Do the Right Thing Review: Spike Lee’s Greatest Joint

With an all time ensemble and a story that remains relevant, Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing is a stroke of cinematic brilliance.

Originally released in 1989, Do the Right Thing made me think about not only what a cinematic release can be, but also the lasting impact and relevance that they are capable of. The greatest pieces of art, regardless of medium, usually contain some sort of meaning that manages to transcend generations. Meaning that anyone at any time can look at it and form some sort of connection with the art, even if that differs from previous interpretations from others. This certainly applies to the third film directed by Academy Award winner Spike Lee, as its narrative has been the subject of debate since coming out 35 years ago. 

Of course, the powerful story is but one vital part of this film. Lee’s direction and the cinematography from Ernest Dickerson helped create something that looks realistic and timeless. Then you have the cast, which is filled with acting legends, some of whom were experienced and others that were still young at the time of filming. Each of them played their roles to perfection, so much so that I cannot imagine anyone else portraying these characters. Having these other quality elements in addition to the narrative elevates this piece of cinema to the stratosphere. 

Do the Right Thing takes place over the course of one of the hottest days of the year in Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Audiences witness the lives and occurrences of its mostly African-American residents in this neighborhood. This includes a twenty-five-year-old delivery man named Mookie (portrayed by Spike Lee in addition to his duties as director, writer, producer) who works at a local pizzeria owned by the Italian-American Salvatore “Sal” Frangione (Danny Aiello, The Godfather Part II). When Mookie’s friend Buggin’ Out (Giancarlo Esposito, Breaking Bad) complains to Sal that the pizzeria’s Wall of Fame exhibits only Italian actors, racial tensions begin to rise before ultimately exploding into tragedy and violence. 

This narrative explores a multitude of issues that were relevant in 1989 and remain so today. Whether you are talking about the subject of race relations or police brutality, the film paints a picture that looks familiar to those not only in America, but all over the world. These issues have not gone away even 35 years later, as much as some would like you to believe they have. Racism is still prevalent and you have had African American people continue to be unjustly killed at the hands of police officers. As wrong as that is, this is part of why the story told in Do the Right Thing has resonated over generations.

The story also resonates because Lee depicts all sides of the issue of race relations. We do not just see the perspective of the neighborhood’s African-American residents. Audiences are exposed to the views of Sal and his two sons, Pino (John Turturro, The Batman) and Vito (Richard Edson, Eight Men Out) as well. We even briefly get the perspectives of Latino and Korean residents of the neighborhood. Spike Lee leaves no stone unturned from a writing perspective. He presents the issues and players fairly while emphasizing that there are no heroes in this story, only people with complex emotions. How you feel about them is ultimately left up to you as a viewer, which makes the film all the more thought provoking. 

Lee also does more than depict tragedy and violence. He shows us what led up to them as well as the happenings of the neighborhood. We see some joy, some hurt, and even some common ground between the residents such as Mookie and Vito. This allows everything that happens later on to hold more weight, because we have followed these characters (even grown to care about them in some cases) throughout the day and properly built up to a particular breaking point.

Another part of what makes this story so impactful is the way that Lee and cinematographer Ernest Dickerson capture everything. The neighborhood is vibrant and alive, with colors that shine as bright has the hot sun. Neither man does anything to make this Bedford–Stuyvesant neighborhood appear out of the ordinary. Giving the characters/actors an authentic world to play in just adds to the sense of realism this film offers. 

A question that many viewers ask is if Mookie “did the right thing” by throwing a trash can through the pizzeria’s window. To be frank, it is not a question of whether Mookie did the right thing. He was furious over the murder of Radio Raheem (Bill Nunn, New Jack City) who joined Buggin’ Out in boycotting Sal’s pizzeria and always has his boombox. The fact is property damage from the riot caused by Mookie is something that can be remedied. A human being who is wrongfully murdered by police officers like Radio Raheem cannot be replaced. No matter if you agree with Mookie’s actions or not, that is as Samuel L. Jackson’s character, radio DJ Mister Señor Love Daddy would say, the truth, Ruth. 

In terms of an ensemble cast, it does not get much better. We have the feature film debuts of Martin Lawrence (Bad Boys: Ride or Die) as neighborhood jokester Cee and Rosie Perez (1992’s White Men Can’t Jump) as Tina, Mookie’s girlfriend/mother of his son Hector and that is just the start. Lee is excellent as Mookie, ditto for Danny Aiello as Sal. What really makes this group special is not a single member of the main cast feels left out and each gets a moment to shine. In a story built around humans and very real issues, that matters. You cannot treat these specific characters like paper cut outs, because then you lose some of the film’s humanity.

Honestly, how did everyone in the world not realize in 1989 that Giancarlo Esposito is one of the most gifted actors alive? It should not have taken so long for him to enter the mainstream post Do the Right Thing. Buggin’ Out provides some excellent comic relief before his main arc gets going and once it does, Esposito shows off the range that we have seen from him in the years since. It would have been so easy for audiences to regard him as a sort of bother the way that Sal does, but Esposito makes it impossible to do so. His delivery of “You can’t kill us all!” as Buggin’ Out is being taken away by the police remains absolutely gut wrenching. 

There is no question that Do the Right Thing is one of the greatest films of all time and Spike Lee’s biggest contribution to the world of cinema. It has an incredibly human story that is still relevant today in more ways than one. The cast is among the finest collection of actors ever assembled and they deliver incredible performances. Lee is a one man force when you consider he directed, wrote, produced and starred in the film, and did so brilliantly on all fronts. You cannot help but feel something as you watch this, and if you do not feel anything, I would begin to question if you are human. 

Do the Right Thing is now available to watch on digital and on demand.

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