For Steve Allan's Neglected Films
Do The Right Thing by Spike Lee (1989)
When Do the Right Thing premiered in 1989 it was considered to be one of the most controversial movies of all time. It certainly was one of the most political movies ever made, remaining so until today. It forced viewers to examine racism in a way never put on a screen before. It forced viewers to examine how violence can emanate from a fundamental misunderstanding between groups of people. People who don’t bother to try to understand each other. It was innovative in its look, in its use of music, in its parallel story lines. None of the characters is blameless; none is completely at fault.
Spike Lee’s place in the pantheon of directors has faded a bit since 1989, I think. He's spread himself a bit thin with a myriad of projects undertaken as one of the few black directors. Perhaps now, during Obama’s drive for the Democratic nomination, it’s a good time to remember Do the Right Thing. And to do it.
16 comments:
It's a flawed movie, and do you think people have forgotten it?...but if you want to see how it could've gone horribly wrong, look no further than CRASH, that most ridiculous of Oscar winners.
I do think people have forgotten it. I never see it on any of the movie channels. And you're right it juggled storylines more expertly than most movies. It's didactic but it never pretends to be less.
Is CRASH really just GRAND CANYON?
The real Oscar tragedy was MALCOLM X - a fantastic movie not even nominated.
I admire Spike Lee for not taking the easy way out. He could be getting quite rich making big screen adaptations of old TV shows or lame action movies (well THE INSIDE MAN wasn't very good) but instead he's making stuff like THE 25TH HOUR, WHEN THE LEVEES BROKE and 4 LITTLE GIRLS.
Hollywood hates it when people refuse to sell out. You know I'm going to mention John Sayles here - is it any wonder he's got a cameo in MALCOLM X?
DO THE RIGHT THING is flawed, sure, but not nearly enough to account for how much it has been neglected - and it has been neglected.
Because they have a aim larger than making the typical fare, they aren't appreciated as artists often enough.
John,
I would disagree on Inside Man. While I would not call it a classic film, it was an example of how a run-of-the-mill hollywood flick can be something solid with good talent both in front of, and behind, the camera.
I liked INSIDE MAN well enough, too. It proved he can do the commercial film if he wants to. But probably he used it to finance THE LEVEES, in more ways than one.
I'm with John on INSIDE MAN (hated it) and MALXOLM X (loved it). And 25 HOUR was outstanding.
Saw DO THE RIGHT THING while on vacation in Newport, RI. There wasa vibrancy, energy and a sense of originality of film making that jumped off the screen, (and it had the My Towners Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis).
OK, I agree that Do the Right Thing
isn't necessarily forgotten, but it's impact surely has been. Lee had made two small films (She's Gotta Have It and School Daze) before this that received a little bit of acclaim and some controversy - but only within a small population of the country. But, holy shit, this movie came out and it hit a nerve - big time. Jesus, even some of the reviews of the movie were racist, saying that blacks would basically leave the theater and riot in the streets because they wouldn't know any better.
This was the first post-Civil Rights era film that dealt directly with racism, and it wasn't polite about it. Think back on Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? - what a piece of bland garbage. That movie wasn't set in a black and white world, it was more eggshell. Hell, Lee made this movie shortly after the Howard Beach incident; that took some major balls. Spike gained a little bit of clout from his first two movies and he gambled it all on this film. I think it's brilliant. Plus, it has the absolute best theme song ever. Hard to believe that this movie is almost 20 years old.
As for Spike's career after this, I think he made two almost equally great films - Malcolm X and Clockers; but he's had his fair share of garbage (Girl 6?)
As for that most asinine film about racism, Crash, the only reason that received the Oscar was because Academy voters (most of whom are extremely old) were afraid of gay cowboys and a movie about race, any movie that dealt with another social problem, gave them a safe out.
I like the idea that its impact is forgotten if not the movie because I remember thinking I was seeing something important and how often does that happen.
Well, you can register me as a fan of both DO THE RIGHT THING and INSIDE MAN...for bad Lee, look no further than SHE HATE ME. (Though both the first two films have their downsides, too.) Another constructive counter-example is John Singleton...you want to see how to stack the deck hypocritically, his various attempts at portraying the complexities of race relations, never worse than with HIGHER LEARNING among those I've seen so far, you couldn't do better...till CRASH the Haggis.
And it's not a tragedy that BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN lost, but it is that terror of gay shepherds was the likely reason...though I'm sure CRASH really stroked the typical Oscar voter.
(By first two films, I meant SHE'S GOTTA HAVE IT and SCHOOL DAZE. Lee thought he liked women more than he did...by SHE HATE ME, I think he had more of sense of his feelings. Very Woody Allenesque, when you think about it.)
And I'm gonna come out of the closet and admit to being a fan of CROOKLYN The only one it seems. The one I really dislike is BAMBOOZLED.
When I saw CROOKLYN there was a hand-written sign at the ticket booth that said, "Part of the movie looks like the prjector broke - it's supposed to be that way."
Sometimes I think I get what the director is trying to do, I just don't think it works.
But I'll see pretty much anything with Alfre Woodard.
I guess we're all suckers for someone's vision-in movies or books. And we cut them a lot more slack than we do others. Sayles, for you. Lee, for me. Having said, that I have not see THE LEVEES or FOUR LITTLE GIRLS. Haven't been able to steel myself up.
Oooh -- I'm late as always to the good parties. I'm a big Lee fan and I have most of his movies on DVD. I don't have SHE HATE ME, since that was one in particular that I thought was pretty lame. Loved DTRT, Crooklyn, School Daze -- all the early ones. I liked CRASH (don't have it), loved 25th HOUR (do have it) and MALCOM X (have it). I definitely think DO THE RIGHT THING is the crown jewel of his earlier films. Funny that someone made a comparison to Woody Allen (I actually do own every one of his movies). I've had that thought myself.
Hi Lisa-Glad to have another fan chime in.
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