Rotten
Lee cagily provides a litmus test for racial attitudes in 1989, but he does so by destroying the integrity of his characters, black and white.
Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine
Do the Right Thing
It's the hottest day of the summer. You can do nothing, you can do something, or you can...
1989 · 2h · R
Drama
Directed by
Spike Lee
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Do the Right Thing
Overview
Sal is the Italian owner of a pizzeria in Brooklyn. A neighborhood local, Buggin' Out, becomes upset when he sees that the pizzeria's Wall of Fame exhibits only Italian actors. Buggin' Out believes a pizzeria in a black neighborhood should showcase black actors, but Sal disagrees. The wall becomes a symbol of racism and hate to Buggin' Out and to other people in the neighborhood, and tensions rise.
Director and cast
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
92%
Tomatometer
Fresh
A powerful and persuasive look at an ethnic community and what makes it tick--funky, entertaining, packed with insight, and political in the best, most responsible sense.
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
Fresh
The film -- at once stylised and realistic -- buzzes throughout with the sheer, edgy bravado that comes from living one's life on the streets. It looks, sounds, and feels right.
Geoff Andrew, Time Out
Fresh
Mr. Lee's movie is anything but minimalist. It is bursting with character, color, incident and music, including a militant rap number performed by Public Enemy.
Vincent Canby, New York Times
Fresh
Comes closer to reflecting the current state of race relations in America than any other movie of our time
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
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