Do The Right Thing (1989)

It's the hottest day of the year in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, and the racial tension on one particular block is bubbling to a riotous and turbulent boil. Writer and director Spike Lee stars as Mookie, a young black pizza delivery boy who lacks any true sense of responsibility or purpose. Racial worlds clash around him as he ambles lazily around town, pizza box in hand. His good friend Buggin Out (who happens to have inspired the avatar and screen name for yours truly) has started a vicious boycott of Sal's Pizzeria, Mookie's employer, because there are "no brothers" up on Sal's wall of fame, which is entirely dominated by photos of Italian celebrities; Bed-Stuy local legend Radio Raheem struts around town with his massive boom box, blasting "Fight The Power" by Public Enemy, a song written specifically for the movie; a Korean couple running a convenience store struggle to get along with their often contentious African American neighbors. That's only a few of the many sub-story lines present in this exuberant and resplendent film.

I just gotta say, this is legitimately my favorite film of all time. It's vibrant, fresh, funny, thought-provoking, stylish, quirky...I could go on and on. First, jaw dropping mise en scene; you can actually feel the heat just through the images by use of heavy reds, canted camera angles, and lighting. There are so many interesting stories and characters interwoven into an extremely well crafted screen play, each element significant to the message of the film (a message that can require several viewings to fully understand). Incredible performances by John Turturro, Ossie Davis, Samuel L. Jackson, Spike Lee, and Giancarlo Esposito as Buggin Out, who I was shocked to find out is also Gus from Breaking Bad. The soundtrack is excellent, dominated mostly by a jazzy original score as well as "Fight the Power," which must by played nearly 30 times in the film as an aural motif. No doubt Spike Lee's masterpiece, this film will suck you right in, chew you up, and spit you out mangled, sweaty, and a little confused. For a movie that will make you laugh, cry, think, smile, blush, fume with frustration...Jesus, would you just watch it, please? Please. It's my favorite movie. It's very widely regarded as one of the greatest films of all time. Please watch it. Thank you.