For those who can remember, 1989 was undoubtedly the year of
The Batman. The Dark Knight’s shadow
loomed large, and the famed Bat Signal was emblazoned on every product
imaginable. Indeed, after all the box
office and merchandising receipts had been counted, the “World’s Greatest
Detective” emerged victorious. However,
a phenomenon of a much more lasting variety took place merely a week
later. It was spurred on by an
exponentially smaller, yet infinitely bolder film. That film was far more significant from a
sociological standpoint. It exposed long
festering wounds that hadn’t yet healed, and openly pondered one of life’s
great mysteries: What is, ultimately, the right thing to do?
Looking back at Do the
Right Thing so long after its release, it’s clear that only Shelton Jackson
"Spike" Lee could have launched such a campaign. By 1989, he’d already developed a reputation
as a rabble rouser. His interview
soundbites were every bit as inflammatory as the content of his films. That’s no small feat when one considers the
films in question. His first, She’s Gotta Have It, followed the sexual
exploits of Nola Darling, a young Black woman living in New York City. Two years later, School Daze brazenly explored colorism in the frats and sororities
of America’s Historically Black Colleges (The production was eventually
banished from the campuses of Morehouse, Spelman, and Clark Atlanta University before
filming was complete). By the close of the
1980’s, one thing was abundantly clear: If any filmmaker could make a truly
honest and scathing film about American race relations, it was Mr. Lee.
Spike’s growing reputation as a “troublemaker” caused many
critics at the time to judge Do the Right
Thing prematurely. Based on some of
their pull quotes, it’s now obvious that they couldn’t separate the art from
the artist. In his review, Newsweek film critic Jack Kroll wondered
"in this long hot summer, how will young urban audiences — black and white
— react to the film's climactic explosion of interracial violence? ... this
movie is dynamite under every seat."
David Denby of New York Magazine
went considerably farther with his critique: “The End of this movie is a
shambles, and if some audiences go wild, he’s (Spike Lee) partly responsible.”
In retrospect, such alarmist ravings seem both silly and racist. Do the
Right Thing exists to provoke thought, not to incite violence. If anything, the prognostications of the
fearful went a long way in proving its central thesis: if a single film could
spark an all-out race war, things were much worse than any of us cared to
admit. That such a nuanced and complex
film could be dismissed as a mere propaganda piece speaks volumes about the
true nature of its detractors. And make
no mistake, Do the Right Thing is
most certainly a complex work, often deceptively so. Its many characters are at once both racial
caricatures and complex human beings. It
views us as we view ourselves, but also has the courage to look much deeper
into our very souls. Spike has never
been one for easy answers or pandering.
Such instincts have never served him better than they do here.
Like New York City itself, Do the Right thing is a microcosm.
I once jokingly told a friend that film plays like a Bizarro World
version of Sesame Street. Though I stand by that analogy, it’s by no
means intended as an insult. Sesame Street remains an invaluable teaching
tool for children. It uses puppetry,
animation, and guest stars to help kids see the world in a different way. By contrast, Do the Right Thing shows that when our children grow up, they’ll
need more than Muppets to help them navigate America’s treacherous racial
landscape.
![]() |
Mookie (Spike Lee) |
The film’s complexity is perfectly embodied in its diminutive
protagonist, Mookie (Played by Spike Lee himself). He is surely a flawed hero. In today’s climate of political correctness,
he’d likely be seen as a shiftless, no-account “baby daddy.” His seeming irresponsibility and lack of
ambition are shown to be defining character traits. Yet, he exhibits true courage and decisiveness
when called upon. He regularly stands up
to Pino’s (John Tutorro) overt racism.
In the film’s climactic moments, he also becomes a reluctant general. While venting his own rage and confusion at
the murder of his friend, he inadvertently becomes a protector to his surrogate
family (Sal and his son’s) while firing the first shot in a mini-revolution.
That Mookie eventually becomes an unlikely savior to Pino
unlikely is fittingly ironic. Throughout
the film, similarities between the two are cleverly underlined. Both are very protective of family and
staunchly enforce racial/cultural boundaries.
Both look on with disgust as Sal (Danny Aiello) courts Mookie’s sister,
Jade. Indeed, Sal’s contentious
relationship with Pino resembles his equally contentious relationship with
Mookie. Moments before the climactic
riot, Sal even refers to Mookie as being like a son to him. Yet, despite such similarities, Mookie
exhibits a level of character and courage that ultimately escapes Pino. Where Pino shrinks in the face of adversity
and physical challenges, Mookie holds his ground and navigates his way out.
![]() |
Radio Raheem (Bill Nunn) |
Radio Raheem (Bill Nunn) is easily the film’s most iconic (Some
might even say gimmicky) character. He
has very little dialogue, and lumbers through most of his scenes like a
mythical creature from a faraway land.
He’s also defined by his accessories: Two gold four-fingered rings and a
giant boom box that perpetually blasts Public Enemy’s classic anthem “Fight the
Power.”
Radio Raheem’s very presence adds an air of mysticism to an
otherwise ultra-realistic film. He totes
around his giant radio like a talisman.
His unique connection to it resembles that of Samson to his hair. The single song it constantly plays seems to
cast a protective spell, creating an impenetrable bubble around him. People move out of his way and back down when
challenged. Even his closest friends don’t
make actual physical contact with him unless the volume is very low or the
music stops. When his radio runs of out
juice, he immediately replenishes the power source. He belligerently refuses to play anything
other than PE, almost as if he’s afraid to.
When his radio is destroyed, the protective spell is broken, and he is
killed soon after. As the riot winds
down, “Fight The Power” can be heard once again, as if Raheem’s ghost haunts
the scene of his murder. This allows the
viewer to truly ponder the meaning of Chuck’s words.
The image of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X shaking hands
provides a consistent visual motif which perfectly highlights the film’s
central dilemma: What is the right path
to take? What is the right thing to
do? Such questions linger in the mind as
the credits role. Do the Right Thing is
a film that doesn’t allow you to forget what you have seen, nor does it allow
you to ignore the thoughts and feelings that such images provoke. Today, in a supposedly post racial America, its
themes remain as relevant as ever. When
staring into the abyss, do we all hold hands and jump? If nothing else, Spike made us ponder that
decision for a good long while, and God bless him for that.
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