But Do The Right Thing, his third movie, put him on the national radar, as he jumped head and feet first into America's racial issues that caused more than a few to call him a racial rabble-rouser: from The Atlantic Magazine (read the whole article only if you don't mind HUGE spoilers):
After the film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, Lee recalls, "there was this thought that when this film comes out in the summer of 1989, black people are gonna run amuck." In understanding the impact of those original reviews, it's important to remember that this was 1989: a pre-Internet, pre-Ain't It Cool News, pre-Twitter age wherein the initial reports and editorials set the tone and defined the conversation (perhaps disproportionately) that would surround the film throughout those summer months. And that's why it was so provocative for Newsweek's Jack Kroll to ask "in this long hot summer, how will young urban audiences—black and white—react to the film's climactic explosion of interracial violence? ... People are going to argue about this film for a long time. That's fine, as long as things stay on the arguing level. But this movie is dynamite under every seat."
David Denby, currently of The New Yorker, then writing for New York, also predicted a dire outcome. "Do the Right Thing is going to create an uproar," Denby wrote, "in part because [Lee]'s so thoroughly mixed up about what he's saying." He accused Lee of creating "the dramatic structure that primes black people to cheer the explosion as an act of revenge," and concluded, "If an artist has made his choices and settled on a coherent point of view, he shouldn't be held responsible, I believe, if parts of his audience misunderstand him. He should be free to be 'dangerous.' But Lee hasn't worked coherently. The end of this movie a shambles, and if some audiences go wild, he's partly responsible."
We're beginning this semester with this film because it is, one, a truly great movie, and two, because it's a good place to begin our conversation about race and how it has been dealt with in film and literature that we will consider for the next several weeks as we read To Kill a Mockingbird and A Lesson Before Dying and watch Fruitvale Station and, of course, To Kill a Mockingbird.
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| Spike Lee on location in Brooklyn NY filming Do The Right Thing |
1. What has jumped out at you so far? What scene, image, or character has stayed with you—and why?
2. Look at this scene between Sal and Buggin' Out: it's really the set up for the tragedy of the film. So what's your reaction to this scene? Do you side with and/or agree with Sal, or do you side with and/ or agree with Buggin' Out? Or maybe with neither of them? Explain your response.
3. Do you like Sal? Why or why not?
That's it. Welcome back to the 48 day semester. Whenever I watch this movie, I want to eat pizza. I got a craving right now even. Extra cheese and pepperoni. Mmmm....
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ReplyDeleteThe moment that has stood out with me is probably the scene where the children and teenagers are playing in the fire hydrant water. When the man in the antique car showed up and began yelling at the other people, we see a clear example of some of the racial disparities inside/outside the community. His inability to describe the two teens who splashed his car, other than their skin color, was interesting.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Buggin’ Out that, considering most of the people who come in the shop are black, there should be some pictures of African Americans on the wall. However, Sal has a point, in that it is his restaurant. Furthermore, since Sal is an Italian-American, it makes sense that he has pictures primarily paying tribute to other Italian-Americans.
I think I do like Sal. Not a ton, but I like him more than I dislike him. His characters funny paired with his two sons, hardworking, and dedicated to the business. Furthermore, who contrary to what his son thought isn’t running a charity, is pretty nice to The Mayor.
1. The character that jumped out to me the most was Radio Raheem. He is such a unique character to me when juxtaposed to the other main characters. He always keeps to himself and is respected for doing so. Quite honestly, he stays with me because of how he carried himself; he stays away from crazy situations that could get him in trouble (such as the fire hydrant scene).
ReplyDelete2. I only SLIGHTLY agree with Sal. He is the owner of the restaurant, so Sal has every right to put whatever pictures up that he wants. I also wholeheartedly think that Buggin’ Out was entitled to see people who look like him. The only thing that made me not agree with him is that Buggin’ Out made a scene. He openly shouted that Sal’s should be protested, which seemed totally uncalled for.
3. I feel pretty indifferent towards Sal. While he appears to be an ally to his mainly minority clientele, he still uses words like “you people” when referring to them. He may be better towards black people than his son Vito, but still, his motivation seems to be only to sell pizza, not to improve race relations.
