In her piece, “Fear of a Black Cinema,” Amy Taubin discusses how difficult it can be to write a top-ten list. She feels that in doing so, one is simultaneously excluding films that deserve to be featured just as much as those ten do. The problem lies in the fact that the world of cinema today is so vast, as it is now growing at an ever-increasing rate. With so many options, it can be extremely problematic to try and pick only ten. Why do we, as a society, limit ourselves to only ten of the “best” movies? Can a biased author ever truly pick the top-ten that would apply to everyone?
Furthermore, one of the specific examples Taubin discusses in her work is the movie, Do the Right Thing by Spike Lee. She gives a brief summary of some parts of
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In fact, Taubin discusses the stark differences in opinion of those who viewed the film. For example, white establishment press and black intellectuals claimed that his movie was responsible "for sabotaging the up-coming mayoral campaign of David Dinkins, the African-American opponent of 12-year incumbent Ed Koch." Those who attack his piece did not acknowledge the death of the black teenager, but instead were outraged by the fact that rioters destroyed the white-owned pizzeria. However, none apologized after Dinkins won the election, and New York was unharmed. Furthermore, these intense criticisms stem from the fear that riots will obliterate whole towns. Those who incite said riots are considered “proto-facists,” and their work is condemned in an effort to assuage those fears. No one wants their town to be burned down to the ground, so they simply try to ignore the oppression in order to keep racial tensions under control. Going deeper, I think this film strengthened racial tensions, but only slightly. Since New York did not get destroyed as a result of Lee’s work, racial tensions obviously did not boil over. However, the fact that the issue of racism was paramount in this movie reveals how significant of a topic it was to Lee. Although I have not seen the movie, I can only imagine the ramifications of Lee’s film, and how it
Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing, released in 1989, takes place in a predominately African American neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant, located in Brooklyn, New York. Lee, who wrote, produced, directed, and acted in this film, tells the story of an African American community that is filled with racial tension on a hot summer day. The heat takes a toll on the members of the community and tragedy strikes with the death of an African American man named Radio Raheem. Lee uses many techniques in the film, allowing the audience to explore central themes and provoking them to react a certain way. Through the use of mise-en-scene, montage, and camera angles Spike Lee is able to highlight the message of racial intolerance in the film.
... lead to his involvement in the events at the end. It was tragic to see him killed, but I didn’t see the loving character that the community saw. I feel of this theme of Love and Hate, Love didn’t get enough coverage. I think this was supposed to be a story about Love losing to Hate, but I don’t think Love was fairly represented here. It was interesting to see the Community at first adamantly deny boycotting Sal’s talking about how they grew up on Sal’s food, and to see how in the course of an evening they were chanting to burn it down. This was a really compelling movie, and to a degree its hard to distance yourself from it. I am a white guy watching it, so its harder for me to see it from Spike’s point of view, but after thinking about the movie for a week or so, he does bring up a lot of excellent arguments. I just hope that violence isn’t the right conclusion.
Racial tension and cultural barriers has been a constant within our county and the rest of the world for as long as time has been around. Being segregation, to racial riots and sometimes even worse events can occur which has been proven by history in the past. Director Spike Lee’s 1989 film “Do the Right Thing” is a movie set in New York City neighborhood that is filled with many different cultures and ethnic groups being an Italian pizza shop, an Asian general store, an African American housing and residents. Sociology places a main role within the film in which we see how every person goes about their day. Peace and conflict are at an ever increasing war with each other. Above this the film takes place on only one day which happens to be the hottest day of the summer. The observation that we the audience make out is the highest tension is between the Italians and the African Americans. Granted, there are some that get along but for the most part the conflict is there. Whereas the Asian family in the film is the side group in which they are not shown in many scenes throughout the film. Spike Lee does a phenomenal job in portraying the races the way he see it from his perspective. The neighborhood
Spike Lee used famous figures from popular culture in the United States to add layers of complexity to his characters. Famous athletes are idolized by the denizens of Bedford Stuyvesant, and through portraits on a wall of fame or jerseys worn, their ideologies are symbolically represented in this film. Most of the famous figures admired by the community are not on the wall of fame however, which due to Sal not wanting to put any black people on the wall, causes most of the conflict in the film. The issues brought up by Lee in 1989 mostly still hold true to the social issues today. The Black Lives Matter movement can be traced to events that are similar to the end of Do the Right Thing, thus showing the films
In striking out at the "Move" members, both the African American neighbors and the black mayor were rejecting their own people. The "Move" adherents were different, and their difference included acceptance of a heritage long scorned by black Americans brought up under the influence of an Euro-centric mainstream culture. Their perspective endeavored to embrace long lost connections to heritage that had violently suppressed and taken from them in the past. The African heritage prized by the "Move" could have been theirs, could have been the mayor's, could have been the neighbors, but rather than accept this or even tolerate diversity, they struck out in anger. Diversity is what America is all about and people who do not understand this should follow Clifton's advice and move.
All in all, Harper Lee used racism in her novel to develop the characters in it and relay certain messages, and not history, to the readers and these are the purposes of any literature, which are fulfilled by using specific themes and merging them into one meaningful piece of literature. So, while racism is one of the important themes of the novel, it is not the only theme that the novel is focused on. Therefore, there are some differences between racism in her novel and racism in the United States of America in the 1930s. However, while those differences could affect our comprehension to a certain extent, they should not prevent us from appreciating the novel and the messages that it conveys through racism.
The entire film is based on significantly different racial opinions, opinions of different writing styles and stereotyping of different people in general. Race is a huge issue in the film and many stereotypes are made.
