- What are your reactions to the film? What parts did you like or dislike? Which characters did you like? What moments stood out to you?
- Did you think there was sexism in this film? If so, what parts and why? If not, why?
- Think back to when Da Mayor tells Mookie to “do the right thing.” After seeing this film, what is the right thing to do? What does Da Mayor mean by this and how is his advice applicable in our society almost thirty years later?
Please respond in about 200 words before 8 a.m. tomorrow morning.
I really like this film. The meaning behind it is so powerful and it still applies to contemporary society. I have mixed feelings about most of the characters that I might say that I like, but I think that I like Mookie the best overall. A standout moment to me was when Smiley went back into the pizzeria and put the photo of Malcolm X and MLK on the wall of fame.
ReplyDeleteI do believe there was sexism in the film which was evident in the fact that the girls were more or less minimized and the only character showed nude was Tina. However, I think that this film is supposed to be realistic and the sexism showed was also a very realistic amount.
It’s so hard to tell where in the film things started to go south. I think that the “right thing” in this situation would be for everyone to start listening to each other from the start, and not just the normal kind of listening where someone may hear words but continue to blindly argue their own innocence.
1) This was my second time watching Do the Right Thing, and I really liked it both times. My favorite moment was when Smiley put the picture of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. on the wall in the burning building at the end of the chaos. Mookie is my favorite character because he is complex, non-static, and just a like-able guy, but I also liked Sweet Dick Willie and his two home boys because they were all hilarious, which I appreciated while watching such an intense and emotionally draining movie.
ReplyDelete2) Some argue that the only four prominent female characters (Tina, Ella, Mother Sister, and Jade) were given sexist roles in that they were the emotional supporters and caregivers for men, or in Tina's case, simply sex appeal. I do feel that all of the female characters were given stereotypical roles, but this was intentional of Lee. He stereotyped all of his characters, male and female, by race and/or gender, and his characters expressed their biases to characters of other races as well. This racial stereotyping only further emphasized the racial divides in the movie. As for the sexism, Lee needed characters do carry the emotional load, and he purposefully chose females for the task.
3) In one scene, Da Mayor randomly tells Mookie to "do the right thing". I am still pondering what he meant by this, because I think it could mean a number of things, however, a possibility is that Da Mayor wanted Mookie to do the right thing in the sense that he wanted him to resist the hate which so many others had for their neighbors of differing race. After all, Da Mayor was well aware of the racial tensions on the neighborhood.
* What are your reactions to the film? What parts did you like or dislike? Which characters did you like? What moments stood out to you?
ReplyDeleteI thought the film posed an important question about the nature of racism in today's society and I appreciated the fact that it didn't necessarily provide easy answers. The film just tried to show life as it was, giving the audience all perspectives, and allow them to reach conclusions for themselves. I like it when a film has respect for its audience. The climax of the film (the fight between Sal and Raheem, Raheem's murder, and the burning of Sal's Famous) was by far the most striking part of the film. The intent of the film became clear, the directing was great, the writing was stellar, and the acting was mostly on point. It's a great sequence. As for the rest of the film, while I understand its importance in setting up the relations between the characters and giving multiple perspectives on the issue, I felt it lagged. The directing was far from bad, but I thought Lee alternated between a fast, somewhat surreal style of camerawork and editing to long, hand-held shots in a way that felt inconsistent and somewhat pointless. Lee also tried to peer into the lives of too many characters, so I didn't feel invested in any of them.
* Did you think there was sexism in this film? If so, what parts and why? If not, why?
I did think it was a bit sexist. It certainly didn't stand out in that respect, it employed many standard sexist tropes you see over and over in film, but I don't think that's an excuse. The biggest sign of sexism was the sexy ice cube scene. It served no function for the characters, themes, or narrative. It took on a notably different style from the rest of the film, forsaking Lee's unique feel for the lighting and shot composition of a standard Hollywood sex scene. It's worth noticing that only Tina is portrayed in such a manner, despite Mookie also engaging in sexual activity. There is also a problem with all of the women being a stereotype. Mother Sister, Tina, and Jade all play a hardened, nagging women that plays tough but deep down still has a soft spot. The problem isn't just that they're stereotypes, arguably all the characters are, but that they are the same stereotype. The men are allowed to have diversity and complexity. The women do not receive the same treatment. Men also play a much more active role in the story. It's a story about a community of people, yet the story is mostly focused on the men in that community. Even when women are given focus, they play a passive role in the narrative.
