MOVIE ANALYSIS

It is the hottest day of the summer you can do nothing,

you can do something or you can

DO THE RIGHT THING..

is the tagline of the movie which itself gives

the idea about the movie that it is going to portray

a situation or a story during the summer time

in a place were you are free to do what you

want to which I believe indirectly relates to

each and every person as we always get to

choose from options but the director emphasizes

on do the right thing which is also title of the movie

which I am going to elaborate about all through my

writing.

Do the right thing is a 1989 American movie written , produced , directed by Spike Lee who is one of the famous hollywood director originally from Atlanta, georgia. His first feature film "she s gotta have it" known to be a sexual comedy flick which was released in 1986 made him a popular figure in film making after which he made an another movie School Daze which have a bit of focus on upliftment of blacks in America.It was after the success of School Daze that Spike Lee was confident making Do the right thing which throws light on conflicts between Afro Americans blacks and whites in America by portraying social issues in a suburb bedford stuyvensant brooklyn,new york .This was Spike lee's first movie in which he casted white actors ,his previous pictures only casted black people.Looking at his movies I believe that spike lee movies carries a strong message in it and they are very realistic.He wants to make his audience familiar with several aspects of life through cinema and I strongly do believe that he wants to defend the identity of Afro Americans (blacks) and do something for the betterment of his community which I to an extent he is already doing. I believe rather than choosing to use wider image of the country he smartly portrays his message by focusing on just one section of the country which can be seen in the movie.

DO THE RIGHT THING (TRAILER)



The movie starts with a song "fight the power" by hip hop group public enemy which also plays in most parts of the movie.Spike lee initially didnt have an idea of putting a hip hop song in the movie because he prefered jazz music but when the song was handed to him he liked it and thought would perfectly match with his story.This song plays about 27 times in the movie.

FIGHT D POWER(MUSIC VIDEO)

The song became one of the biggest hits of chucky d (head of public enemy) and was also rated one among 500 greatest songs of all time on rolling stones list.

Besides being a director Spike lee himself is an important character of the movie.He plays the role of a trusted only working guy(Mookie as pizza deliver) in the neighbourhood of bedford stuyvensant section of brooklyn were the whole movie is picturised.The location gives the perfect base for the movie to move forward as it is the most important aspect.Well the movie is completely shot in bedford stuyvensant(in a 24 hour period what all happens in the area during a hot summer day) were mookie an africo american (basically a black) works in a sals pizzeria(a pizza shop) which is owned by an italian american Sal (basically a white) ,Though Sal is a white and get cranky at people from the neighbourhood he believes that he is there because of them. This people are brought up on his food so he do have bit respect for them.Even the people dont hate Sal except buggin out(another afro american in the area) who has an argument with Sal to have some pictures of famous afro american blacks on the wall because his shop is in black neighbourhood but Sal doesnt wanna do that.buggin out wants to boycott Sal pizzeria and needs support of his people but none of them is intrested in it which clearly shows that even though Sal is a white, people dont care, they are more bothered about benefit same with Sal,that is one angle .In another instance buggin out starts an argument with a white guy who by mistake bumps his bicycle into him, telling him to go back were he come from with a group of people.well this situation is smartly placed to heat the atmosphere a bit more like in some other instance three road side afro americans swearing at a korean guy for making business in there neighbourhood.In another scene some blacks flush water on a white guys car wantedly.This is an another angle.

MOOKIE WITH SAL (at sals pizzeria) BUGGIN OUT WITH SAL(at sal pizzeria)

BUGGING OUT ARGUING WITH A WHITE GUY STREET GUYS WETS A WHITE GUYS CAR

They all use abusive and harsh language against each other,and spike lee has also succesfully shown the intense anger in themselves through there expressions which again shows that they dont entertain each other.I believe he selected to use such harsh and abusive language to make it look real and effective.Another situaton I want to mention would be arguments between pino and vito both Sal's sons one completely against blacks even though his heroes are black always explains his brother who favours blacks to keep away from them.This is an another angle.

MOOKIE WITH PINO AND VITO(medium shot)

There is one other important character in the movie radio raheem.Although I dont think so that there is no specific main hero and heroin in the movie the character of radio raheem is a strong one.This character is a well portrayed one.He is the guy who always plays public enemies song fight the power loud on his tape recorder.He is one who supports buggin out in his sals pizzeria boycott and goes on to sals shop with the song playing loud.Even after sal telling him to slow down the music he doesnt slows it down and out of frustration sal breaks his tape recorder which leads to a fight between sal and radio raheem which ends up in police arriving at the location and because of uncontrolable situation mishandling leads to the death of radio raheem which creates chaos on the location which is outside sals pizzeria which turns the onlooking crowd going crazy against sal breaking his shop into pieces and then lighting up a fire to burn it completely,surprisingly mookie was the one who throws the bin first into the sals shop.This situation is the most important and concluding situation of the movie which is the biggest show of the movie.These all bits of angles of the movie leads to this situation and also justifies his point that social conflicts in a place can lead to an extent were it gets uncontrollable and out of reach.I believe This situation is very logical and completely in practical terms because the people in the area has lost radio raheem who was not a culprit from any way neither sal was who lost his shop ,the major culprit was the social conflicts between them, on a large scale conflicts between blacks and whites in America.

SALS SHOPS AND RADIO RAHEEMS DEATH

Spike lee has presented most of the movie as a kind of little drama s which connects to his message of love and hatred in humanity ,one of the scene from the movie where Spike lee again smartly uses this technique is radio raheems love and hate scene on the street were he describes love and hate fight which is actually a truth which spike lee wants to portray.We can see radio raheem on the street when he meets with mookie firstly slows down his music(which he doesnt do usually)and wearing a A bed stay slogan written t shirt with love and hate buckles on his hand,which shows that he is actually portraying love and hate in the suburb.The camera angle in the scene is interesting as well ,Spike lee wants the audience to take part in it and feel it.

STORY OF LOVE AND HATE

In short Spike lee succesfully delivers an excellent movie which not only just have a very deep message in it but also touches the hearts of many people ,as in the end the movies title is do the right thing but actually nobody in the movie does the right thing in many instances which is clearly understood because they are very influenced from the situations sorrounding them ,but gives message to the audience to do the right thing.The movie is well complimented by great acting from spike lee himself as mookie danny aielo as sal and nevertheless from other cast,the camera angles were very gud which in most scenes gave the feeling of us being there and experiencing it,perfect reddish tint kind of which gave the feeling of perfect hot summer day and the heat of sun and blood absolutely well portrayed in a very low budget.

The movie was also very well taken by the critics and the audiences.It also won awards under best director(spike lee), best picture(spike lee),best supporting actor(Danny Aiello) categories in several occasions and was also nominated in oscars for best writting screenplay (spike lee) and also best supporting actor(Danny Aiello).

"This is fascinating movie experience" USA TODAY.

"Its comes closer to reflecting the curr
ent state of race relations in america than any other movie of our time"CHICAGO SUN TIMES.

"Stirred up impassionate debate everywhere,It would seem the greatest compliment that could be paid a stunning entertainment" LOS ANGELES TIMES.

"An exciting,disturbing provocative film"WASHINGTON POST.

This was undoubtedly one of the best hollywood movie I have ever watched.I would rate it 5/5.