This incident would have produced nothing more than another report for resisting arrest had a bystander, George Holliday, not videotaped the altercation. Holliday then released the footage to the media. LAPD Officers Lawrence Powell, Stacey Koon, Timothy Wind and Theodore Brisino were indicted and charged with assaulting King. Superior Court Judge Stanley Weisberg ordered a change of venue to suburban Simi Valley, which is a predominantly white suburb of Los Angeles. All officers were subsequently acquitted by a jury comprised of 10 whites, one Hispanic and one Asian, and the African American community responded in a manner far worse than the Watts Riots of 1965. ?While the King beating was tragic, it was just the trigger that released the rage of a community in economic strife and a police department in serious dec...
The Chicago riot was the most serious of the multiple that happened during the Progressive Era. The riot started on July 27th after a seventeen year old African American, Eugene Williams, did not know what he was doing and obliviously crossed the boundary of a city beach. Consequently, a white man on the beach began stoning him. Williams, exhausted, could not get himself out of the water and eventually drowned. The police officer at the scene refused to listen to eyewitness accounts and restrained from arresting the white man. With this in mind, African Americans attacked the police officer. As word spread of the violence, and the accounts distorted themselves, almost all areas in the city, black and white neighborhoods, became informed. By Monday morning, everyone went to work and went about their business as usual, but on their way home, African Americans were pulled from trolleys and beaten, stabbed, and shot by white “ruffians”. Whites raided the black neighborhoods and shot people from their cars randomly, as well as threw rocks at their windows. In retaliation, African Americans mounted sniper ambushes and physically fought back. Despite the call to the Illinois militia to help the Chicago police on the fourth day, the rioting did not subside until the sixth day. Even then, thirty eight
While the L.A. riots were far larger, and the effects are still being felt, I still feel that the Watts riots had more of an impact. I had known about the riots previously, as I had been interested and looked into it on my own, but I had not looked into the economic at the time. Seeing that there were not any real economic effects from the riot, and in-fact some things may have gotten even worse, changes how I think of riots reported on in the media. Although there has been little in empirical studies done on the impact of the Watts riots, which is odd due to their importance in recent American history, especially now, it is clear that the riots started a trend of misguided racial tension that continues to this day, one that has prolonged the suffering and disenfranchisement of Blacks in the United States. While I do not believe another riot is the answer, researching this riot has shown me that while the riots can be considered important, the reality is that their effects on society are quite minimal, and only the political discussion of the riots is what has lasted to today. The failure of any real reform since then of the treatment of Blacks in general, let alone in the criminal justice world, shows to me a real lack of justice in the United
Since the time of slavery, racial tension has existed between whites and blacks. This tension has only increased with the passing of time. This conflict culminated in the 1940s in the form of mob violence. While there have been previous riots because of race relations, none of them were of the magnitude of the 1943 Detroit riot. Much like any other event involving racism in the 1940s, the Detroit riot has little coverage, most of which is skewed, in articles in the nation?s leading news sources such as ?Deep Trouble? in Time, ?Riotous Race Hate? in Newsweek, and ?The Truth About the Detroit Riot? in Harper?s. Thus, one must compare articles from these sources to ascertain accurate information. Even when comparing these accounts, the reader finds discrepancies in the causation and destruction of the Detroit riot. By analyzing these descriptions, one can also notice the similarities between the Detroit riot and other mob violence during that time period. For example, James Baldwin?s retelling of the Harlem riot in ?Notes of a Native Son? bears great similarities in causation and destruction with the Detroit riot.
Spike Lee has made movies which discuss things no one would show the public. Malcom X was a huge film; Spike brought an ionic man to the perspective of the people. In the movie Malcom X you see the use vulgar language to state his point. Spike Lee introduces these topics rapidly unlike no other would. Malcom X shows the racist abuse a black man goes through, this picture couldn’t be any more vivid to the general public. In this movie he applies the “by any means necessary” method into his production and his message. In Alex Haley’s interview with Spike, he addresses the ...
... supremacist gang, to rioting in an Asian owned grocery store, to finally brutally murdering someone. We observe as family ties become increasingly strained in every way, the viewer can easily conclude that Derek’s racism as well as his eventual influence on his younger brother ultimately contributed to their own downfall. As controversial as this movie maybe for the offensive language and brutal violence, it is a movie that deserves to be seen, and even discussed. It really provides insight into some factors within society that cannot be contained by the law or even deterred by even the harshest punishments. Even though American society is becoming more modernized as time goes by in terms of tolerance, racism will unfortunately always be prevalent in society and inevitably it will also lead some individuals to violently express their distorted mentalities.
I believe that the film adaption and play of the real events, really provided an amazing first-hand account of the brutality and discrimination we faced by thousands of white Americans, including the lack of intervention by police officers due to racial prejudices. It also in an excellent way to have an audience truly understand how prevalent racism was for mexicans living in Los Angeles during the twentieth century. Ultimately, I believe that, although life has changed greatly since the early 1940’s, there are still racialized issues that remain prevalent to this day that can be seen through media daily. So, it is evident that the lack of intervention that took place during the zoot suit riots can take place today, history repeats itself. Ultimately, I think one of the most prominent parallels between the Chicanos in the 1940s with the currently discriminated groups today is definitely that police brutality is still a major concern. Underrepresented groups are still facing discrimination by law enforcement agencies, just like the pachucos experienced, it's apparent that police brutality has persistently been an issue in the united states among marginalized groups, and the hate needs to end, because riots will continue to occur in the 21st century if this discrimination
Lee’s purpose was wholesome in producing this documentary, to recall the events that occurred on September 15th, 1963, the extreme levels of racism in the mid nineteen hundreds, and to shed a light on this tragedy.