This New Yorker article focuses on the cultural and social significance of Spike Lee’s “Do The Right Thing” thirty years after it’s initial release. It puts great emphasis on how the film’s most prominent themes of racial tension, community conflict and systematic injustices are just as relevant today as they were in 1989. This was something that I also thought of while watching the movie, especially after the clip we watched in class, and this article explains perfectly the connections to contemporary times I also made while watching this movie during our screening.
The source gives a very detailed examination of Lee’s filmmaking techniques such as his bold use of color, camera angles and sound design- analyzing how these techniques amplifies the film’s emotional impact.It also talks about the moral ambiguity of Lee’s characters in the movie- something that I also realized and appreciated a lot as it made the movie feel that much more real to me. One aspect of the source that I really liked was how it said that the movie approached black history as not only mournful but also with a sense of pride (““Do the Right Thing” is grand, vital, and mournful; it is also, crucially, proud, a work not only of the agony of history—and of present-tense oppressions—but also of the historic cultural achievements of black Americans”), really taking it’s own place in the history that it provokes.
Another particularly compelling aspect of this source is its exploration of the movie’s enduring legacy. I found it fascinating to learn how Do the Right Thing inspired a wide range of subsequent works addressing race and social justice. Before reading this article, I hadn’t realized the extent of the film’s influence on both the art world and societal conversations. This insight reinforced for me just how significant and far-reaching the cultural impact of Spike Lee’s masterpiece has been, proving that its relevance and power extended well beyond its release in 1989.
The article also tied the film’s release to modern movements such as Black Lives Matter- which was very fitting for me as while watching the movie, especially the scene where Raheem was being choked by the police, the horrifying images of what happened to George Floyd came to my mind- and the similarities between this “fictional” scene filmed in 1989 and a real life situation that happened in 2020 were absolutely devastating.
Overall, I found this article reflect a lot of the experiences and opinions I had while watching the movie- which not only made me feel validated but also allowed me to delve deeper into connections I had made with contemporary times and the movie. Also, as a Turkish student, I am still learning about the history of the U.S- so I found the various contexts that the article gave to be incredibly useful both for my understanding of the movie but also to draw clearer connections between modern times and this movie. Reading the article allowed me to see that others, including the author, recognized and appreciated the same nuanced themes and questions about race, justice, and community that struck me while watching the movie.