The film, "Do The Right Thing" directed by Spike Lee has the power to transform one's political sensibilities through Lee's depiction of the racial tensions that exist in the multiracial community in Brooklyn, New York. By using a black perspective to tell the story, this film gives it's viewers a unique insight to the racism, thoughts, and struggles that target the black population.
In an effort to show awareness of the era's intolerance towards African-Americans, Buggin' Out and Sal's other black patrons are denied the respect they deserves in the workforce. (2) The over-empowerment of a dominant group is demonstrated through the consequences of Raheem blasting his boom-box in an act of resistance to the social, political, and cultural powers that exist during this time. (3) Lee's representation of police brutality illustrates how painless it is for valuable black life to be relinquished.
During this racially oppressive time, there is a scene where Buggin' Out asks his white boss Sal to add some "brothers," to the Wall of Fame (which only glorified the faces of Italian Americans) in respect to all of their hard work. Even though the majority of his patrons are black, Sal does not agree to recognize them because the are African-American. (2) In one scene, Radio Raheem's ghetto-blaster is aggressively destroyed by Sal after Raheem rejects Sal's request to turn the volume down; white superiority is exemplified through Sal's domineering actions. (3) The scene where Radio Raheem is choked to death by NYC police officer Gary Long makes it clear that African-American victimization is present in a white dominant culture. This heartbreak foreshadows the end of the film, where a riot is instigated and the pizzeria is burned down.
The film, "Do The Right Thing" directed by Spike Lee has the power to transform one's political sensibilities through Lee's depiction of the racial tensions that exist in the multiracial community in Brooklyn, New York. By using a black perspective to tell the story, this film gives it's viewers a unique insight to the racism, thoughts, and struggles that target the black population. Largely, this symbolic film challenges one to question whether or not many of the characters' actions were justified or not through Lee's impartial portrays of them. Thus, viewers are given the opportunity to decide for themselves.
