The Main Topics Discussed In Do The Right Thing: Opinion Essay

Does Buggin Out “Do The Right Thing” when his sneakers get scuffed? Does Mookie “Do the Right Thing” when throwing the trash can as Sal’s pizzeria? How does “Do The Right Thing” apply to the characters and their actions throughout the film? Cite specific scenes where Spike Lee used shot and angle to show who did or didn/t do the right thing?

Do The Right Thing wasn’t released in recent years but it’s still seen as one of the most influential and eye opening films in our somewhat recent history. The message it holds will likely stay relevant until racism decides that it’s influence on one’s perspective is no longer as heavy as it is now. It’s more than likely that racism is here to stay, that doesn’t mean how people react towards seemingly racist comments will. Words and actions are what make a person, it’s what gives off who they are without needing to know them personally. More along the lines of a first impression. Even if a comment didn’t mean to have any racially oriented remarks, it doesn’t mean it can’t be taken that way. All films come with their own message, usually one that’s broad and others that are made to be not as prominent. These less discussed topics in films make you think about the smaller less noticeable questions that hide behind closed doors. For example this film’s title, “Do The Right Thing” why name the film this, sounds less like an intriguing title than it does a demand. This title keeps a question in your mind while watching, do the characters in fact do the right thing? There are multiple instances in this film where these characters are faced with a choice. Spike Lee used close up and wide shots to open the viewers mind and allow them to create their own answers.

