Did Mookie “Do the Right Thing”?

Normally, after watching a movie, I would have some form of judgement towards it, whether by agreeing with the central arguments of the film, or at least have some understanding of which side of the moral dilemma I would stand on. However, “Do the Right Thing” is that one film that even after I understand what is happening, I could not really set my mind on a specific stance.

Spike Lee demonstrated the complexity of humanity around the topic of racism so thoroughly but also so objectively that I see flaws with almost every character in the film such that I really dare not debate firmly who’s right or who’s wrong.

The narrative form is also not conventional, as it does not follow a single protagonist, but rather focuses on the ongoing interactions throughout the Brooklyn community, so that the audience see the life and personalities of so many different individuals. It also reminded me of the Aristotelian unities of action and time that I learned in high school, where the main plot should take place within a single day within a constant location. This “tragedy” follows such unities of action, starting from the start of a day to the morning of the next day, within the Brooklyn community (mainly focusing on Sal’s Famous Pizzeria).

I guess one of the main questions I was reflecting on was whether Mookie did the right thing or not as he smacked the Pizzeria’s window panes with the trash can. What seemed absurd to me was how Mookie still asked for his $250 pay the next day, knowing it was him who started releasing fury onto Sal. Even though he said that the costs could be covered by insurances, I could not understand how that is a valid reason for him to destroy other’s property. But on the other hand, I also felt bad about the death of Radio Raheem.

Sal’s destruction of his radio really is a symbolic provocation that challenges Raheem’s identity as a black man, but practically, it also is just a radio (given that Raheem did disturb other people in the restaurant and was not paying any respect to Sal).

The movie also did not just illustrate the conflict between Italians and the Black community, but also incorporated perspectives from the Latino and Korean residents of the neighborhood. There is no heroes of this story, and I guess Spike intended to leave the decision to the audience of this film. What do we think? Did people “do the right thing”? Was the development of the plot inevitable?