Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing Essay

Do the Right Thing Essay

Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing was released in 1989 and now almost 30 years later is considered by many critics to be one of the best movies ever made, but it wasn't always that way. In the year of 1989 when the film was first released it was very controversial and claimed to be “anti-white” . The film explored the racial tension in the 1980’s but today it still remains as relevant as it did almost three decades ago. Today we remain in a society of racial tension and police brutality that was captured in Spike Lee’s film that was a wake up call to many Americans in that time but still we live among these controversial topics many years later. This film isn’t just about racism, today it translates to much more such as sexual identity, same sex relationships, interracial relationships, etc. This film supported Martin Luther KIng Jr’s beliefs that society and African American groups need to band together in a nonviolent way to acknowledge oppression, to take a nonviolent stand against unjust laws. As shown through Lee’s exposure of racism in society though many scenes in the film.

Lee supports MLK Jr’s ideology of acknowledgment shown through Buggin’ out’s feeling of animosity towards Sal’s Famous “Wall of Fame”. In MLK Jr’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, he writes “ When you’re forever fighting a degenerating sense of nobodiness” he continues on to his main point of direct action “Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension in the community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored.” These two quotes from MLK Jr expresses how action needs to be taken to confront issued in society that are being ignored. Sal’s famous “Wall of Fame” if full of framed pictures of Italian white people when mostly all of his customers are African- American from around the neighborhood. This wall probably bothers many people in the neighborhood but no one acts on it. Buggin’ out and Radio Raheem congregate to confront the issue for their desire of change in a nonviolent way but it doesn’t go as planned. After Buggin’ Out sees the “Wall of Fame” for the first time he bickers with Sal which plants anger inside of him. He spends the rest of the day trying to recruit customers in the neighborhood to boycott with him. Finally that night Radio Raheem and Smiley agree to help. The three enter Sal’s Famous as Radio Raheem is blasting “Fight the Power” . Sal shouts for them to turn the music off and leave, but they don’t. Sal loses his temper as he grabs his baseball bat and starts shouting racial slander while smashing the boom box. After a brief moment of silence chaos begins in the Pizzaria. Radio Raheem, Buggin’ Out, and Smiley come together to take a stand for the African Americans in the community. This scene shows the built up tension over time regarding oppression and racism. It shows how oppression can only go on for so long without being confronted like a ticking time bomb. The boycott of the “Wall of Fame” directly relates to Martin Luther King Junior’s quotes about fighting a sense of nobodiness and taking nonviolent direct action. Buggin’ Out desired acknowledgement for Sal’s African American Customers and acknowledgement of African Americans who have made a name for themselves. “Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever” (MLK Jr) .

Lee supports Martin Luther King Junior’s ideology of unjust laws as shown through the police brutality that brought Radio Raheem to his death.

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