One thing I really like in the movie so far is how it doesn’t necessarily focus on just one character but rather a variety of characters that enables us to see the story from a variety of different perspectives. I think the one scene that I really enjoyed was the scene where a lot of people were playing in the street in the water from the fire hydrant. Martin Lawrence is a hilarious actor and I think he really brightened up that scene for me. I think I also just enjoyed it because it was a happy scene with everyone running through the water and that one guy who picked up the girl and ran her through the water.
ReplyDeleteI think I can really see both sides of the story. Sal is saying it’s his restaurant and it’s his decision what he can or does put up on wall. Buggin’ Out also has a point that most of Sal’s customers are black and so it might be a nice touch to have some pictures of famous black people as well. I don’t think that either of them are right or wrong but I do think that Sal’s result to violence was not called for and he should not have taken an aggressive approach rather a calm and collected one.
I like Sal so far in the movie because I see him as a guy just trying to run a business. I haven’t seen anything so far that makes me dislike him and I think that his character is fun to see interact with the locals and his sons. I definitely think he’s going to become more of a main character with this dispute between him and Buggin’ Out and I am interested to see how he will react.
The intro to the movie was very memorable. I thought every shot was striking and there was something just so gripping in those first few minutes that really grabbed my attention. Also, the character that stuck out the most to me was Buggin' Out because he was hilarious even when calling attention to the fact that Sal's had no African Americans on the wall of fame in his restaurant.
ReplyDeleteI think I could argue for both sides in this scene. Buggin' Out was right in pointing out the fact that Sal has no black people on his wall of fame, despite the fact that the majority of the restaurant's patrons are black. Its understandable to maybe crave a bit of representation in a place where he and many other African Americans have frequented and spent money. On the other hand, Sal is right in that it is his restaurant and that he can do whatever he wants with it. However, I agree with Jacob in that Sal's violent reaction to the situation was unnecessary and really just made him look bad.
I don't dislike Sal. I think he's a very interesting character and I've enjoyed his interactions with other characters in the movie, including the "extra cheese" scene with Buggin' Out. He's certainly not the most collected and level-headed guy, but so far he's done nothing to make me dislike him.
A scene that stuck out to me was when Jade, Mookie’s sister, is combing out Mother Sister’s hair on the steps. Their interaction was charming and even though they are so different in age, the two women seemed like old friends. I also liked this moment because it plainly conveys the intimacy of these women’s community.
ReplyDeleteI think that Buggin’ Out raises an important point about representation, and, in my opinion, Sal should be more open minded toward hanging up images of black people. However, Buggin’ Out should have approached Sal in a less aggressive way, and Sal should not have threatened Buggin’ Out with the baseball bat.
So far, I don’t really like Sal, mostly because I don’t trust people who are willing to be aggressive so easily. At first I thought he would be a more pleasant character; maybe more of a paternal figure like Frankie from Million Dollar Baby, but I suspect he will he won’t play a particularly selfless role.
I’m not sure how I feel about this movie so far. It is hard for me to get a read the characters because there are so many of them, and I don’t feel as if I have gotten to know them yet. The scene that stuck with me the most was when the old man was drinking beer in front of the women’s house and she was yelling at him because of it. I like this scene because of the banter between the man and the woman and thought their relationship was interesting.
ReplyDeleteI think I agree with both of them to a certain extent. Buggin Out had point about the majority of the customers being black, so I think Sal should’ve at least heard him out about that and maybe considering putting black people on the wall. On the other hand, Sal is Italian American so it makes sense that those are the only people he wants on the wall. I don’t think Buggin Out would’ve made the big scene that he did, but I understand where he’s coming from.
I’m not sure how I feel about Sal at this point. I don’t think he necessarily has bad intentions, but his action can sometimes seem kind of harsh. I get a sense that he is a somewhat reasonable man but not the most positive person. I look forward to seeing more of Sal and hopefully learning about who he is as a character.
1, The thing that has jumped out to me the most from the film so far had to be the explosive scene in the pizzeria and the racial tension it so clearly evoked. I have so far really enjoyed watching the dynamics of race and class in this tremendously diverse area of New York that is displayed in this movie.
ReplyDelete2, This scene was sort of difficult for me to read. Originally I didn’t agree with Buggin’ Out due to the way he handled the whole pizza exchange, even though I agreed that Sal was being cheap. I also thought it was sort of antagonistic of him to bring up the Italian American thing with Sal, because it was clearly something he cared about. However, as soon as Sal started getting really offended and brought out the baseball bat I did not really sympathize with him anymore, I thought he was being a little too crass and should have taken the harassment a little more on the chin.