* Think back to when Da Mayor tells Mookie to “do the right thing.” After seeing this film, what is the right thing to do? What does Da Mayor mean by this and how is his advice applicable in our society almost thirty years later?
What the "right thing" is in this movie is certainly made unclear. The film basically states as much as it ends with two quotes, one from Martin Luther King Jr. condoning violence, the other from Malcolm X supporting its use in self-defense. The film uses duality quite a bit. The duality of black and white, of love and hate, of violence and non-violence, etcetera. Personally, I think that Jade was right in that while fighting for social change is important, the methods that people like Buggin' Out used served only to further tensions rather than prompt change. The anger on both sides and inability to show compassion or understanding is what lead to the fight, what led to Raheem's murder, what led to Sal's burning down. Da Mayor seems to agree with this (whether or not the movie does is up for debate). After Raheem's murder, he is the only one advocating for a peaceful solution, insisting that Sal didn't kill Raheem and that violence would only make things worse. You could easily apply this to our own time, as a lack of understanding and willingness to listen is growing thinner on both sides.
- Joanie
1. This was my first time ever seeing this movie and I really enjoyed it. I really liked the setting of the movie and I think that Spike Lee did I good job of using unique shots and angles to help bring out the different sides of the neighborhood for example, the shot of all of the corner men all sitting in front of a bright red wall talking was one of my favorites. My favorite character would have to be Radio Raheem because I think that even though he didn't have as many lines as other characters just him walking around town with a loud radio helped him tell his story. One of my favorite scenes is when Radio Raheem explains his "Love" "Hate" rings.
ReplyDelete2. I wouldn't really describe it as sexism. Yes, the girls didn't have any main parts but I don't think it's really about them, but at the same time why couldn't have also been about them? I agree with Agasha when she said earlier in class today that she's on the fence about rather or not it is sexist because I'm not exactly sure either.
3. I struggle with this question because I can understand both sides of the violent vs non violent argument. I think that when Radio Raheem came in at the end blasting his radio he probably just should have told Sal that he didn't appreciate him trying to censor his music or not having black figures on the wall. However, once all the slurs were said I can understand why both sides wanted to fight because the things that were said were not okay. I especially understand the violence that the neighborhood also took once they saw Radio Raheem die in the hands of the police. I'm not saying what was done was right, however I think we supposed to struggle with this question of morality of everything that went down in those last thirty minutes.
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ReplyDeleteWhat are your reactions to the film?
DeleteI loved the movie. I think it has a really unique style that adds a lot of personality to the shots themselves. I will never forget this movie not only because of its message and content, but also because of its style.
What parts did you like or dislike?
I especially liked the parts that focused on the other members of the community like Ella, Coconut Sid, ML, Sweet Dick Willie, Stevie, Punchy, Eddie, and Ahmad. I think that they really built a community around those characters that was essential to the plot. I didn't like the ice scene simply because it was completely unnecessary and painted Nina as a sex symbol.
Which characters did you like?
I loved Jade, Mother Sister, Radio Raheem, and of course Mookie. At times I loved Da Mayor but there were a few times he was a bit irritating.
What moments stood out to you?
Jade's scene with Mookie stood out to me because, although we had only seen Jade at one other point in the movie, she didn't seem unnecessary or irrelevant. The contrast between the earlier scene of people playing in the fire hydrant and the later scene of those same people getting sprayed with a firehouse was also very impactful for me. Also, I think that the part where they show the different people saying stereotypes about other groups of people in the community really worked with the film and Spike Lee's style of directing.
Did you think there was sexism in this film? If so, what parts and why? If not, why?
I think that the ice scene between Tina and Mookie was definitely put in only fir sex appeal, which I do think is sexist, however, I don't think there is sexism in the rest of the movie. While Mother Sister dies fit in to the "caregiving woman" stereotype, she is also fierce and independent. Ella is another example of how the movie isn't sexist. Ella is treated and acts with as much dignity as the men she is pictured alongside.
