Do the Right Thing
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.
Critics Sentiment
Mister Señor Love Daddy introduces the diverse neighborhood characters
Police officer chokes Radio Raheem to death with nightstick
The film crashes from the acclaimed tension-building to the brutal police killing of Radio Raheem, dropping 2.6 points in the span of 16 minutes.
Critics praised Do the Right Thing as a masterpiece for its first two-thirds, celebrating Lee's character development, cinematography, and ability to convey suffocating heat while building unbearable tension. The film's devastating climax divided reviewers, with some calling it earth-shattering and others questioning the violent escalation, though most agreed the complex ending appropriately refuses easy answers. Despite controversy over the final act, critics consistently recognized the film's technical brilliance and powerful exploration of race relations.
Full cast
Showing 20 of 44
Danny Aiello
Sal
Ossie Davis
Da Mayor
Ruby Dee
Mother Sister
Richard Edson
Vito
Giancarlo Esposito
Buggin Out
Spike Lee
Mookie
Bill Nunn
Radio Raheem
John Turturro
Pino
Paul Benjamin
ML
Frankie Faison
Coconut Sid
Robin Harris
Sweet Dick Willie
Joie Lee
Jade
Miguel Sandoval
Officer Ponte
Rick Aiello
Officer Long
John Savage
Clifton
Samuel L. Jackson
Mister Señor Love Daddy
Rosie Perez
Tina
Roger Guenveur Smith
Smiley
Steve White
Ahmad
Martin Lawrence
Cee
Crew
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