Do The Right Thing

Do the Right Thing creates a vibrant tragicomedy from the description of the typical events leading up to a riot in the ghettos, and since its release has become a classic of contemporary cinema. Screened at Cannes, the film made a huge impact, confirming the reputation of a committed filmmaker who had to grapple directly with the many ramifications of the question of being black in America – and its corollary, class oppression by a ruling minority. Wim Wenders, president of the 1989 edition of the Cannes Festival, declared that he would not award it the Palme d’Or because, in his opinion, the role that Spike Lee himself performed in the film as an actor was insufficiently ‘heroic’. The reaction of the filmmaker, who is known for not shying away from controversy, was not long in coming, in a clearly provocative tone (‘Wim Wenders had better watch out ’cause I’m waiting for his ass. Somewhere deep in my closet I have a Louisville Slugger bat with Wenders’ name on it’). His portrayal of Mookie the delivery man, is a reminder of what a great comic actor Lee can be in his own films. This humour is not simply a counterbalance to the seriousness and urgency of his work, but reinforces its powerful force and angry acuity. To see Do the Right Thing again, with its repeated altercations and escalating misunderstandings, is first to be struck by just how incredibly funny the film can be... before unexpectedly plunging into a brutality and chaos that leaves you breathless and emotionally devastated. (Jean-Gavril Sluka; dvdclassik.com)