FemaleFirst.co.uk: DVD: Do The Right Thing [DVD] [1989]

Do The Right Thing [DVD] [1989]
enlarge	Director: Spike Lee Actors: Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson, Giancarlo Esposito Studio: Uca Category: DVD List Price: ~~£9.99~~ Buy New: £3.24 as of 23/11/2009 03:52 GMT details You Save: £6.75 (68%) New (14) Used (11) Collectible (1) from £2.25 Seller: selectcheaper Rating: 13 reviews Sales Rank: 6037 Format: PAL Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitles For The Hearing Impaired), German (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), Dutch (Subtitled), Finnish (Subtitled), Danish (Subtitled), Norwegian (Subtitled), Swedish (Subtitled) Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over Region: 2 Discs: 1 Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1 Number Of Discs: 1 Running Time: 114 Minutes Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2 Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6 MPN: 9035519 EAN: 5050582352665 ASIN: B00005PJOO Theatrical Release Date: June 30, 1989 Release Date: July 6, 2009 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days


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Editorial Reviews: Amazon.co.uk Review Spike Lee's incendiary look at race relations in America, circa 1989, is so colourful and exuberant for its first three-quarters that you can almost forget the terrible confrontation that the movie inexorably builds toward. iDo the Right Thing/i is a joyful, tumultuous masterpiece--maybe the best film ever made about race in America, revealing racial prejudices and stereotypes in all their guises and demonstrating how a deadly riot can erupt out of a series of small misunderstandings. Set on one block in Bedford-Stuyvesant on the hottest day of the summer, the movie shows the whole spectrum of life in this neighbourhood and then leaves it up to us to decide if, in the end, anybody actually does the "right thing." Featuring Danny Aiello as Sal, the pizza parlour owner; Lee himself as Mookie, the lazy pizza-delivery guy; John Turturro and Richard Edson as Sal's sons; Lee's sister Joie as Mookie's sister Jade; Rosie Perez as Mookie's girlfriend Tina; Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee as the block elders, Da Mayor and Mother Sister; Giancarlo Esposito as Mookie's hot-headed friend Buggin' Out; Bill Nunn as the boom-box toting Radio Raheem; and Samuel L Jackson as DJ Mister Señor Love Daddy. This is a rich and nuanced film to watch, treasure and learn from--over and over again. i--Jim Emerson/i

