Do the Right Thing

When someone does the wrong thing and others react the wrong way

On a hot summer day in a predominantly black neighborhood in Brooklyn, one person makes the wrong decision and sets off a chain of events that results in havoc. Rosie Perez is a highlight on the feminine front.

Do the Right Thing was Spike Lees breakthrough film that he made when he was 31. Its a stylish and spirited account of a mostly black community in New York City thats well-rounded with drama, humor, entertainment, honesty and tragedy.

On the one hand, this neighborhood seems like a pleasant enough place to live, if you dont mind the big city. The characters are not painted as one-dimensional, generally speaking; they have both attributes and faults. Yet ...

Whilst there can be no doubt of the potency of the theme here, I thought the nature of the story telling was all over the place and angry. With temperatures rising, literally and metaphorically, the bored youth of an area of Brooklyn are becoming more and more frustrated. The thrust of these frustrations is epitomised by a battle of wills between Italian American pizzeria owner "Sal" (Danny Aiello) and his growing number of African American clientele. His walls are covered with famous faces - Al Pacino, Frank Sinatra, etc. from his heritage but his new customers feel that they are under represented. "Sal" isn't about to be bullied into anything, and to be fair to Spike Lee he does cleverly use this slow burning fuse to illustrate an whole s...