This film was clearly made with racism in mind, the small hints in the film poke at the concept of racism not just being words but also actions. This film pokes a lot of fun at how people react to racist situations. In “Do The Right Thing” there are more than a few times this idea is displayed on screen. The main focus will be on one that happens early in the film and at the end of the film. With all this in mind The main characters should be established that being Mookie,Buggin out, and Sal the pizzeria owner. The main conflict of the film starts In Sal’s famous pizzeria. Sal owns the pizzeria, clearly from the name but either way Sal is an Italian man, a pretty big elephant in the room being that his business is in the middle of a predominantly black community. Sal ran his business in peace for 25 years. This film takes place in Brooklyn and The people of Brooklyn grew up on his pizza. He’s never had problems as far as it’s shown. Yet this movie’s main conflict sparks in Sal’s over his wall of fame. His wall of fame is a display that shows off several pictures of famous Italian men and women. These photos didn’t seem to bother anyone, but one day a guy everyone calls Buggin out stopped by for a slice. As soon as words are exchanged between Sal and Buggin out tension fills the room. Buggin out has been shown to have his own little attitude and same with Sal, seemingly due to pride. This alone already creates tension. Regardless he sits down to eat his pizza only to look up and notice all these white faces looking back at him. Several close up shots show the exchanged stares between Buggin out and Sal’s wall of fame. Buggin out’s demeanor changed within seconds and is bothered enough to call Sal over. Buggin out comments on Sal wall, talking to him about something that is blatantly true. There are no white people to be seen in that pizzeria at almost any given time so why not have any black faces on the wall. Sal responds by telling him that if he wants to change it then he can go open a shop of his own and then he can put up whoever he wants on his own wall. Sal temper quickly rises, changing him from calm and collected to aggressive and irritated. He grabs his bat and raises it at Buggin out only to be calmed by his son. Sal then asked Mookie the main character that happens to work for Sal and be a friend of Buggin out to take him out of the pizzeria. On his way out the door he tells Sal that he will boycott His pizzeria. In that scene Spike Lee used several close up shots of the wall of fame and Buggin out. The camera shots continuously went back and forth between the wall and Buggin out’s face with each shot showing his demeanor change a more and more. Buggin Out’s reasoning for wanting to Boycott sal’s was unreasonable and unnecessary. Sal ran his family business unbothered for years. In all that time the wall was obviously on display and out of all the black people that have seen it Buggin out seemed to be the only one that had a problem with the lack of black culture in a white man’s restaurant. Trying to dispute who did the right thing here is somewhat difficult yet obvious, Sal and Buggin out both did more than was needed with Sal grabbing his bat and Bugging out making a fuss over some pictures on a wall and feeling the need to boycott his restaurant over it. With all that if there were to be one the only person who seemingly did the right thing is Pino, Sal’s son. The crazy part about it is that in the film it’s made more than obvious that Pino is racist. Yet he stopped his father from hurting Buggin out whether that he got his fathers reputation or because there was just no need for it. Or Maybe just maybe it was to protect Buggin out from an Undeserved beating. After more time has passed Buggin out still wants to boycott sal’s. Spike Lee makes quick use of a montage of Buggin out’s attempts to get people on his side for the boycott to hurry up and display his progress. The montage consisted of a lot of close up shots of Buggin out and the people he was speaking to. The only person that even seemed to have an interest in what he was saying let alone to be on his side was Radio Raheem, the muscle of the community. His figure and His always blasting boombox, was in a sense this music physical embodiment of black power within this community. Either way after Raheen joins Buggin out they immediately go to the pizzeria to spark a dispute. The door flies open and the two are approached with a Dutch angle to give off this overarching sense of power. They walk in as Raheem’s boombox is blasting and Buggin out’s mouth starts yapping. The tension in the room grows so thick you could cut it with a knife, the three starts coming at each other’s throats coming to a point where who’s yelling at who is indiscernible. The patrons in the store begin to get annoyed, starting a three way argument between all the customers, Buggin out, Raheem and Sal. This argument sends Sal off the deep end and he and he decides to use the most popular black oriented racial slur.. After he Calls the two Niggers everyone stopped going after Buggin out and Raheem and turn their anger to Sal. Sals anger brings him to bash in Radio Raheem’s boombox with his previously shown bat. Everyone stands in shock. Silence fills the room and After several shots of awkward eye contact and thickening tension Raheem grabs sal and a physical fight begins. Everyone in the neighborhood starts to hear the commotion and joins in. The cops finally respond to the “small” emergency but not to help. One of the two cops, put Raheem in a choke hold and squeezes. Raheem struggles and even with his panic full gasp for air and pleads from the people and the other cop his lifeless body falls limp with no more fight left. The cops’ intentions seemed all too clear. After their crimes they dragged Raheem’s body into their car alongside Buggin out screaming they killed him. With the life of Raheem being taken and Sal being the only one to blame everyone’s anger towards Sal just grows more, Mookie sees Sals in trouble and even if Sal has said what he said they’re still friends in their own way. Yet Mookie’s intentions were never made clear as he throws a trash can through Sal’s window. All the anger that was pointed at Sal goes from him to his pizzeria. Even if Mookie’s intentions weren’t to save Sal but to hurt him and his business it still saved his life. Regardless, Mookie’s actions seemingly get everyone away from sal long enough to get him out of there safe. After the windows glass fell Sal’s pizzeria became flooded with the black residences with the intent to destroy his pizzeria to then set the place a blaze. After the smoke settles and the sun rises. All seems to go back to how it was, all but Sal. Even if he got out with the clothes on his back it was at the cost of his livelihood. At this point in the film Spike Lee tried to make people think of the title in a literal sense. In that entire scene who was right and who was wrong was left unanswered because it was left to the audience to decide. In all when all was said in done all the main characters lost. Sal business was left in ashes, Mookie lost his job, Buggin out lost his freedom and Raheem lost his life. No one’s actions were right, but no one can say any were wrong.

In this film Spike Lee used several camera angles in a way of giving viewers a new view on how a film can be seen. A way to choose who did the right thing. With all said and done the question will be left without a definitive answer just a chance for the viewer to make a choice is. Everyone in the film did what they believed was right. No one was wrong and no one was right until the audience made that decision for themselves. Everyone has an opinion that is influenced by the characters’ actions. All the characters did what they felt was right,no one can say otherwise. Spike lees perfectly portrayed this idea with numerous close up and wide shots and kingside his Dutch camera angles that helped build conflict. This is why the film has stayed in people’s minds for 30 years and it will for another. This film itself is a message, all it needs is a new voice and people to stand for what it means to say.