Right Thing Spike Lee's Do Essay

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Mookie is similarly conflicted. He rants about Italian-Americans after a falling out with Pino early in the film, calling as many stereotypes as he can name. When Sal uses the "N" word, Mookie feels betrayed and chooses to fight back. He "fights the power" of racism, and the institutions that he feels support racism. His act of violence was in express solidarity with Radio Raheem, who he pledged support to as a brother. Mookie also never seems to completely trust or even like Sal, in spite of Sal's kindness. His mistrust of Sal reveals Mookie's own internal prejudices that prevent racial harmony in America. Spike Lee demonstrates Mookie's attitudes by his cavalier approach to work and his not being willing to allow Pino to insult him. Mookie's lack of decisiveness is part of his personality, though, and does not have a bearing on his attitude towards Italian-Americans. Mookie is nonchalant towards fatherhood. Both his girlfriend and his sister Jade berate him for not making more of himself.

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Da Mayor tells Mookie to "do the right thing," the line that lends the movie its title. Doing the right thing usually means fighting the power, either by choosing nonviolence in the tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Or being willing to use force if necessary. Spike Lee creates a tense drama that shows how individuals must walk a fine line between the two extremes of violence and submission. The diagonal angles used frequently in the film emphasize the lack of clear black-and-white choices individuals have to make to fight the powers that be. Similarly, low wide-angle shots show characters like Radio Raheem looking intimidating in an attempt to subvert mainstream power structures.

In Do the Right Thing, Spike Lee claims that racism is endemic in American society because all persons have the capacity for good as well as evil. By incorporating historical fact into a rich tapestry of characters, Lee supports his claim. Ultimately, doing the right thing involves honestly assessing internalized, suppressed….....

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