Several of these same actors would work with Lee again.
Jackson, Giancarlo Esposito, and John Turturro, went on to have long and illustrious careers. For the late Bill Nunn, who died in 2016, it was his second, and his pivotal role as Radio Raheem will likely forever be the character that he’s most remembered for. For Martin Lawrence and Rosie Perez, it was their first film. The score was composed by Lee’s father, jazz musician Bill Lee.Īmong its less touted accomplishments were the many young actors that the film gave early opportunities to. Both witty and heartbreaking, “Do the Right Thing” has generated torrents of written and spoken commentary over the years, and it will very likely continue to do so well into the future as new generations discover it.Ĭredit is most certainly due to striking cinematography by Ernest Dickerson, colorful production design by Wynn Thomas, and complementary costume design by Ruth E. Notably, the question of why Mookie throws a trash can through Sal’s pizzeria window is one for which there’s still no consensus answer. Just as hotly debated and discussed as the film was 30 years ago, it remains a source of contention today. Bill Nunn as Radio Raheem Moviestore/Shutterstock It’s quite damning that so little seems to have changed in three decades. The arguments Lee makes in the film continue to have relevance, and that relevance in the era of Black Lives Matter is not only a tribute to the original work but also a testament to the resolve of the prejudiced system that the film contends with. The latter resembled the scene from “Do the Right Thing” in which Radio Raheem is choked to death by police.
It reacts to white supremacy and paternalism with a justified rage, drawing attention to systemically racist institutions and the injustices they produce injustices that still exist today.Įvents that followed its release 30 years ago only underscore the profundity of the film’s commentary, from the tragic stories of the Central Park Five and Rodney King to the more recent death of Eric Garner. The film was made as the result of provocations, and so it in turn provokes. Instead, the film reflects back to its audience their own perspectives on prejudice and compliance. “Do The Right Thing” doesn’t provide answers to the problems it exposes. Rosie Perez as Tina and Spike Lee as Mookie Universal/Kobal/Shutterstock The film thrust confrontational political rap group Public Enemy into the mainstream, as “Fight the Power” became an anthem for marginalized black youth. It’s a flirty, in-your-face provocation, creating a mood and sense of the ticking time bomb that follows.
The film begins with a fiery dance sequence featuring Rosie Perez, set to Public Enemy’s insurgent “Fight the Power.” The moment asserts the film’s style immediately. Park Chan-wook Reacts to Spike Lee’s ‘Oldboy’ Remake: All the ‘Details Were Completely Different’
0 kommentar(er)
