“Do the Right Thing”… 20 Years Later
This week marks the 20th anniversary of Spike Lee’s film, “Do the Right Thing,” according to an interesting AP article with reflections from Lee and others on the movie.
In addition to making me feel kinda old (I was in high school at the time), this milestone brings back a flood of memories and feelings from my first viewing. I didn’t see it in the theater but caught it on video a year or two later. I suppose a spoiler alert is advisable, although I would think the statute of limitations has run out after 20 years.
I loved the movie. It was vibrant, tough, tender, and funny. The characters were larger than life, yet recognizable and real. Watching Mookie navigate the combustible tensions and complex relationships in the neighborhood was fascinating. The movie sets up the conflict and Mookie’s final choice about as overtly as possible, never more so than with Radio Raheem’s massive Love/Hate rings and accompanying monologue. “One hand is always fighting the other hand; and the left hand is kicking much ass. I mean, it looks like the right hand, Love, is finished. But, hold on, stop the presses, the right hand is coming back…”
I had a very hard time with the ending. I think I understand it, at least as much as a white guy from the suburbs can. But I disagree with it. I don’t think Mookie should have thrown the trash can. I say that not as a white person, but as a human being.
According to Wikipedia’s entry on the film, Spike Lee stated in an interview appearing on the DVD that he “believes the key point is that Mookie was angry at the death of Radio Raheem, and that viewers who question the riot’s justification are implicitly valuing white property over the life of a black man.” He’s the writer/director, so I can’t argue with him on Mookie’s motivation. But I can and do reject his characterization of mine.
I choose Love. I reject Hate. And I hope I would say that regardless of my skin color.
Here’s one reason why: I’ve seen it work. At the time the movie came out, I was a student at Cincinnati’s School for Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA). Located near downtown, it was a magnet school with a remarkably diverse student body from all over the city. It was the most integrated environment I’ve ever experienced. I’m not talking about “some of my best friends…” tokenism nonsense. It was genuine and pervasive. We simply didn’t care much about our surface differences. We had colorblind casting in our stage productions. We connected and befriended and dated across races. It wasn’t until I graduated and went off to college and work that I came to understand how special that environment was.
Some (many?) people would say that Love works just fine at SCPA, but SCPA’s not the real world. My response is that the “real world” will never look like SCPA as long as people choose Hate. It’s easy to Hate. And there’s no shortage of reasons to Hate in this world. There will always be a reason to throw the trash can or worse, whether in Bed-Stuy or Northern Ireland or Gaza. Hate, even when understandable or even justifiable, only breeds more Hate.
Love is much harder, but it’s worth it. I’m talking about Love backed by resolve, empathy, self-respect, and action. It is almost always more effective, in the long run.
And that’s the triple truth, Ruth.
Most of us are guilty of using corporatespeak from time to time. I’m no innocent here, although I don’t know think I’ve ever used the word “synergy” with a straight face. That said, I still say “it is what it is” every now and then. (I know… I’m working on it.)
This week, I finally started using Twitter (
OK, you say, that’s just Larry being Larry. Carrying on in the inimitable style that was
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