Do The Right Thing (#2-“Nobody remembers Driving Miss Daisy!”)

Those were the words Do the Right Thing’s director, Spike Lee used on an interview he did for the 20th or 25th anniversary of this movie, replying to the fact that the movie did not win the Oscar for best picture in 1990 instead loosing to Driving Miss Daisy.

Spike makes a fair point. Though it’s easy to tell from the Fashion and the music that this film took place in the late 80s and early 90s, the culture and the message of the film still resonates today. Some of it good, because no matter how much Brooklyn has change since this movie (and it has changed) Brooklyn is Brooklyn, and some of it bad, because the climax of this movie is still a thing that African Americans are going thorough now almost 30 years after, which is a shame.

This is definitely a movie you should see before you die, way before you die, you should go out to see it right now. The message Spike is giving about racial intolerance is not outdated and still important. I saw Do The Right Thing when I was ten years old (Spike Lee was the the second time (behind Tim Briton (Batman Came out the same year) that I realized that there was someone  whose making the movies I love to watch). It may sound crazy in this world of over pampering your kids but I think all ten years olds  should see it (Don’t wait until your on your death bed).

All that aside, I should point out that Do the Right Thing is actually an excellent film that can be studied just for it’s film making. The Cinematography and the Art direction worked together perfectly to reveal the beauty of  Bed Stuy (the neighborhood that the movie takes place). The colors were amazing. This movie impressed exactly what people from that block feel about, and show the world something they may overlook from not being from there.  It perfectly creates a hot day in Brooklyn, you can feel that from the screen. There clues that the well crafted film making in this movie, despite all the colors, was inflenced or inspired by Black and white classics, but I’m only saying this because of a scene in the movie in which Radio Raheem (played by the late Bill Nunn) Mimics a scene Robert Mitchum did in Night of the Hunter (I love that Radio Raheem scene more now that I know what influenced it).

And to be honest, the music being played in this movie is not outdated. It’s hard to out date Jazz, and nothing can composed better such a soulful compassion film like Do the Right Thing than jazz, which goes well with it, but most importantly, was the ghetto blasting sounds of Public Enemy, who lended their song, Fight the Power to be used a the theme song to this movie, and just like the movie, The rimes of Chuck D are still relevant.

Do The Right Thing is a cultural standpoint that is timeless. Definitely  a movie you should see before you die.