene that makes the movie the classic it is and defines the bigotry everyone had towards another is the sterotype scene. The scene first starts off by Mookie played by Spike Lee addresses Pino’s played by John Tuturro racist sterotypes. Pino tries to justifies his alleged racist stereotypes by saying “they’re not black, I mean they’re black, but they’re not really black, they’re more than black.” Mookie then says to Pino that deep down inside he wish he was black. Pino then makes some references to Rev. Al Sharpton, Jessie Jackson, and Minister Farrakhan. After some F’ you’s are shared… the racist sterotypes venting begins not only with Mookie and Pino, but across the neighborhood: Asians, Latinos, and the Jews.
Do The Right Thing: The Racist Stereotypes
My last scene they’re are two links, because it was showed in two different links. The last scene is the actual scene that made the hot day in Bed Stuy the day from hell. This is when the pot boils over and the violence begin. To understand the scene of why Radio Raheem, Smiley played by Roger G. Smith, and Buggin’ Out played by Gjancarlo Esposito barged into Sal’s pizzeria played by Danny Aiello and came after him, I’m going to have to tell you. Soooooo, earlier in the movie Buggin’ Out was enjoying his pizza at Sal and he looks up at the wall and sees a Wall of Fame of Italian Stars (John Travolta, Al Pacino, and etc.) he questions Sal asking him how come they’re aren’t any black people or “brothers” on the wall. Sal tells Buggin’ Out that he’s proud of his Italian heritage and he doesn’t have to feature anyone but Italians on his wall. Buggin’ Out demands Sal to put brothers on the wall, a argument starts, and Sal threatens to bash his head in with a baseball bat. Buggin’ Out tries to recruit people for his protest against Sal’s Wall of Fame, but only Radio Raheem and Smiley will join him.
Radio Raheem’s issue with Sal was after the “Love Hate” scene, Raheem gets to Sal with his radio blasting his radio, and tries to order pizza, but Sal wouldn’t do anything until Raheem turns off the radio. Sal then tries to charge Raheem extra for more cheese, this upsets Raheem.
Smiley reason for joining with Raheem and Buggin’ Out is because 1) he doesn’t really have nothing better to do. 2) He just walks around the neighborhood showing colored pictures of Dr. King and Malcom X. 3) He’s mentally disabled so he doesn’t really know any better, any Sal hated Smiley coming into his pizzeria doing his tactics.
Okay, so now that’s clear the first scene of the two part scene is when Radio Raheem, Smiley, and Buggin’ Out approaches Sal at the pizzeria. Raheem is blasting his boom box, and Sal gets frustrated and angry and Buggin’ Out is demanding Sal to put black people on the wall and Sal is demanding them to turn of the music. Radio Raheem starts justifying his music, Sal is still demanding it to be turned off, Raheem says to Sal to turn it off. Sal reaches his breaking point calls Radio Raheem a n****r and breaks Radio Raheem’s boom box with his baseball bat. This is when the shit hits the fan.
Do The Right Thing: Its About The Pictures
The second scene of the two part scene is the continuation of the riot in Bed Stuy after Radio Raheem was killed by the Police. Mookie takes matters into his own hands and screams “HATE” referring back to Radio Raheem’s struggle between the two forces. This ignites the whole neighborhood even more destroying Sal’s Pizzeria. Shit is still hitting the fan.
“And thats the double truth.” Mister Señor Senor Daddy played by Samuel L. Jackson
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