3, I’m not sure if I like Sal or not yet. He seems like he has some rather flawed perceptions but I also understand his unwillingness to give up his own personal identity when surrounded by those that are different from him. He has his whole little Italian-American pizzeria dream going here with his sons, and I can understand his willingness to defend that and not take shit from people. At the same time, I think he is a character that could easily flip into morally ambiguous territory, and from how you have treated this blog as well as how the movie has set him up, I strongly believe that is the turn he is about to take.
So far Do the Right Thing has been very intriguing and I've enjoyed it a lot. One aspect of the film that really stuck out to me was the community of the neighborhood. It seemed like everyone knew everyone in that small slice of Brooklyn. It makes the whole setting seem very interesting and lively. This film has a very enjoyable atmosphere. Another moment that really caught my eye was the opening credits with one of the main characters dancing. I found the images to be very striking and unique. There is no doubt that they have something to do with the overarching plot.
ReplyDeleteI can't completely agree with both sides in terms of who is right. Buggin' Out makes a very clear point that only black people come to his Pizzeria and they deserve to see representation. Sal also makes a good point that it is his establishment and that he can choose who goes on the wall. I believe that the way Sal handled the whole situation to be the reason why he is in the wrong. Kind of immature if you ask me.
At this point, I do not like Sal. He is a bitter man who is cold and impatient with his sons and employees. It's clear that his character was written to be slightly racist but not have it be very prominent. It's almost as though his racism was written to only exist in is sub conscious. However, It is possible that he could redeem himself as a character later in the film so I will not make any complete judgements yet.
Something that has jumped at me so far is both the community and connections of characters portrayed in the film. I like the scene where we see Mookie walking down the street to work. Not only is it a very well filmed and visually pleasing scene to watch, we get to see all the connections Mookie has in this neighborhood. The comical yelling from the window exchange was a perfect example of these close relationships.
ReplyDeleteI feel as though in this situation it is my instinct to side with neither of them, as they are both products of their environments and upbringings. While there is obviously some fault to be seen for Sal, I don't think we can fully blame him as he is trying to represent his culture and people. I also think what Buggin Out says is valid as well as he is
As I said in the last question I see the faults in Sal, but I can't blame him for them and therefore don't dislike him as an individual. While Sal’s age and upbringing is not an excuse for his actions, I think he honestly has good intentions and didn’t mean to be disrespectful. I also see the other side of this argument as a Sal does not seem to really understand the community he is serving.
1. This is my second time viewing this movie, but something that has jumped out to me both times is Spike Lee’s acting. His approach, whether intentional or not, comes across as very flat and unprofessional, but I don’t think it detracts from this film. This seems to be an approach that he takes for all of his films, or at least all the ones I’ve seen. It brings an interesting and unique quirk to the film that is a staple of his works.
ReplyDelete2. While I understand Buggin’ Out’s concerns in the argument, I think I ultimately find myself siding with Sal. Ultimately, it is his establishment and he should be able to put who he wants on the wall. His preference is also established to be for Italian-Americans, a valid choice for an Italian-American pizza owner. Again, I still understand the validity in Buggin Out’s argument, but Sal’s contribution to the community is his pizza, and he doesn’t necessarily need to give back in other ways too.
3. I think Sal’s fine. He’s clearly no saint but at least with the information we’ve been given so far, he just appears to be s respectable businessman trying to live in his community. He’s referee-role in the lives of his two sons provides a source of comedy and so he’s typically enjoyable to see on screen. If I were to know him in real life, however, I don’t think I would be too quick to make his acquaintance, or that of either of his sons.
1. I think one thing that stuck out to me was the family dynamic between Sal, Pino, and Vino, and how Mookie fits into that role. Pink and Vino both struck me as bratty brothers. Neither of them really wanted to be working at this pizza joint and they weren’t particularly nice to each other so it didn’t shock me that they weren’t very nice to Mookie, specifically Pino. One thing I did notice about Pino and Mookie’s interactions were Pinos ‘I’m better than you’ sort of attitude that didn’t seem to bother Sal.
