Do the Right Thing

Release Year: 1989
Review: A film full of visual style, painting a vivid, if not exaggerated, portrait of a 'typical' neighborhood in Brooklyn. Spike Lee uses vibrant colors and music and language that are full of style to create an array of interesting characters simply living their lives on a particularly hot day in the city. At the heart of this film are the racial tensions that drive the plot from beginning. This film is aptly named 'Do the Right Thing', but it is presented more as a question in the film rather than a statement. What is the right thing to do? Lee carefully constructs a brilliantly intense climatic scene in which the hatred that had been simmering all along finally erupts and the result will affect each viewer differently. Who was right and who was wrong, or if there is really a clear cut answer to that question is the essence of this film. Regardless of your opinion this film will evoke strong emotions and will make you question even your own stances on racial issues, and this is what makes this film so great.
Rating: 4/5