Think back to when Da Mayor tells Mookie to “do the right thing.” After seeing this film, what is the right thing to do? What does Da Mayor mean by this and how is his advice applicable in our society almost thirty years later?
I think that by saying this Da Mayor means that the right thing is different in different situations. In the case of the Sal's Pizzeria riot, the right thing may have been to throw the trash can through the window. In another situation, it could be better just to stay out of it. This idea also shows up in the film in Radio Raheem's monologue about love versus hate. In some situations, hate can only be challenged with hate, which can explain why Mookie yells "HATE!" When he breaks the window. Another more obscure way in which this appears throughout the movie is through Smiley's obsession with Malcom X and Martin Luther King Jr. Malcom X is known for his more aggressive ideas about how racism should be combatted in America, while Dr. King is known for his peaceful protest.
This was my first time seeing this film, and I really liked it. I really liked the way that Spike Lee set up the shots for the movie. The way he set them up made it feel more natural than if it was only an onlooker perspective. I liked how he made the watcher feel as if they were also in the middle of an argument between the characters on screen. I’m not sure about how I feel about most of the characters, because the majority, if not all the characters, are stereotypes. Even so, I have to say that Mookie is my favorite character because for the most part, he tried to stay impartial when an argument would break out. Because of this, the moment that stood out to me the most was when Mookie threw the trash can through the window of Sal’s pizzeria.
ReplyDeleteI don’t know. It can be argued in both ways if sexism was present in the film. As stated in the article, the female characters did carry the emotional aspect of the film, and it can be argued that they were also exploited because of their sexuality. Lee stereotyped every single character he created, so it seems very likely that he did the same for the women.
Da Mayor tells Mookie to do the right thing at a quiet time during the movie. Quiet as in it seems out of place. Lee doesn’t make it easy to spot the “right thing to do.” I think that what Da Mayor was trying to say was to not let hate overpower love, and to keep them in a careful balance. Or Da Mayor was trying to tell Mookie to go with his gut on all of his future decisions.
1. I enjoyed this movie because it didn't sugar coat any of the character's feelings or emotions during the movie. I also liked that it did not tie the movie up with a big bow and a happy ending; and, there was still topics to think about after the movie ended. I did not really relate to any of the characters because i felt that they all had major flaws. I liked Tina the most because she was not a push over and she knew that Mookie was playing with her and not taking full responsibility of his role as a a father. I do not like Mookie because he was playing around with Tina and he only told her "I love you" to calm her down and did not actually love her. The moment where the characters said the racial slurs to the camera about a specific group of people was different and more provocative than most films.
ReplyDelete2. I do not think that there was sexism in the movie, but i do agree that the women could have been given a larger part in the movie that was less stereotypical. I think that just because the women were not the protagonist or antagonist of the movie does not mean that the movies sexist. The women in the movie were all secondary characters and therefore did not need to be dynamic. I do agree that the scene with Tina and Mookie with the ice was unnecessary and could come off as using Tina as sex appeal.
3. I think that the right thing to do is to try and advocate and spread love over hate and to not let things escalate into violence. Da Mayor did not want the community to resort to violence whenever there was a difference in opinion. He even said dont start things up and end up doing something you will regret for the rest of your life. I believe that this advice should be used everytime people with a difference in opinion have to talk. They need to agree to dissagree and realize that they are both doing what they think is right in the situation based on their past. Da Mayor's advice, to me, will be applicable as long as humans continue to have unique opinions and debate.
1. What are your reactions to the film? What parts did you like or dislike? Which characters did you like? What moments stood out to you?
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the film itself for two reasons: Spike Lee's filming techniques and the uncomfortable topic that the film addressed. Spike Lee used many film techniques that are not conventionally used in films today. For instance, one of the techniques used was a tight Dutch angle (which is achieved by holding the camera diagonally). This technique was used to signal an uneasy confrontation between two or more people. For instance, the exchange where Sal told Radio Raheem to turn down his music down was filmed using only a Dutch angle. The awkwardness of this technique itself compliments the tension felt during Sal and Raheem's confrontation; this is what made this moment stand out to me. Ironically, Radio Raheem also happened to be my favorite character. I enjoyed him because of his unwillingness to give up his music. To me, this symbolized a person who would not give up his own unalienable rights; because of his passion, I admire Radio Raheem as a character.