ReplyDelete2. I’m not sure I agree with either of them. This is Sal’s restaurant, but he should respect the opinion of his costumers instead of threatening to hit them with bats. Buggin’ Out brings up a good point and I think it should be thought about. Now that I’m writing this I think I’m starting to side more with Buggin’ Out then I had originally thought.
3. I couldn’t say I’m his biggest fan. To me, he seems like a business man who only cares about money and not as much about the people he is serving. He doesn't do a great job keeping Pino, his son, in line. I thought is was sweet when he gave the elder man a dollar for sweeping the porch, but the harsh way he reacted to Buggin’ Out really disappointed me. I think he has a temper he can’t control and it’s going to cause problems.
Mother Sister struck my attention from the first time we were introduced to her. The execution of the shot also caught my attention, her perched in the window addressing Mookie made her seem like the wise woman who overlooks the block. So far she seems to be the mother figure in Jade and Mookie’s life. The discourse between the Mayor and Mother Sister was entertaining, especially with the background that the actors are married in real life. I’m excited to see how mother-sister continues to develop as a character.
ReplyDeleteSal owns the pizza restaurant, so I agree that he does have the right to decorate his pizzeria as he wants. Given that Sal is an Italian-American who owns an authentic pizza restaurant, it makes sense to me that to him the hall of fame would feature Italian-Americans. However, it does make sense to me how Buggin Out believes that the hall of fame could more closely reflect the clientele. I don't think that either of them dealt with the conflict in the best way.
I don't think I know enough about Sal to form an opinion on his character. He was kind to the Mayor, paying him for sweeping the front sidewalk but the way he approached the conflict with Buggin Out was not promising for his character development. The family dynamic between Sal and his sons seems very natural and i'm excited to see how they play into the rest of the movie.
One image that stayed with me was how fully fleshed out the aim setting is. In that one city block the audience is immersed into Mookie’s community. Spike Lee did a great job at connecting everyone here. The stuttering guy can be seen in the background of multiple scenes, for example. It wasn’t there for any plot significance, but noticing that made the setting feel even more real then it already was. Minor characters have screen time connecting to each other, and I think community will be the central part of this film.
ReplyDeleteSal was did nothing wrong until he took his bat out. There wasn’t anything wrong with the wall of fame really, and I don’t think it had to do anything with race. I don’t really know much about Sal, but I know in real life it’s just a representation of a family’s culture. Family ran restaurants tend to show and celebrate their respective cultures and upbringings, so of course Sal’s wall would be filled with American Italians. I see why Buggin Out feels he should be more considering of his consumers’ main demographic; but Sal does seem to help the community the pizzeria is in. He gave Mookie a job, and gives the drunk guy money to clear the street around the place. He was wrong to turn aggressive about it, as an altercation would be too much. So, Sal seeems to be a generally fair guy with a little temper. I can’t really decide if I like him or not yet though.
ReplyDeleteThe character that has intrigued me the most so far is Sal’s son Pino. He is the most openly racist character that we have encountered so far and he clearly resents the fact that the majority of the pizzeria’s customers are black. I also think that he is angry that he has no choice other than to work in his father’s pizzeria and serve African American customers.
I think that while some of Sal’s hidden prejudices are made clear in his decision to not have any pictures of black people on his wall, as it is his restaurant it is his right to display that pictures that he wants to. That being said, I think that Buggin’ Out is right when he said that Sal’s black customers can make their wishes known by boycotting the pizzeria.
So far, I mostly like Sal because he gives money to The Mayor and he treats Mookie pretty well. We have not seen him use racial slurs or act violently towards anyone yet.
The fire hydrant scene jumped out to me because it was unusual but a clever idea when it is that hot out. Also I really liked the community of people, they were all very friendly and cheerful except the white guy with his fancy antique car. Another scene that stood out to me was when the brothers arrived at work and were bickering back and worth as to who was going to sweep. I just found this scene humorous because that is the typical fight between siblings.
ReplyDeleteI agree a bit with sal but being in a black neighborhood, and he the owner being white I think he should have a variety of images but then again it’s his restaurant. Buggin’ out's behavior was a bit obnoxious for sal and a bit uncalled for. If he doesn’t like the images hung or how he runs the restaurant don’t eat there simple.
