Film Analysis: Clockers Directed by Spike Lee

Spike Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor, noted for his films that deal with controversial social and political issues. Lee's films are typically referred to as "Spike Lee Joints". Most of his films focus on the perspective on African American culture throughout the late 1980’s and early 1990’s.

For centuries racism was the norm in America. Director Spike Lee can be considered as the modern day racism opponent. His films investigates the racial disagreements that surround populations, every day in America and in other multi-racial regions. Lee does not strive for political correctness, nor does he lecture. He establishes a group of characters, creates a situation, and then lets events unfold by themselves. His approach is unbiased, many people accuse his films of being harsh but they may not understand what Lee wants to convey. Lee is known as the kind of director who provokes enormous reactions such as “Do the right thing”

The film is about a young man Mookie, played by Spike Lee himself, who lives in the hoods of Brooklyn, works at a local pizzeria owned by an Italian named Sal. One day when another young man named Buggin walks into the pizza shop and demands that Sal hangs up pictures of black legends such as Martin Luther king on his wall of fame since his shop is located in an African American neighborhood, Sal denies the request and is entitled to hang up pictures of whomever he pleases. Buggin and his friend Raheem later plan a heist to attack Sal and make him replace the pictures. They put the radio on high volume playing Fight the Power which is symbolic because it explains how Radio Raheem feels every time he passes someone and they automatically categorize him as a criminal. Sal then breaks ...

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...ale making the prime choice of his career.”

Work Cited:

Ebert, R. (2001, May 27). Do the Right Thing Movie Review (1989) | Roger Ebert. Retrieved April 28, 2014, from http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-do-the-right-thing-1989

Ebert, R. (1992, November 18). Malcolm X Movie Review & Film Summary (1992) | Roger Ebert. Retrieved April 28, 2014, from http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/malcolm-x-1992

Maslin, J. (1995, September 13). Clockers Film Review; In a Hell of Drugs and Despair - New York Times. Retrieved April 28, 2014, from http://www.nytimes.com/1995/09/13/movies/film-review-in-a-hell-of-drugs-and-despair.html

Maslin, J. (1998, May 1). Movie Review - He Got Game - FILM REVIEW; A Spike Lee Explosion Roams All Over the Court - NYTimes.com. Retrieved April 28, 2014, from http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B0DEFD8153EF932A35756C0A96E958260