Customer Reviews: Showing reviews 1-5 of 13 1 2 3 Next » Quite simply, a masterpiece. January 14, 2001 Kasper Simon 6 out of 7 found this review helpful A masterful portrait of inner-city life in today's U.S. Sure, it simplifies some day to day aspects of life in the ghetto. Sure, it stereotypes, at times, but that's inevitable in a film that encompasses so many varied themes. And that climax. Wow!!! Talk about emotions running riot. In my opinion, far and away the best film to come out of America since Midnight Cowboy. By the way, when are we Brits going to have the opportunity to see another underrated masterpiece of Spike's, namely Crooklyn? Bordering between racist and brilliant April 1, 2006 H. Feddern (London) 8 out of 10 found this review helpful The film's best scene characterises the best and worst of life, race relations and this film. 'Radio Raheed' shows us two knuckle-dusters - one called 'LOVE' one called 'HATE' and describes that life is a constant battle between the two, yet love always prevails in the end. 'Do the Right thing' is in itself the same struggle between the great and sometimes excessive elements of Lee's talents.pLee's work is very explosive, energy-laden and colourful. His characters are often repulsive, foul-mouthed and amazingly vivid. This film is no exception. It concentrates on the relationships between all the multiple characters - white, black and Korean. Although the dialogues are excellent and realistic they tend to get slightly heavy-handed sometimes. Especially the soliloquies are iritating at times due to their unrelenting tension and vibrancy, yet they are truthful and profound as well. pCredit must go to Lee for his vision and courage not to shy away from the unpleasant characterisations that are essential in order to truthfully depict life in multi-cultural communities. His plethora of antagonists from the indifferent Italian rolemodel 'Sal' and the elderly 'The Mayor', to the repulsive 'Pinot' and his black counterpart.pOstensibly 'Do the Right thing' is a film about the underlying and undeniable tensions that always simmer between different races. However, it is more than just a study in race relations, its a study in people themselves; the duality of man, the uncomfortable tendencies all humans - black or white, have.pAlthough Lee seems to behold some grudges towards certain sections of American society at times it would be fair to say he treats all sides of the fence with equality and justice. 'Do the Right thing' is uncomfortable, unflinching and unrivalled visceral filmmaking on racial relationships. Even though it gets a little garish at times I would not hesitate from recommending it to anyone. Buy it now! A Classic July 14, 2008 Gogol (England) 1 out of 1 found this review helpful Forget the recently made film Crash which far from being a critical analysis of race and class in society this film, made over a decade before is the one you want to see. br / br /Set in a predominantly black neighbourhood the story revolves around one main street on a hot summer where tempers reach disastrous conclusions. The film examines race and our own views on race from all perspectives, while Crash was condescending nonsense which did nothing but help the liberal left to sleep well at night knowing that amongst the working class (in the films case the Hispanic joiner, maid and police officer) There are still a large number prepared to tolerate what abuse we choose to heap upon them with a smile and a "Yes boss." Who don't feel anger as any other human does but rather accepts a role as the happy victim. br / br /Spike Lee tears all that up and gives us a clear indication of the tensions that exist amongst working class people thrown together and competing for the same small space that they all live in. This film could have been set in London or Paris (Indeed the French film "La Haine" came out not long after) In the film we have the Italian Pizza restaurant, a restaurant that had been there for years when the area was predominantly Italian, where most Italians had moved out Sal had chosen to stay, accepting that things change and choosing to get on with his new neighbours and customers. While Sal chooses this role his 2 sons are somewhat different. One, a lad who has grown up amongst blacks and seeing no reason to accept the prejudice that his brother (a lad whose racism seems to be more a result of prejudice he suffers at the hands of his 'friends' for working in a shop in a black area). br / br /Spike Lee is a young lad drifting along in life working in the Pizza shop while his sister, far more ambitious sees life as far more than the confines of her local neighbourhood. Other characters could be found in almost every working class neighbourhood in the world. The loudmouth bums who just choose to walk the streets, the drunk who bothers nobody but has his own story to tell, the old men sitting off with a few beers who think they are the owners of the community, the minority shop keeper whose lack of English sets him apart from the community he works in, the police who work the area whose prejudice is again based on class, of an area they see as 'gone to waste' through crime and poverty. br / br /The film examines all angles, from the Korean shop-keeper to the white lad who has just moved into the neighbourhood. This is not a film where you will see one victim and one bully but rather a film where you will see working class people as they are. I recall reading once that the difference between working class and middle class people was that the working class if they have a prejudice will openly express it while the middle class will hide it behind polite snobbery. br / br /Some will look at this film looking for a side to take (If you are white the Italians or black the black community) But I would argue rather look at this film for what it is. A insight to a working class community. Its also interesting to note that working class communities (in the UK at least) are considered the most multi racial of all communities. One only has to look at this film (black, white, Hispanic, Asian) To see that is clearly the same case in America. It rightly exposes that working class people will not sit back and be victims but will fight back sometimes with disastrous conclusions. br / br /I cant recommend this film enough. Maybe after it we will all examine our own prejudices before its too late. A Masterpiece of Urban Cinema August 13, 2008 1 out of 1 found this review helpful While some people find Spike Lee's filmic style a little too "in your face" at time, it is impossible to deny that he has extraordinary talent as both screenwriter and director after watching his best movie, Do The Right Thing (1989). With its cast completely on form, each person gives an electrifying performance, directing that enables us to empathise with every character and brillinatly juxtaposes ultra realism with surrealism, and a script that is both halarious and though provoking, Do The Right Thing is a brilliant movie, both entertaining and thought provoking, that should be viewed by everyone. Featuring on many top 100 film polls, Do The Right Thing is without a doubt one of the best movies of the 1980s and one of the best new york movies ever made. The Right Thing? Right Choice To Watch April 4, 2009 K. Maloney (Kildare, Ireland) 1 out of 1 found this review helpful This is a movie thats fun to watch for an hour and a bit as it cruises along (Samuel L is brilliant at portraying the vibe as a radio host)...and then BANG, the riot starts and you suddenly realise why the characters were explored so thoroughly in their 'natural environment' before. It is only until Mookie throws the garbage can through the window that you suddenly realise the movie becomes a classic. br / br /Why is it a clasic? Because its so damn controversial and divisive. Sure you can take the higher than thou enlightened approach and say everyone was wrong and that the difference between black and white is in the eye of the beholder. Or you can take Spike Lees view and argue a mans death deserves wanton destruction no mater why or who killed him... br / br /For me, I'm a principles count kinda guy and I think Mookie made an immoral assholish decision. Forgettin colour altogether, the cheek to put on his uniform and ask for his pay after inciting a riot to take down his generous employment (he was a lazy worker) is astonishing to me (I was shocked) and I don't think anyone with an elementary sense of justice and principles could condone that behaviour just because he was black and another black man happened to die by accident (which btw was all started by the crazy preacher character in the 1st place!). The 3 ignorant black folk that come in late for a pizza (and Sal generously obliges) and then help punk him out nails the point for me. br / br /I honestly initially thought the conclusion was the black people can be racist too. (the preacher character who maniacally wants the black photos in the pizzeria in 'his' neighbourhood symbolises this) Reading the opposing quotes at the end I then thought that Lee wanted to symblise how 2 differing views of race issues have divided blacks. Upon hearing what he said about property v life, I understand he now more or less actually stands for Mookie's viewpoint which is very dissappointing. br / br /I can only imagine what kind of reaction one of Sals sons would have gotten if they went into a black business in the area and told them to hang up Italian idols on the wall.... br / br /That said althought the movies idea is strongly against my feelings and thoughts I can appreciate the beauty of the movie in that anyone can watch it; such is the good camera work, acting, dialogue (especially notable) and characters subplots. This movie is literally timeless as a race relations exploration and Id encourage anyone with race issues in their society to watch it (and hopefully take the right conclusions). br / br /The movie is not preachy, everything is subtle. Even the preacher is only completely accepted more or less by default because of the Radio mans death (before then he had crazy hair). Even the Italians are not totally innocent as one of the son's is simply a bully. There are also other issues like the Asian thread, the mother-sister old drunk relationship, Mookie's relationship with his girl, son and grandmother and so on. br / br /This is well worth watching. Its such a zeitgeist movie, so artistic and well crafted Im can easily imagine future aspiring directors/social commentators study this in film school. 10/10 br / br / br / Showing reviews 1-5 of 13 1 2 3 Next »

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