I don’t like sal because he has an unpleasant attitude. If I were to go to a restaurant and someone spoke to me like he did to Buggin’ Out I would feel uncomfortable and probably leave. He was very harsh with everything and his employees. But I feel he may have a hard time being in a dominant black community.
To me so far, Ossie Davis’ character Da Mayor stands out the most. His character is funny and fun to watch. The inclusion of his past, and the small detail that he sweeps the front sidewalk of Sal’s pizza shop every day for a dollar, is intriguing to the audience and makes him a mystery. He also seems to have a relatability to Mookie and to some of the viewers through race. He’s interesting to watch and I’m excited to learn more about him.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Buggin’ Out. If someone had asked me simply whether the owner of a restaurant should have the only influence on wall pictures, or his customers just because they spend the money, I would’ve said the owner. However, the reasoning that Buggin’ Out gives, such as the racial component and the fact that all of his business comes from people of color, makes me side with him.
Sal’s an interesting character, and I haven’t fully decided if I like him yet. I am however leaning towards no. He is very aggressive in situations that don’t call for it. He is also going against Mookie, who seems to be our protagonist so far. I don’t think he’s a villain, and I realize he is just living his life and running his business, but he doesn’t seem to be open to any kind of compromise with anyone, and doesn’t show much care or softer emotion to anyone so far, even his sons. So I don’t dislike him yet, but i can see him becoming our villain.
I think the thing that has stuck out the most to me was Sal's reaction of grabbing the wooden bat. I think this already says something about his character, I'm not sure he is going to think everything through before he acts on his emotions. It stood out to me because I think it happened so fast. There were words exchanged but I didn't expect Sal to flip so fast. As far as the scene goes where Sal and Buggin' Out get into the argument, I don't know who's side to take. I very clearly see both sides. Buggin Out really wants to see a more diverse group of people represented where he hangs out. I think this is extremely valid and understand where his thought process is coming from. I also understand Sal, however. It is his restaurant and his point of it being an Italian environment with well known Italian's displayed on his wall was understandable. I can't pick a side here, I want to see diversity and inclusion of everybody but I also think Sal can do what he wants with his restaurant. I'm not sure if I like Sal or not yet. Part of me wants to say no based on the things he's done that I mentioned above, but I also feel like I need to give him a chance. We've only seen him a few times and the movies just starting so I'm willing to not pick a side for right now.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete1. The scene that stuck with me was the opening scene of the woman dancing. She did it in such a fashion that I made it seem like she wasn’t paying attention to the people in the room. I didn’t see why she was doing so but the music behind the dancing was saying something and set the tone for the movie.
ReplyDelete2. I could side with either but both took it out of hand. Because Buggin Out was speaking some truth to why only white people were on the wall of fame but from the start he came in causing conflict and this gets on my nerves. I can’t side with Sal because why did he have to take it to a point of we’re violence could have been solution for him. He can take advice from a customer, but the customer brought it around the wrong way.
3. I respect Sal and the fact that he can be resonable. He has a business and he is taking care of his family. But the only thing I don’t like about him so far is that he wanted to beat Buggin out when he could have just told him to leave from the start. He is the boss and he gets to tell people what to do and to have business in the scene of the conflict shows that he has a business I can’t decide if it is an on and off or a steady
Business.
One thing that most people don’t know about me is that I was actually born in Brooklyn. Therefore, the scenery in this movie is very familiar to me. It felt very comforting to see the brownstones and think, I know exactly what it’s like to live in a place like that. Nowadays, Brooklyn is super expensive and gentrified but the architecture is exactly that same as it is shown in the movie. This really stuck out to me in the beginning of the movie and during the squabbles between Mother Sister and Da Mayor.
ReplyDeleteAs a person who loves to have control of their own space, I totally agree with Sal's idea that his shop should showcase what he wants it to showcase. On the other hand, I really don’t understand why Sal's Italian looking self chose to put his pizza shop in the middle of a black neighborhood. He has no obligation to change his ways for the benefit of the people around him, but it would not hurt him physically in the slightest to put up a picture of Martin Luther King Jr, or Malcom X. The whole argument boils down to the hubris that both Buggin' Out and Sal are exuding. Toxic Male Energy!
I'm not personally offended by Sal's actions. I think that he’s a funny character whose personality is akin to the decade and environment that he is living in. Buggin' Out's reaction to the whole picture thing was reasonable in theory, but he honestly had no right to try and push his views on Sal.
