The film Do The Right Thing isn’t just a snapshot of a scorching summer day in Brooklyn but rather a film with deep focus on race and more specifically inequality towards African Americans. The film explores whether “doing the right thing” is possible or even achievable, especially within the context of systemic racial tension and personal biases. Through its different characters, intense atmosphere, and provocative ending the film challenges the viewer to reflect on their own understanding of justice and activism.

The movie title is first brought up by the Mayor who although is an alcoholic is actually very intelligent and caring. He gives Mookie the advice to “always do the right thing.” After seeing the film’s discussion questions it made me realize that although the phrase seems simple and it’s just a call to act in a morally correct way. The film complicates this idea by questioning what “the right thing” actually is. Is it passive compliance with the status quo or is it active resistance against a corrupt system? The irony of the Mayor’s advice is clear because he embodies the older generation of Black Americans whose activism is rooted in the Civil Rights Movement which sought justice through negotiation, respect, and dignity. In the film we can see this with the three older men on the lawn chairs who mostly just watch what’s going on. Mookie on the other hand represents a younger generation of African Americans who are more skeptical and less patient with the positive progress promised by past leaders.

By the end of the film there really is no simple answer. The film opens and closes with the question on whether or not Mookie should act according to the community’s expectations or make his own choices in the heat of the moment? Mookie decides to throw a trash can through the window of Sal’s Pizzeria which might seem reckless or destructive but in the context of the pervasive racial injustice and the police’s brutal killing of Radio Raheem it also feels like a desperate act of defiance. To me it seemed like a response to the system that has failed them all.

I also think the ending of the film is open to interpretation. In the final shot, Sal and Mookie, who have been at odds throughout the film are shown moving closer to each other which suggests a possible reunion but the film doesn’t exactly give us a clear answer. It raises the question of whether real change can come from people personally making amends or if larger societal changes are necessary. Mookie’s act of pinning up pictures of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X in Sal’s Pizzeria is important because it disrupts how Sal wants his private business space to look like. By placing these two iconic figures with one known for peaceful resistance and the other for more radical action, the film creates a contrast between different approaches to activism. These images challenge the idea that such heroes should only be recognized in specific spaces. This action naturally makes Black leaders be acknowledged in places controlled by others. The inclusion of quotes from Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X at the film’s conclusion further heightens this tension. King’s message of peace and reconciliation contrasts with Malcolm X’s emphasis on self defense and empowerment which captures the ideological divide within the black community regarding how best to achieve liberation.

This is seen in the film but also in real life today. The murder of Radio Raheem reminded me heavily of the killing of George Floyd and it’s sad to think that this movie was made 30 years before this killing and that it was basically the same situation. The film is also about how people are treated and their place in the economy. The characters in the film struggle with their roles in a system that leaves them out especially through Sal’s pizzeria. While Sal’s business does well and gives jobs to Mookie and his friends at the same time it also shows how the local community is ignored and left in poverty. The characters want to be respected, treated fairly, and given opportunities but many don’t have much power or control over their situation. The pizzeria highlights this problem by showing that it makes money from the Black community but it doesn’t fully recognize or include them in ownership or decision making. I also noticed that the film uses bright colors and bold images which made the film feel intense and emotional. I thought this helped the director showcase his views on race, politics, and society which proves to us the difference between how things appear on the surface and the deeper issues underneath. Overall, I really enjoyed watching the film and was shocked to see how its themes are still present today.