Aaron Wolff
Mrs. Kolb
Intro to film
11 May 2026
Do the Right thing and Critical Race Theory
Critical Race Theory and Systemic Tension in Do the Right Thing of all the films ever produced dealing with the relationship between America and its races, Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing stands as one of the most powerful since it provides no easy answers to any racial issues that America has ever faced. Since its release in 1989, the film portrays a single day in the lives of the citizens residing in a very divided American neighborhood. Daily escalating tensions amongst every demographic of the neighborhood culminates in a racially driven riot that leaves the black character Radio Raheem dead, killed by police officers. Utilizing Critical Race Theory in its analysis of the issues at play in this film, Do the Right Thing shows that problems concerning racial conflict are not just about one or a handful of individual behavior. Instead, it demonstrates that racial issues involve more deeply imbedded problems within our social and economic systems, as well as an individual’s conduct. Using visual clues from the cinematography, the conversations, the symbolism of colors used, and the clashing between the characters themselves, Spike Lee reveals how systemic racism breeds frustrations and anger amongst everyone within the neighborhood. Instead of creating characters as either good guys or bad guys, Lee shows the ugly truth about the nature of race relations amongst Americans, it is something that is woven into the fabric of their society and each citizen. The essence of Critical Race Theory, as simply put, is that racism is not just an individual issue with hateful or ignorant human beings. Instead, it is part of the laws and institutions of American society. In Do the Right Thing the issue of race is demonstrated in both covert and system based ways within the neighborhood. For example, the use of Sal’s pizzeria is very significant throughout the film. Even though many neighbors feel that they know and love Sal due to the many years of service he has provided, his pizzeria is evidence of outsiders dominating and controlling the Black community, economically exploiting them. The argument between Buggin’ Out and Sal concerning why only white Italians are on Sal’s “Wall of Fame” does not just demonstrate the issue of the paintings of Italians on the wall. Instead it symbolizes the fact that the black community can only be relevant to outsiders when they have a profitable product or entertainment to offer, and any sort of ownership of the Black community is only recognized when money can be made out of them. Along with the issue of blatant racism presented throughout the film, Spike Lee also uses the environment and the climate to portray the film’s message concerning race relations within the neighborhood. The intense heat demonstrated throughout the movie signifies that racism has been a brewing issue within the neighborhood for a long time and the residents are ready to burst, and finally the fight against it breaks out when Radio Raheem is murdered by police. Each conversation that takes place between the residents of the neighborhood has an element of rage associated with it, even if not explicitly conveyed by the speaker. Spike Lee’s use of vibrant colors, especially red and orange throughout the film’s cinematographic shots, helps portray both the sweltering heat of the day and the buildup of anger within the residents of the neighborhood. The violence that erupts from the neighborhood is not necessarily the result of one event, but is instead a result of many years of both systematic abuse and racial conflict within the community. The idea behind Critical Race Theory suggests that prolonged conflict is part of the reason the community as a whole erupts. Mookie exemplifies individuals caught in the middle of a situation with systemic disadvantages. He is an employee of Sal and is of the Black community. He is someone that struggles within the system. All day long Mookie tries to remain away from all the issues occurring within the neighborhood and wishes that a peaceful day can unfold. However, when Radio Raheem is killed due to excessive force by officers, Mookie comes into his own, for when Mookie throws a garbage can through Sal’s pizzeria window, the audience will question whether he is simply an American hooligan or a desperate individual reacting against the injustice and mistreatment within the neighborhood. Spike Lee wants us to question this concept rather than draw our own conclusions. In addition to the displayed system based racism in the movie, police brutality is by far the most apparent element shown. Radio Raheem is killed by police officers who arrived to break up the fight at Sal’s pizzeria. This action by police demonstrates the real life American race riots by police and the disrespect the officers have shown towards Radio Raheem and his humanity, and are instead concerned with nothing more than getting him to submit and behave properly. As the police officers drive away and abandon the black community, Critical Race Theory would interpret this as systemic failure to prevent the death of an individual from marginalized group and an individual that is unable to depend on those in a position to harm and abuse them. Anger, in this particular situation, arises out of cumulative racial injustice as a result of what occurred between the neighborhood and the police officers and becomes one with the people. To achieve this message, Spike Lee makes use of many cinematographic approaches. The memorable scenes of various characters direct addressing the camera while muttering obscenities of race towards it serve as direct communication of their anger and resentment towards issues. While all races, as it turns out, do have their negative side when it comes to their views towards the different races, the audience does get a sense that what the individual speaker is say reflects his or her own experiences with that particular race. It shows that no matter how much anger and resentments individuals have hidden within them, the true ugliest of them are visible and can be exposed to the world to see. Although each character says rude things about one another, their individual encounters demonstrate how each perspective’s view towards one another varies due to their positions in the American power structure. In that way, it helps Critical Race Theory convey the message that it will be different in everybody’s individual lives, in accordance with their social positions in America. There is something to be said about the role that the music plays throughout the film as well. “Fight the Power” by Public Enemy became the anthemic song for the entire neighborhood. As Radio Raheem plays it loudly on his boombox all day long, it becomes a symbolic anthem for the fight against systematic racism. Even though some residents may perceive it as irritating, and others see it as rebellion, it is the only way that the community as a whole can truly fight against the problems they face regarding racial conflicts. Each repetition of the song continues to highlight the notion that political rage is alive and well amongst the citizens. Perhaps the film can be remembered the most due to its avoidance of defining each character as purely either good or bad. Sal is not completely inhumane or indifferent to others, but does carry his racist prejudices with him, whereas the Black characters within the neighborhood also demonstrate a tendency towards conflict and disgruntlement amongst themselves but do carry their victims’ perspective to each conflict with the white power structure. Spike Lee implements such portrayals into the film so that the audience can clearly understand that American life isn’t so black and white.
Works cited
ABC News, Juju Chang. “How Spike Lee’s Film ‘do the Right Thing’ Still Resonates, 25 Years Later.” ABC News, 10 Dec. 2014, abcnews.com/US/spike-lees-film-thing-resonates-25-years/story?id=27488220.
Do the Right Thing. Directed by Spike Lee, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, 1989
Larson, Sarah. “‘do the Right Thing’ at Twenty-Five.” The New Yorker, 4 July 2014, www.newyorker.com/culture/sarah-larson/do-the-right-thing-at-twenty-five.