Mookie really jumped out at me. This film is really well done, and it's really interesting how Lee is able to portray the interactions between these different races in a very honest way. Mookie so far has served as the bridge between these different groups. He works with the Italian’s, and sees friendly with just about everyone else in the community.
ReplyDeleteI think in this case Buggin’ Out is in the wrong. Sal owns the store so what he says goes, and honestly I do not think it is that crazy that Sal only has American Italians on the wall. Sal is working and living in a place where it seems like he's the only Italian person, so in my opinion the fact that he wants to keep his culture first and foremost is understandable. I also understand Buggin Out's perspective. He feels like even though he and other black people are the ones driving the city, they are still being marginalized by people like Sal. In this case Sal was in the right, but it is definitely foreshadowing a larger societal conflict.
So far I like Sal, but I feel like the movie and you John are trying to imply that he is going to kill someone, So when he kills someone I don't like him. So far I just like that he seems like an independent hard working man, who can also be very funny but serious when he needs to be.
The scene that stuck with me after today’s viewing was when the cops showed up after everyone was playing with the fire hydrant. The reason that this stuck with me, is because I couldn’t really tell if the cops didn’t like the kids or if they didn’t like the man who was yelling at them to do their job. One of them seemed to threaten the kids, but, to be honest, they really didn’t seem happy with the man and his antique car anyway.
ReplyDeleteI think I do agree with Sal just because it is his restaurant and ultimately it is his choice what he does with it. Do I think it’s good customer service? No. I think Buggin’ Out has a point about how there are no African Americans on the Wall of fame, but he was also pretty rude about it. I could see how Sal would think that he was just there to make trouble. I don’t fully agree with either of them, but it is Sal’s restaurant, so he can do as he pleases.
I think I like Sal. It’s hard to say at this point, honestly. He seems like he cares about his family, in a fun playful way, and he also seems to care about his restaurant. I think he is only tying to keep his business afloat, and that he might have to do some questionable things in order to do that. Overall though, I don’t hate his character.
1. I think the camera work so far has been excellent. The way the camera moves with and away from the characters is very unique. Lee is able to capture many unique angles.
ReplyDelete2. I don't side with any of them at this point. They both have valid points and I would have to see the rest of the movie before making my decision.
3. Sal is a funny guy. He seems like a no nonsense businessman who does everything he can to better his business. He has not proven himself to be truly racist yet, even if his tone towards the black people in his store has been anything but kind. I attribute that mostly to him being a somewhat grouchy person.
1. I found the character Mother Sister very funny and memorable. Additionally I loved the fact that it seems she’s always sitting by the open window and observing/ checking in on the people who walk past. I especially liked her response to Mookie that was something along the lines of “Mother sister’s always watching.” I feel like she’s presented as an approachable and knowledgeable character that looks after the frequent flyers on the pavement outside her window. Her character also created a certain sense of community in the area, especially because she knows the names of all the people who’ve walked past thus far.
ReplyDelete2. I can see the logic of both arguments but while I want to agree with Buggin’ Out, I can’t help but remember that Buggin’ Out appears to be a very frequent customer at Sal’s Pizza (and judging by Sal’s angered response) he has never said anything about it before now. Because of this, Sal has more opportunity to react badly to this suggestion that, in his mind, may have appeared to have come from nowhere. At the same time, Sal reacted very poorly to the suggestion (and he took a baseball bat in his hands from behind the counter. Because of both Sal’s reaction and Buggin’ Out’s apparent sudden complaint about the subject, I don’t find myself strongly agreeing with either party (although basing his request on the number of black customers who eat at Sal’s was a very thoughtful/powerful observation).
3. I don’t particularly like Sal (as I would be pretty intimidated and uncomfortable if I met someone like him in person). However, having said that, I find the dynamic between him and his two sons very funny and it makes me think twice about my meaner characterization of Sal.
A scene that stuck out to me was when Mookie was bothering Jade while she was sleeping. It showed a lot about the nature of their relationship and reminded me of me and my sister, Alex. I’m also a fan of Smiley cause he seems nice enough and I enjoyed when he was drawing on the pictures of Malcolm X and MLK and put a crown and an X to simplify it.
