There are rare films that go beyond just being a fantastic piece of cinema, instead becoming an essential part of the culture at large. One such film is the undeniable 1989 classic from director Spike Lee, Do The Right Thing. This feature is the type of artistic statement that only comes together when all of the elements are working in perfect harmony. Spike Lee has been a pivotal part of cinema for 35 years, but his career-defining third feature sprung forth at a time when he was experienced enough to effectively execute his artistic vision and filled with enough youthful exuberance to push back against society in a way that was necessary. The film skillfully painted a picture of the eternally hot button issue of racial inequality and how that begets conflict in a predominantly African American community. The film was a critical and box office success, but it failed to gain much traction at the Academy Awards outside of nominations for Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for Danny Aiello (he’s great, but you are really only going to nominate a white actor from this film?). While it clearly should have won Best Picture – in a year that honored Driving Miss Daisy of all films – Do The Right Thing carries on its legacy as the defining movie of that year.
Before I continue to give my thoughts on Do The Right Thing, I feel it is necessary to point out that my experiences in life do not allow for a perspective on the film that might be as incisive as other talented writers. I strongly encourage you to seek out writers of color such as Tambay Obenson or Lex Pryor for a different perspective.
The opening to Do The Right Thing is one of the greatest credit sequences ever to be committed to film, perfectly combining a dazzling visual aesthetic with raw emotion from Rosie Perez channeled through dance and backed by the defining anthem “Fight The Power” from Public Enemy. The moment is not just an energetic opening salvo, it serves to get you primed for the tension pulsing through the streets of Bed-Stuy. When the temperature goes up, patience tends to shrink – and it is the hottest day of the summer. Lee stars as Mookie, a young pizza delivery man living with his sister Jade (real-life sister Joie Lee) while trying to earn money to support the son he shares with his girlfriend, Tina (Rosie Perez). His place of employment and the epicenter for much of the film’s action is the local pizzeria owned by Sal (Danny Aiello), an old stalwart of the neighborhood who finds it more and more difficult to justify his place in the community. He runs the joint with his two sons, the racist Pino (John Turturro) and the friendly Vito (Richard Edson). As the day goes along, the layers of all the individuals get stripped away more and more to reveal something quite raw.
In a film filled with so much to appreciate, one of the most impressive aspects is the level of care Lee puts into creating a fully lived-in neighborhood filled with characters that are endlessly fascinating. Veteran actors Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee bring a playful-yet-world-weary history to the neighborhood as Da Mayor and Mother Sister. Samuel L. Jackson serves as the voice of the streets as iconic radio personality Mister Señor Love Daddy. The larger-than-life trio of ML (Paul Benjamin), Coconut Sid (Frankie Faison) and Sweet Dick Willie (Robin Harris) provide much of the humor in the film, but also get at some of the complicated racial dynamics at play with a local Korean grocery store. Buggin Out (Giancarlo Esposito) is the voice of social justice, which has its consequences when people have a short fuse. Then there is the enigmatic and tragic Radio Raheem (Bill Nunn), the quietly intimidating figure walking through the streets with his boombox blasting the signature Public Enemy song that stokes the fires of injustice. In lesser hands, these characters may seem like an afterthought, but Lee gives all of them and countless others the meaty content they deserve.
When the film debuted in theaters, certain individuals (disrespectfully) posited the idea that it would provoke riots in the street. It should be clear that people of color had cause to want to fight back long before this film came along. Do The Right Thing was made in response to a series of racially motivated killings in the eighties, and it is heartbreaking to see how little has changed in the over thirty years since its release. While the names may be different, the chanting of the names of those lost to racially motivated violence as featured in the film is a tradition that tragically continues to this day. Lee did not pretend to have all the answers when serving up this film, but it was critical in shining a light on the injustices that are happening all of the time. No one character is completely good or completely bad – there is a larger systemic issue at the heart of our country that needs to be confronted if we ever want to achieve true harmony. This film is a storytelling powerhouse that is as perfectly executed on a technical level as it is on an emotional one.
Video Quality
Do The Right Thing makes its long-awaited 4K UHD Blu-Ray debut with a stunning 2160p transfer that allows the film to look better than it ever has. While the 4K UHD release contains an accompanying dated Blu-Ray, I also have the recent Blu-Ray release from the Criterion Collection, and this 4K disc offers monumental improvements to both in all respects. The movie has a lovely amount of natural film grain that allows this movie to shine and gives a lot of pleasing texture and detail to the transfer. The image presents with a miraculous amount of depth that makes this Bed-Stuy setting feel more three dimensional than ever. The improvements in contrast and overall clarity are outstanding, especially when you look at the wall of famous faces in the pizzeria. The colors as shot by the great Ernest Dickerson are an essential part of the film’s identity, as they look as warm, deep and vibrant as you could possibly hope. The fire engine red of the wall where Sweet Dick Willie and company hang out all day practically melts your eyeballs with its lovely intensity. White levels are brighter and offer a greater stability without veering into blooming. Black levels are extremely deep and allow the picture to maintain an excellent amount of depth and detail in darker environments. Skin tones look natural and the clarity of the transfer gives you a great amount of facial detail including the sweat pouring off these residents in the blistering heat. This transfer is a treat for fans of cinema everywhere. Universal Pictures has knocked it out of the park once again.