2. Did you think there was sexism in this film? If so, what parts and why? If not, why?
There were a few instances of sexism in this movie. One of the most blatant examples was the scene where Mookie rubbed an ice cube on his wife's naked body. This was an example of sexism because Mookie's wife was only being used as sex appeal. There was no reason (that would be relevant to the plot) that this scene should have been included in the film. It would be different if this scene gave the audience some insight into the message of the film.
3. Think back to when Da Mayor tells Mookie to “do the right thing.” After seeing this film, what is the right thing to do? What does Da Mayor mean by this and how is his advice applicable in our society almost thirty years later?
After watching the movie, I believe that the "right thing" that Da Mayor refers to is to respect all people. Da Mayor is a person who does not receive respect, whether it comes from the young man on the sidewalk who insulted him or Mother Sister, the woman who neglects him. Da Mayor strikes me as a person who would not wish harm on others; therefore, he would not wish to have anyone else feel disrespected, as he does. We, as a people, can learn from Da Mayor's lesson today. We should be able to treat others with respect, no matter what differences make them separate from us.
Now that I have seen the film twice I was able to pick out bits and pieces that maybe hadn’t stood out to me the first time I watched it last year. I really do like the movie and its style is so different than movies that I usually go for. The choppiness or fast changing camera angles, variety of music, and well developed and meaningful characters make it hard to get bored. The scenes with Tina and Mookie felt kind of out of place to me and I would’ve loved to know more about the two and their story together. I like a lot of characters, but I especially like Jade for her independent attitude, Mookie for his ambiguity, and Da Mayor simply because his character was interesting to keep up with. Two scenes that stood out a lot more for me this time around were the scene where Pino and Vito were in the closet talking/fighting and also the firemen scene with the hoses spraying the people. I think there is sexism in this movie for sure. Some is contextual, though, and although of course I wish there weren’t sexism in movies I think that it all sort of fit together in this film and Spike Lee didn’t seem to have any intention of emphasizing the women characters (which is why they appear as sexist portrayals of women of color being the nurturing mother figures and also nagging the men). It would be interesting to watch an alternate version of the film where the women were given larger roles. I do like the motherly portrayal of Mother Sister even if it does stand by some stereotypes… I just like her journey throughout the story and also her few lines are some of the most important, like “Burn it down!”. I don’t have an answer for what the right thing to do is. I feel pity for basically every character at some point in the movie with the exception of the law enforcement characters. I think Da Mayor proposed this “Do the right thing” to get Mookie thinking just like it makes us viewers think about what it really means to do the right thing morally and in general. Prejudice and mistreatment is still going on now so even though I don’t understand the line “do the right thing” fully, I do know that we all still have to think a little deeper about what doing the right thing really means for each individual in this place and time.
ReplyDeleteWhat are your reactions to the film? What parts did you like or dislike? Which characters did you like? What moments stood out to you?
ReplyDeleteI had not yet seen this film and I thought that it was very fun to watch, and I really enjoyed it. I really liked the scene where the big fight breaks out in Sal’s because it shows the characters that are generally more chill, like Mookie and Sal, and within thirty minutes makes them do something very drastic. Sal’s moment is when he smashes Radio Raheem’s beatbox with the bat, and Mookie’s is when he throws the garbage can at the window of the pizzeria. I like Mother Sister because, as her name implies, she surveys the whole town constantly. I also like that Da Mayor has to almost prove himself to her, and that she does not instantly fall in love with him, like in a lot of movies.
Did you think there was sexism in this film? If so, what parts and why? If not, why?
