Do the Right Thing. Watch this movie to complete your list ... even if it's bad.

Do the Right Thing (1989)

Adam’s rating: ★★★  (out of 5)

Director: Spike Lee

Rated: R. 120 min.

Not on AFI 100

No. 96 on AFI 100 reissue

Not on IMDB Top 250

Starring: Danny Aiello, Spike Lee,
John Turturro, Martin Lawrence,
Samuel L. Jackson, Rosie Perez,

"Do the Right Thing": No. 96 on AFI 100 (2008);
Criterion No. 97 

It’s been years since I’ve seen this film. We watched it once – and that’s really all it took – in a college sociology class. And, while the film left a good impression, I liked it enough to give it a three-star rating but I’m not absolutely in love with it either.

The film has a good message about race and racism at a time when “racial harmony” was being preached extensively – and considering it was only a few years before the L.A. riots, despite the fact the film is based in New York, the message sent by this movie was a good eye-opener for white America, which I think often times overlooked black people’s argument.

I’d like to think that 20 years later, we’re in a better situation and that we’ve come closer to following Rodney King’s advice of “Can’t we all just get along?” but I don’t know if we have?

Say what you will about Spike Lee’s “joints;” most of his films I have disliked. But this film has a strong message shown with strong action between race relations. It is very culturally significant for not only the time in which it was made, but the tension all across the country as a few other quiet social revolutions took place in the 1990s. And it was very revolutionary for its time – which is not only why it was released into the Criterion Collection (Spine No. 97), but was also voted into the AFI’s 10th anniversary list.

The only thing I dislike about the movie is I the riot scene. The controversy surrounding the scene, of course, stirred publicity and got more people to see this film. But I dislike it – even though it’s central to what I see as the point of the entire film – for another reason.

The scene is this: Buggin’ Out, a black guy in the neighborhood, gets mad because the local pizzeria, which is owned by an Italian (Danny Aiello), has photos of famous Italian-Americans on his wall. He wants to see photos of black people. But instead of having a civil conversation, he gets angry and excited and the argument escalates to the point that the black man organizes a boycott of the pizzeria – which, of course, makes the pizzeria owner and his oldest son (John Turturro) mad and racial epithets are spoken, which in turn leads to more fighting. Later, Buggin’ Out comes back to the pizzeria and starts a confrontation that quickly escalates into the riot scene.

I get that the scene is necessary for the plot’s climax. The problem is – and I have always felt that this is the point – is that it’s so ludicrous to start a riot over something so innocent as whose picture is on the wall of a fucking pizzeria. First of all, who the fuck cares? The business owner is Italian and he can decorate his business however he sees fit. That’s why it’s his business. Second, it’s completely stupid for someone to lose their head over something like this to the point that they incite a riot.

But that’s the point. It is stupid. It is getting carried way. It is taking things too far. That’s why I feel the message in this climactic scene is that you should “do the right thing” in settling this like two adults and having a civil conversation and not let your emotions cloud your judgment and let the events get out of control.

And even though the message is somewhat significant, it’s a crappy movie.