Audio Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-X Master Audio lossless audio track that offers a perfect representation of the film. From the opening moments of Public Enemy’s “Fight The Power,” the track comes alive with an intense dynamism that envelops the room. There are many instances where the track gets to show off, as the soundscape of the city creates a completely lived-in environment that is quite wonderful. The soundstage repeatedly demonstrates how open and rich it is in its nuanced execution. The score from Lee’s father Bill Lee is presented with an impressive amount of clarity and fidelity. Music is used skillfully throughout the presentation, but it never overpowers the dialogue or other important information. The dialogue that is so key to bringing the power to the proceedings comes through clearly and never falls victim to any digital anomalies. Rear speakers get quite a bit of activity throughout, especially to ratchet up the chaos of a pivotal scene in the climax. The low-end support is quite hard hitting when the music kicks in, but the intensity is not felt as much during the normal actions on screen. While the film has always had a pretty decent audio track in the high definition age, anyone who checks this out is sure to be impressed by how well this one serves the film.
Special Features
- Intro From Director Spike Lee: A newly-filmed minute-long introduction from Lee in which he reflects on the film and underscores how relevant it remains to this day.
- Audio Commentary #1: This commentary track from the 20th Anniversary Edition features Director Spike Lee giving a very lively and in-depth account of the production and legacy of the film. Spike runs out of steam at points, but his recollection and insight provide an invaluable listen.
- Audio Commentary #2: This original commentary track recorded in 1995 features Lee once again along with Director of Photography Ernest Dickerson, Production Designer Wynn Thomas, and Actor Joie Lee. All of these individuals are recorded independently of one another and stitched together to create a propulsive, informative track. There is quite a bit of overlap between the two tracks, but the addition of the other participants brings a lot more technical details to the forefront.
- Do The Right Thing – 20 Years Later: A 36-minute retrospective with Spike Lee in which he introduces the piece and proceeds to interview subjects such as cinematographer Ernest Dickerson, actors Frankie Faison, Steve Park, Rosie Perez, and John Turturro, line producer Jon Kilik, and Chuck D (Public Enemy), amongst others. This is one of my personal favorite supplements on the disc, as you get a sense of how the film has impacted these individuals from a more modern perspective while providing fun anecdotes from the production.
- Deleted and Extended Scenes: Eleven scenes totaling fourteen minutes of unused footage are included here featuring Mookie delivering a pizza to an ungrateful customer, a scene between Jade and Smiley, scenes with Jade and Mother Sister, and many more worthwhile scenes that are worth checking out for fans of the film.
- Behind The Scenes: A 58-minute look at the beginning of this creative journey featuring moments from the initial read-through, cast members developing their characters, a look at some improvisation and more. This piece is also contextualized via an introduction from Lee. This is quite an enjoyable piece that shows how the film was shaped at the time.
- Making of Do The Right Thing: An hour-long in-depth documentary by St. Clair Bourne is included here which gives you a down and dirty look at the production of the film from different aspects of different departments. This gives you a look at Brooklyn in the late 80s that is a piece of art on its own. Also included is a piece called “Back to Bed-Stuy” in which Lee visits some of the locations where the film was shot to showcase how the area has changed.
- Editor Barry Brown: A ten-minute interview in which Brown discusses his relationship with Spike and what it was like working with him on the film. This is brief, but it offers some nice insights into what Lee was up to before he really got into directing.
- The Riot Sequence: Lee introduces this supplement which shows off some storyboards for the pivotal riot sequence in the film.
- Cannes, 1989: The 42-minute Cannes Film Festival press conference is included here featuring Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Spike Lee, Joie Lee, and Richard Edson. The journalists asks both some interesting questions and some ridiculous ones that do not really have a point, but the entire presentation is worth watching to get some key insights into the film before it was a widely-known entity.
- Trailers: The theatrical trailer and two television spots are included here.
Final Thoughts
Do The Right Thing is one of the pivotal films of the modern cinematic age. While the film may be over thirty years old, its relevance to the current state of the world cannot be denied. Lee showcases an expert level of care in story construction and technical execution. This is a film that will have you laughing one moment and shaking with anger the next. Its power cannot be denied. Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has knocked it out of the park with this 4K UHD Blu-ray that sports an insane A/V presentation and an eye-popping amount of special features (most of what are on the Criterion Collection release). This is as strong of a career-defining statement as I have ever seen, and it deserves to be experienced in the best presentation possible. Essential
Do The Right Thing is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
