race relation

Prejudice is a universal existence. It appears within a race and between races. In our country, because of the tremendous number of people, mistreat and bias are not unusual. One of the most tragic examples is peasants. Citizens look down upon peasants because they are poor and illiterate, without noticing the sarcastic fact that they are laughing at who feed them. The worse fact is that the word “peasant” is commonly used to humiliate a person. As we all know, bias based on careers exists in every society. Yet how frightening it is that 70% of the population is being mistreated? The awareness of thankfulness is one of the biggest subjects in modern China. In the movie “Do the right thing”, also as a food supplier, Sal differs from peasants. He holds higher fame partly because of his race. However when conflict took place, people turned their anger against him. The minority races are in a potentially dangerous position in the neighborhood. In my opinion, “Do the right thing” tell us about the distrust among different races. No matter how friendly they seem to be, there is distrust in the root of their hearts. It is a universal issue. With the same performance in the schools, international graduates find themselves inferior in both opportunity and payments compared to local people. The sad fact is that it is true and reasonable that people like to turn to their brethren. A book should not be judged by its cover, but it is more comfortable to read a book written in your mother tongue. Human beings are sensitive animals, achieving critical, which is the opposite character, is not easy, no saying about keep oneself in critical thinking. Thus, to build a friendship with foreigners, we should not only use our personal ability, but also base it on solicitude and understanding.

2 questions on "Do the right thing"

1. What purpose does money serve in the film?

Money does not play a major role in the movie. Instead, it serves as an image of racism. In the Korean shop, people always complained about the prize where as the shopkeeper claimed that they sell at low prize. Whenever people pay, they drop the money impolitely. The similar situation is demonstrated in Sal’s Famous Pizzeria. Although people get used to hang out in the place, the way the treated each other does not seem like clerks to customers at all. The attitude is disrespectful rather than casual. They are linked by material enjoyments and isolated by distrust due to racism. A significant performance of money shows in the last scene of the movie. Sal pinched the bills, which is twice as much as Mookie’s salary, into balls and threw at him to “pay” him. Surprisingly, Mookie threw the excessive bills back at Sal. Sal showed a surprising mood on his face. When it seemed to be some hope, Mookie picked up them again and left. After all, Mookie could not give up the distrust of racism.

2. What is the moral of the story?

“Do the right thing” ended up in a ruin after violence. Although begun with a dance claimed “fight the power”, as far as I am concerned, the movie wants to tell us the moral that nothing can be accomplished by conflict. Racism finds itself in the daily life of the neighborhood. Heated by the hot weather, it is not possible for people to bear the disconnection between them anymore. Thus they use violence to deal with the problem. What have they achieved? Is it possible to exchange Radio’s life with Sal’s Famous Pizzeria? All the anger burn the pizzeria down. However, will it go away? Yes, maybe it goes away, but the unchanged fact is that it turns into sorrow and regret. Sometimes violence is a method, yet never will it be a settlement. Recognize what is relative and what is absolute is the essential criteria of life.

Review on "Do the Right Thing"

Spike Lee’s “Do the right thing” is a strongly impulsive movie. Starting with the dance, the movie aims at an acrid topic—racism. Spike Lee, as the hero Mookie, plays a role of mediator between whites and blacks, with his status of black. Another neutral character is Da Major. Although he is always drunk, he is probably the most clear-minded individual in the neighborhood, like a wild sage. However, in such a hot day, they cannot calm the people down. It is a black neighborhood, whereas the most popular places in it are operated by other races---Sal’s famous Pizzeria and the Korean grocery. Sal is a racist, but he does not treat the blacks bad. He is racist because he only puts Italian American on his “wall of fame”; He is relatively tolerant because he enjoys serving the black people every day and is proud to see these people growing on his food. His sons, Pino and Vito, are totally different from their view on races. Mookie is working in Sal’s Famous Pizzeria, where is the main stage of the movie.

The clue which walks all the way down the movie is “hot”. Hot makes people feel impatient, which increases the potential possibility of conflict. After depicting the main characters and describing the uncomfortable relationships between people, spike lee puts a climax to the movie by performing the conflict between Buggin Out and Sal. Radio Raheem uses his radio to challenge Sal. Sal hits it to trash with his bat and the violence breaks out. The conflict soon spread with the involvement of all the people from the neighborhoods. Oppressed long enough, the uneasiness within the races erupted. Mookie lost his position and fought against Sal. The fight ended with sadness and destruction.

Racism is not an easy issue to deal with. The neighborhood seems to be peaceful and harmonious. The black majority regards the American and Korean’s shops as the most common and essential sector in their life in spite of some linguistic friction. Yet racism is deep in root. Even if people seem to live in peace in daily life, racism can take quick effect when initiated. Spike Lee did a nice job in uncovering the nature of this problem.

The success of “Do the Right Thing” is that it carries out deep consideration with people’s daily life, common and ravishing, especially when we look at this movie in the time of overwhelming usage of special effects.

Q&A on the Movie “Do the Right thing” by Spike Lee

2/4/2008

Q: Why do you think Spike Lee's "Do The Right Thing" started out with a woman dancing with an angry face? Describe the first few minutes of the movie in your blog and what you think. You may also include what you think is going to happen.

A: Usually, the opening of a movie is to uncover or imply the theme. The song of the dance is particularly African-American rap style. In the lyrics, the sentence “fight the power” appeared several times, which indicates its identity of central idea. Then think of the woman dancing with an angry face. Dancing means that she agrees the idea of the song, and she is probably angry with the “power”. It is noticeable that the woman is an African American. Thus the opening can be summarized as an African woman dance with an African song with the idea of fighting the power. From the dimension of history, I think the power is the superiority of whites. The movie will contain some events in which the African Americans searched their identity in their daily life.

2/5/2008

Q: Why do they call "Da mayor" the "mayor"? Whose neighborhood is this? Is it racist for Sal (the pizzeria owner) to display only photographs of Italian-Americans on the wall of his restaurant? Why does "da mayor" call everyone "Doctor"? What purpose does "Radio Raheem" serve in the narrative?

A: The story takes place in a diverse neighborhood which has a large proportion of African Americans. The reason that mayor got his name is probably that he has been an active existence in the neighborhood for a long time. I can see from the movie that he talks in a major’s tone---- Intonation, appellative and especially the attitude. He is in the illusion of putting himself into a special identity, which is that he is not affected by the surroundings. Even when sweeping the floor out sides Sal’s pizza restaurant, he says with pride---you’ll see the cleanest floor in the States! As he is in such a deep awareness of his identity of major, his immunity of environment influence is rather strength to apply images to the people. It is why he calls everyone “doctor”, doctor is an occupation which holds high repute in the society. A major will surly contact with doctors frequently. The reason that he calls people doctor is not that he want to praise them, vice verse, in this way does he gain the satisfaction of his identity.

In Sal’s pizza restaurant, there is a wall of honor, or, indeed, the wall of Italian-Americans. I do not agree with the perspective consider the wall to be a practice of racism. Firstly, what is more common for a person to feel proud about his nationality? The restaurant is operated by Italian-American; it goes without saying that they hanged the pictures of their national heroes on the wall. There may be some aspects of discrimination; nevertheless, the possibility is lowered by Sal’s attitude towards Mookie. Sal does not show any uneven treatment when dealing with the argument between his son and Mookie.

The “Radio Raheem” serves as a narrator who delivers his work according to the situation with an ironic sense of humor.