Spike Lee's opus on racism and police violence in America
Do The Right Thing was Spike Lee’s opus on racism and police violence in America. Released in 1989 it generated immediate controversy and conversations.<br /><br />One of the main things about the movie was that people got lost in it because it doesn’t have a real story at first. Many of these scenes and characters are heavily symbolic which could go right over the heads of many viewers. For instance, Ossie Davis as Da Mayor the local drunk and his wife Ruby Dee as Mother Sister are the elders of the neighborhood who look out for people like grandparents. The Italian family that runs Sal’s Pizza, Danny Aiello as Sal, John Turturro as Pino and Richard Edson as his brother Vito represent white relations with blacks. Turturro is a straight out racist who can’t stand the fact that he works in a black neighborhood and routinely uses the N word and other derogatory terms for blacks. Vito on the other hand is immersed in black culture. The father Sal is proud of the fact that all the people in the neighborhood grew up on his pizza and feels part of the community. Roger Smith as Smiley is keeping the message of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X alive. The fact that he is handicapped shows that he is pure of heart and isn’t attempting to exploit these two heroes of the black community.<br /><br />The start of the movie is all just short vignettes of life in Brooklyn on the hottest day of the year. Many them are full of messages as well. When Spike Lee as Mookie runs into Bill Nunn as Radio Raheem for instance. Radio has new rings that say love and hate. He says they tell the story of Cane and Able, the two brothers in the Bible which committed fratricide. That’s symbolic of black on black violence. There’s another where various members of the community spew racist and ethnic stereotypes of each other. Most in America think of race relations as only being black and white with the former being the victims of the later. The scenes emphasizes that all groups in America can be racist because it is part of the society in which they are brought up in. Again, because the film goes from one of these scenes to another it doesn’t appear to create a full story. That’s until the end, when it call comes together.<br /><br />As the day progresses there is also more and more anger caused by the heat, which is also symbolic of the growing tensions in America over race. By the end they explode in a race riot at Sal’s after Radio Raheem is killed. He’s murdered by a policeman who puts him in a choke hold. Afterward different characters name other black people killed in New York City. That is the climax of Do The Right Thing. At any time the black community can explode in violence because they put up with day to day tensions just below the surface, and then something sets it off like an act of police violence.<br /><br />Do the Right Thing works on different levels which makes it still relevant today. People can just watch it and enjoy the different scenes, many of which are played for comedic effect. Those that analyze the movie can get a whole other view of it as it transmits different messages about the black community and race relations. That makes it an outright classic in the end.<br />C
The movie title "Do the Right Thing," available on Movies & TV, has received an average rating of 4.7 from 5592 reviewers. 
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This title falls under the categories of Movies & TV, Genre for Featured Categories and Drama. 
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 {"Aspect Ratio": "1.85:1", "Is Discontinued By Manufacturer": "No", "MPAA rating": "R (Restricted)", "Product Dimensions": "0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 2.72 Ounces", "Item model number": "25176589", "Director": "Spike Lee", "Media Format": "Multiple Formats, Color, NTSC, Widescreen", "Run time": "2 hours", "Release date": "January 10, 2012", "Actors": "Spike Lee, Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Giancarlo Esposito", "Subtitles": "French, Spanish", "Producers": "Spike Lee", "Language": "English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)", "Studio": "Universal Pictures Home Entertainment", "Writers": "Spike Lee", "Country of Origin": "USA", "Number of discs": "1"}

Here is a brief synopsis of the title : Unanimous critical acclaim embraces this inventive and extraordinary film from Spike Lee. Newsweek calls it "astonishing." The Houston Post describes it as "exhilarating, joyous and screamingly funny." USA Today calls it "1989's best film." This powerful visual feast combines humor and drama with memorable characters while tracing the course of a single day on a block in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn. It's the hottest day of the year, a scorching 24-hour period that will change the lives of its residents forever. Danny Aiello co-stars in this absorbing tale of inner-city life that heats up with vivid images and unforgettable performances..