I definitely think that some of the women’s personalities could have been expanded upon, especially Tina. One problem I have with Tina’s character is that no matter what Mookie does, such as leaving her and Hector alone for a week, he always somehow convinces her that he has changed. I would think that eventually she would just leave him since he is such a bad father, but maybe a counter argument would be that she needs the money he provides, or that she loves him too much. Mother Sister on the other hand is almost the opposite, she makes Da Mayor “prove” himself. She does not like him when he is a drunk because it shows how irresponsible he is, but once he saves Eddie from the car he shows that he can be a hero and not just a drunk bum.
Think back to when Da Mayor tells Mookie to “do the right thing.” After seeing this film, what is the right thing to do? What does Da Mayor mean by this and how is his advice applicable in our society almost thirty years later?
I think that when Da Mayor says “do the right thing,” he means Mookie should do whatever feels right to him, despite what other people might think. I think that there was no right move for Mookie, if he broke the window it would have been the “right thing” because he was being true to his community. If he sided with Sal it would have also been the “right thing” because it was Sal’s pizzeria which is all Sal had, and it was also Mookie’s only source of income that he relied on to feed Tina, Hector, and himself. Even now I think that phrase could be taught to all of America to mean do what you think is the “right thing” and stick with it as long as you can accept the consequences.
What are your reactions to the film? What parts did you like or dislike? Which characters did you like? What moments stood out to you?
ReplyDeleteI was very shocked and surprised with this film. Throughout the movie, I struggled to understand where exactly Lee was going with the plot and what I was supposed to focus on in the movie. In the end, I realized that the movie wasn’t intended to be an action or drama movie, rather something that portrayed an average hot day in a black neighborhood. I also really like how unfiltered the film was. I feel that because race is an issue that most people don’t want to talk about, Spike Lee uses this movie to show the real-life tension of race relations during the 80s. My favorite character in this movie was probably Mookie. Throughout the movie, Mookie had a chill and laid-back attitude, always tending to shy away from violence. But in the end, when he broke the window, it showed a different side of him, that he still has to fight for his brothers in his neighborhood, no matter what.
Did you think there was sexism in this film? If so, what parts and why? If not, why?
Yes. I think that most of the women in the film were one-dimensional. They had parts that were mostly nagging men or secondary to the men characters. I think that this was intentional to focus the movie on the racial issues rather than gender issues.
Think back to when Da Mayor tells Mookie to “do the right thing.” After seeing this film, what is the right thing to do? What does Da Mayor mean by this and how is his advice applicable in our society almost thirty years later?
I think Da Mayor is referring to some people in the town feel that Mookie is siding with the Italians rather than the neighborhood. I interpreted this as meaning that Da Mayor wants him to remember where he came from and always fight the racial issues that could arise between the two groups. I think that this applicable because nowadays, people tend to side with the majority viewpoint, and Da Mayor wants Mookie to do what he feels is right, like MLK and Malcolm X.
What are your reactions to the film? What parts did you like or dislike? Which characters did you like? What moments stood out to you?
ReplyDeleteI found Mookie to be my favorite character, his development and personality really shined through to me. His neutrality was very interesting to me also. I think that what really got to me was at the very end when he threw the trash can through the window of the pizzeria and then walked off. It was his one moment of having true stance, which happened to be when tension was running the highest.
Did you think there was sexism in this film? If so, what parts and why? If not, why?
I feel like there is a small amount within the film yes. The character Tina was clearly supposed to be the sex appeal of the film and was very one dimensional, but other female characters seemed to be pretty fleshed out to me, even as secondary roles.
Think back to when Da Mayor tells Mookie to “do the right thing.” After seeing this film, what is the right thing to do? What does Da Mayor mean by this and how is his advice applicable in our society almost thirty years later?
When Da Mayor says “do the right thing”, it can mean a number of things. I think the most obvious meaning is to do the right thing for the situation at hand, maybe “doing the right thing “will change depending on the situation, but as long as it is good and right then you will do the best you can do.
The very first thing I noticed and liked about this film were the colors and the camerawork. The bright colors and the dramatic shots helped to keep me engaged throughout the film. Another quality I liked was how the movie remained humorous even though it discussed heavy topics. The humor made the film easier to watch, and I think that the climactic moment at the end had more impact because the humor that seemed to define the film up to that point stopped abruptly. I didn’t really dislike much about the film, but there was an excessive amount of yelling that got a little annoying after a while.
