One Paragraph Movie Review: Do The Right Thing

One hundred and ninth film: 1989’s Do The Right Thing (and as I think I’m required by law to add): a Spike Lee Joint. It’s very difficult to separate how I feel about this movie from its significance and importance at the time, and also to find the comfortable spot between its technicolour slapstick and its pit-of-the-stomach commentary on race relations and violence. One of the first mainstream depictions of contemporary American black culture produced by and from the point of view of the people it represents, It makes you feel icky but it’s supposed to. It makes your loyalties swing from one side of the street to the other, which is its intention. At its heart though — once you peel away the deeply uncomfortable tension and as-yet-unsolved societal problems — it has Rosie Perez dancing vigorously and a storyline that makes you really want a slice of pizza. And that’s the triple truth, Ruth. Three brand new pairs of Air Jordans out of five.