Metafizics Theatre Presents: "Do The Right Thing"

 

Cast

• Spike Lee as Mookie, a young black man working in Sal's Famous Pizza
• Danny Aiello as Sal, a surly Italian man who owns the pizzeria
• Ossie Davis as Da Mayor, an older black man who some call the town drunk
• Ruby Dee as Mother Sister, an older black woman who observes the neighborhood goings-ons from the window of her brownstone and despises Da Mayor
• Richard Edson as Vito, one of Sal's sons and a friend of Mookie's
• Giancarlo Esposito as Buggin' Out, an excitable friend of Mookie's who "wants some brothers" on Sal's wall of fame
• Bill Nunn as Radio Raheem, a towering young black man who always carries around a huge boom box blasting only Public Enemy's "Fight the Power"
• John Turturro as Pino, another one of Sal's sons. He is not happy about being one of the last Italians in the neighborhood, nor about his brother's interracial friendship
• Rosie Perez as Tina, Mookie's girlfriend
• Paul Benjamin as ML
• Frankie Faison as Coconut Sid
• Robin Harris as Sweet Dick Willie
• Miguel Sandoval as Officer Mark Ponte, a policeman
• Rick Aiello as Officer Gary Long, a white policeman
• Joie Lee as Jade, Mookie's sister
• Samuel L. Jackson as Señor Love Daddy, the local DJ
• Roger Guenveur Smith as Smiley, a young, mentally impaired man who tries to sell pictures of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.
• Steve Park as Sonny, a Korean grocery store owner across the street from Sal's
• Steve White as Ahmad
• Martin Lawrence as Cee
• Leonard L. Thomas as Punchy
• Christa Rivers as Ella
• Luis Antonio Ramos as Stevie
• John Savage as Clifton
• Frank Vincent as Charlie
• Richard Parnell Habersham as Eddie
• Ginny Yang as Kim, Sonny's wife

That's right... A Spike Lee Joint. The film was a commercial success and received numerous accolades and awards, including an Academy Award nomination for Lee for Best Original Screenplay. The film has grown in stature over time and is commonly listed among the greatest films of all time. In 1999, it was deemed to be "culturally significant" by the U.S. Library of Congress, and was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry, one of just five films to have this honor in their first year of eligibility.

The Year is 1989. The Season is Summer. The Location is the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn (otherwise known as Bed-Stuy). 

We're taken on a ride through the racially tense late 80s, a tumultuous time filled progressive Black Pride, the phenomenon of White-Flight, and the increasing popularity of Hip-Hop.  

But on this hot summer day in Brooklyn, it all simmered to a boil. 

Our main character Mookie (Spike Lee) works for Sal's Pizzeria, a legendary establishment on the block, that has been there before the neighborhood became predominantly black. A staple in the community. Sal (Danny Aiello) is fair businessman that understands and appreciates the business he receives from the black community. Pino (John Turturro), Sal's son, is highly prejudice and has a low-lying resentment for the community and projects it on his younger brother, Vito (Richard Edson) whom is amicable with Mookie the deliveryman. As the movie progresses it's easy to see that Mookie is the adhesive that holds this whole block together. He is respected and people look to him for acceptance and support. 

Over the course of one day, the morals and true feelings for one another on the block is unleashed. By the end of the day, it was no longer Black vs White vs Latino vs Asian, just only Black and White. True colors were shown in flashes of desperation and raw, unfiltered emotion. Black and White wasn't just limited to Minority vs Caucasians yet Right vs Wrong, Good vs Evil, Freedom vs Oppression, and Love vs. Hate. It was a true test of what everyone was capable of. You'll see that once Mookie decides to act in a certain manner, the community follows suit. He is a bonafide leader. 

I've been meaning to watch this movie for too long and when I finally did, I realized it was more of an artistic representation that had metaphors everywhere. Spike Lee's masterpiece. It's a must see movie and a possible life changer. I think its more of a educational film rather than just entertainment based. So pay attention! Maybe it'll add some insight to your life. So you can....

DO THE RIGHT THING! 
Here are some more Screenshots I took:  

-TLG/MTFZ