Still Doing the Right Things: The Anniversary of Spike Lee’s Masterpiece
July 02, 2009
Tuesday marked the 20th anniversary of the theatrical release of Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing. In competition at the 89’ Cannes, it lost the Palm d’Or to Steven Soderbergh’s Sex, Lies and Videotape, owing at least in part to jury president Wim Wenders’ now famous opinion that the film’s hero, Mookie, was insufficiently heroic. Lee was incensed enough to suggest that Wenders “had better watch out 'cause I'm waiting for his ass!" He even claimed to have a baseball bat with the director’s name on it.
In hindsight, they both come off sounding petulant or worse, but the film retains its power. There will surely be e-ink spilled on how its thematic content has aged, whether Wenders ever had a leg to stand on, etc., but what struck me most upon re-watching was the enduring thrill of Lee’s craft: the Brechtian directness, the Dutch angles foreshadowing the turbulence of the finale, the ice cube scene that’s straight out of Godard’s Une Femme Mariée. His obsession with showcasing formal technique brought accusations of film-student mannerism, but now that seems like a very dated (and distinctly American) critique. Two decades later, few could mistake Lee’s bold, expressive style for immature posturing. I want to call it progress, or maybe just proof that the culture learns to accommodate all great works eventually.
Comments (4)
Posted by Fernando Cwilich Gil on Thu Jul 2, 2009 at 11.51 am
thanks god for the left nipple
89’ when was it released theatrically? I could have sworn I saw it in NYC but those numbers don’t add up.
Posted by scribbler50 on Thu Jul 2, 2009 at 01.04 pm
Boy, you get an awful lot accomplished in a very small space, Mr. Mullins!
Another smart and concise review as was your recent mini-journey through the Asian Festival. And kudos from me as well for your use of the words “Dutch Angles"… I’ve noticed that technique in a lot of Lee’s films but never knew there was a phrase for it. And though I don’t agree with where this film went in the end I agree with every word of your take on it. Great stuff!
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Posted by le weeze on Thu Jul 2, 2009 at 11.32 am
Thank you for teaching me the term “Dutch Angle”!