Review of Do the Right Thing

Spike Lee has made some amazing films, but this is definitely his best (with "Malcolm X" a close second). It's the hottest day of the summer, and a Brooklyn neighborhood is teeming with life. By day's end, racial tensions flare to the point of unspeakable violence. The movie has some hilarious moments (including anything said by the three old guys on the street corner), but more than anything, it's a portrait of racial relations and different peoples' attitudes toward it. Much ink has been spilled over the apathetic, messy ending, but I feel that it's probably just Spike's way of showing us that there are no easy answers. The cinematography (by Lee mainstay Ernest Dickerson) is vivid and mesmerizing, and set a standard for many films that would follow. The acting is nothing short of superb, with electrifying performances by Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis and the extremely underrated Giancarlo Esposito. Unthinkably, this movie received no Oscars (if I'm not mistaken). Ignore the Academy and rent this masterpiece.