ReplyDeleteI think that most of the sexism in this film has to with stereotypes, but not only women are affected by these stereotypes. Everyone in the film fills a very specific role that is familiar according to previously established stereotypes, and there are negative repercussions of this for each character regardless of gender. It is true that no woman in the film has an active lead role in which she takes action and has a mind for herself, which could be considered sexist, but I’m not sure that the film would have had the same impact if there were not clear distinctions between the sexes.
I think that the movie tries to convey that doing the right thing refers to eliminating racial prejudice, but not in a violent way. The inclusion of the quote given by Martin Luther King Jr on non-violence (following an intensely violent final 20 minutes) make me think that Spike Lee would not condone a violent action such as burning down Sal’s place. The statement of “doing the right thing” is a tricky one, especially since “the right thing” means something different to everybody. I think Da Mayor’s main point in telling Mookie to do such was to remind him to stay true to himself, respect others for their differences, and to not fall into a bad situation, like he ended up in. This advice is timeless because it is always good to respect others as well as yourself, and this idea of morality helps keep many out of trouble.
I really enjoyed “Do the Right Thing” because of its easily accessible humor and prescient social commentary. I thought the most of the characters were deeply human, intriguing, and well developed. My favorite parts of the movie were probably the conversations between Sweet Dick Willie and his friends. They were well written and very comical. My favorite characters were Bugging Out, Mookie, Sweet Dick Willie, and Da Mayor. I don’t there there was blatant or overt sexism in this film but I do think that the female characters weren’t as multi-layered and well developed as their male counterparts. I think the article that we read was right in its conclusion that caring and matronal were the main adjectives that would be used to describe Tina, Jane, and Mother Sister. I think that the “right thing to do” after seeing this film is to continue to try to pursue peaceful resolutions to the racial issues that plauge our nation and our world. I think that the burning of Sal’s Famous Pizzeria was an improper response to the killing of Radio Raheem and it does nothing but continue the cycle of violence and suffering.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the movie that we watched in class, "Do The Right Thing". There weren't any parts of the film that I really disliked, however there were parts that I was surprised by such as the ending because of the quick escalation. My favorite character was Radio Raheem because i feel like there was a lot of depth to his character. I also liked Smiley because I thought that the change in his character throughout the movie was interesting. The part where the people said the insults really stood out to me because it was filmed in a very different style than most movies.
ReplyDeleteI didn't think that there was blatant sexism in this movie however I can understand the argument that there is. Similar to what many people said in class, I don't feel like the women in this movie played super important characters, so I don't feel like it's super necessary to go very in depth with their characters, however I do agree with some of the things that were said about Tina's character.
I think that Mookie did the right thing at the end of the movie after Sal's burned down when he spoke to him and mended their relationship in a way, rather than holding a grudge which would have created more tension in their community. I think when Da Mayor says to do the right thing he means to lead with love rather than hate. This is still applicable in our society today because if you look at the news you can see how many acts of hatred are still happening today
I couldn't submit this earlier because of technical issues.*
ReplyDeleteOverall, I thought this film was well done. I did however think it was quite interestingly put together and acted. I almost thought this film belonged as an animation due to how animated each character's reactions seemed to be. A moment that I won't forget for a while is when Sal smashed Radio Raheem's radio. I was not at all expecting it.
I do think women where portrayed in sexist ways through out this film. although I do not think Spike did any of it intentionally to be sexist, and also, when this movie was made things like sexism where common in movies. But, at the same time, it would be foolish to completely deny that this film holds some sexism in it, because it does. The roles of woman seemed to be particularly sexist to me. They seemed to have no significant role other than a cautious reminder of what is right or what is wrong.
When Da Mayor says, "Do what's right," it made sense, but only at the time he said it. After the movie ended, it seemed a very confusing thing to say indeed. This was because what did in fact happen did not necessarily seem to go along the lines of "right."
Now I think this point of view is completely opinionated and it could go either way. But for now, I see "Do the right thing" more as a continuous meaning that shows importance in even our world today. The most obvious example would be electing Donald Trump as our president. Is that the right thing? Well apparently enough people thought so.