Reel Reading Lit Log #2

Do the Right Thing Director’s Interview

Jada: Good Afternoon Mr.Lee Spike Lee: Good afternoon! Jada: I want to congratulate you on such an outstanding film and how much effort you put into it with all the elements and character development. You shot this film in 40 days and still happened to make it such a well known movie to so many people. The film is very interesting in the color ways and the recognizable soundtrack. Spike Lee: Why thank you a lot! You know I’ve always loved making films about the lives of African Americans without making it such a tragedy. I want to open the eyes to other cultures to show them what is different from what’s on the news and what people make us out to be because in reality, we are like everyone else with normal lives and usual day to day problems. Jada: I genuinely applaud that especially in the times we are living in where the news isn’t always the most reliable way in knowing about one’s culture or what else other than tragedies are happening. I wanted to start off this interview by asking what was your inspiration behind this film and how did you come to put it all together? Spike Lee: Well I feel for the film as a whole, it gives a very good representation of what it is like on a hot summer day in a predominantly African American neighborhood. There was a lot of different things going on at once and I wanted to portray that within the film by making it very fast paced but also something that was easy to follow along with. Jada: I definitely agree with the fact that it was easy to follow along with and I do applaud you for filming it all on one block in the middle of Brooklyn! My next question would have to be why? Why did you decide to film it on one block instead of multiple? Spike Lee: I felt like if it was filmed on one block it would give it a much more homier feeling in regards to the neighborhood. Yeah, a few blocks could be considered a neighborhood but when you have everything focused on one street, you’re able to see different people in the background. While the camera would be focused on one person, you still have an insight into the other characters behind them without it seeming so forced or like they are in the spotlight. I feel as if it was just a small detail that was put in that many people may not even notice but makes a very big difference in the overall outcome. Jada: So if you could go back and change anything in the film, what would it be? Spike Lee: If I could change any part in the film, it would have to be the way some audiences looked at it as controversial. They said that “the film could incite Black audiences to riot” I did say my turn back to the White people who were saying this. I think just because it shows some type of riots or fights within the film, it does not suggest that it would be the best option or even an option at all. In fact, when the character Buggin Out was trying to start a riot with everyone, they all turned it down because of the fact that they grew up on Sal’s pizza and couldn’t see anything wrong with it. Yes, they may have some differences, but in the long run, no one would put up with everything happening in the neighborhood other than them and they always did right by them no matter how many arguments they had. Jada: I can definitely see exactly where you’re coming from because of everything going on and how if just because something happens, it does not mean that you are inciting anything like it. As we come to an end, I want to ask one final question. That being; within the character development throughout the film, there is one character that stood out to me a lot which was Radio Raheem. He was someone in the beginning of the film who seemed to be the person everyone was scared of and no one wanted to be around. He always had a radio in hand and didn’t say much. As the film progresses, he seems a lot more soft and like he is just having a good time or just enjoying himself. At the very end of the film, we come to notice that he was choked to death on the street by the police. Why did you choose to make this character do the things he did? Spike Lee: I feel as a whole character, he shows a lot of different sides to him that I wanted to bring out. He showed his mean mug side, his friendly side, and a very vulnerable side even though it wasn’t very voluntary. He is also holding the radio for almost the entire film which is always playing the song “Fight The Power” which is the opening song and the song you continue to hear throughout the rest of the film that I think sends the biggest message in it all.