Do the Right Thing

Do the Right Thing

1989 R 2h 0m Criterion Collection

This film looks at life in the Bedford-Stuyvesant district of Brooklyn on a hot summer Sunday. As he does everyday, Sal Fragione opens the pizza parlor he's owned for 25 years. The neighborhood has changed considerably in the time he's been there and is now composed primarily of African-Americans and Hispanics. His son Pino hates it there and would like nothing better than to relocate the eatery to their own neighborhood. For Sal however, the restaurant represents something that is part of his life and sees it as a part of the community. What begins as a simple complaint by one of his customers, Buggin Out - who wonders why he has only pictures of famous Italian-Americans on the wall when most of his customers are black - eventually disintegrates into violence as frustration seemingly brings out the worst in everyone.

Director
Spike Lee
Starring
Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson, Giancarlo Esposito
Genre
Comedy, Drama
My Rating
★★★★☆ 8.0 / 10
Format & Location
Format: Blu-ray
Location: Shelf
Date Added
September 14, 2023

Review

First time seeing this iconic film from my wheelhouse high school era. I now understand several hundred cultural references I hadn't until now. The style of Lee was mimicked throughout his run doing Nike commercials, and it was very evident in this move, which I can see now was the actual inspiration for those TV spots.

I knew nothing about how the plot going in, so the death shocked me. It was moving and awful. The movie overall isn't perfect with regard to how it ages, but the story is one that could be timeless. Old faces as (very) young actors made for a fun time as well. I liked this a lot and will watch it again.