ReplyDeleteIn this scene, I agree with what Buggin’ Out was trying to say, but you have to choose the right time and place to fight these battles and it definitely isn’t while in somebody’s place of business and raising a commotion by yelling from his booth across the restaurant. If he had chosen to just have a civilized conversation with him, then Sal would’ve had no valid reason to kick him out. If he had still kicked him out then that would be a whole other set of issues, but when you are trying to argue a point as a Black person you can’t give them anything.
I don’t think I have seen enough of Sal to really have a set opinion on him, but I get the feeling that in this kind of movie Sal is going to be the character that gets better towards the end and has one of those sweet, touching moments with Mookie or maybe even Buggin’ Out. At this point however, I’m leaning more to the negative side and I think he treated Buggin’ Out poorly, but it seems like he’s alright with Mookie so I’m not sure if flat out racist or just biased like a lot of people in that era.
I think what jumped out at my to start with was the number of characters in this movie and how they are or will be connected. I liked how the movie started off giving a quick snapshot into many people’s lives, showing the parallels and differences. The scene I remember most is probably when the younger woman was combing the older woman’s hair. I think the simple and comfortable feel of the scene showed the difference in relationships between women and men in the community.
ReplyDeleteIn this scene, I could see both points of view. Sal has a point when saying that it is his restaurant, giving him the authority to decorate it however he chooses. Thus being said, that doesn’t mean it is ok for him to hold racial bias against African American people. He may just trying to be honoring the Italian Americans due to the restaurants theme, but if he has other intentions for purposefully not including people of color on the wall, that is a problem. Buggin’ Out also has a strong argument when saying that the majority of the customers are black, therefore to what extent does it make sal the complete owner and authority figure when most of the profit comes from African American people.
I can’t say I like him, but I also don’t dislike him. I admire his strong character of not putting up with bullshit, but I kind of get the sense that he doesn’t know when to stop. I also respect his hard work that goes towards the restaurant and the effort he puts into running a god business. He seems to be a person who gets aggravated very easily, and this quality is very negative in my eyes. You could sense some racial tension too between sal and buggin out which I’m sure will become a main focus and theme throughout the movie.
For me, besides the scene with Buggin’ Out and Sal, I think that the female character with her young child stood out to me. I really hope the movie goes back and elaborates her story. Her life seems very stressful and hard, because she has a child to take care of as well as a cranky mom whom she fights with. I think this character probably stayed with me because she is a female character and I strongly identify with the struggles of the female, especially females of color.
ReplyDeleteI honestly think that the whole scene was unnecessarily dramatic. I didn’t quite understand why Buggin’ Out started the whole thing. I think Sal handled it the way he should have. Just because Sal put up pictures of Italian Americans doesn’t mean he has something against black people. I think it just means that he wants to honor where he came from. I honestly don’t think Sal meant to attack or hurt any black people that way. I would like to understand why Buggin’ Out started the whole thing, though. Maybe there is some sort of racial aspect that I don’t understand.
I like Sal. Today, we watched the scene where Sal talks to his son about living in a black neighborhood. His son has so much hatred towards black people and doesn’t want to be around them. But Sal explains that he never really had any problems with black people and that it’s necessary for him to stay, because there is too much competition in other neighborhoods and that they all practically lived off of his pizza for 25 years. In this scene, I saw Sal’s nurturing side. Now that we have dived deeper into the characters, I know what Sal is about. I like him.
The scene where Jade, Mookie’s sister, is doing Mother Sister’s hair has really stood out to me. This scene reminds me so much of my own childhood where I would sit between my mom’s or aunt’s legs on some stairs or by a sofa, and they would comb and braid my hair. Hair is a huge part of black culture and helps build a sense of the community within it, especially among women, so I definitely relate to this scene and it takes me back to my younger days.
ReplyDeleteI guess I agree with Sal because it is his restaurant, so he can decorate it however he pleases. The other black customers in the restaurant obviously did not care, not to mention that Buggin Out did not care all of the three meals a day he spent there until that very moment. This film is very much so political and social, but it also just comments on how much a hot, uncomfortable day, one small thing, can really disrupt people’s lives.
I like Sal, although I think his son, Pino, is a complete asshole. I think Sal just acts the unnerved, baseball-bat-swinging way that he does because he is intimidated by the black community but does not actually dislike them (like in the scene where he sentimentally talks about watching kids grow up on his food.) However, I do think that Sal is an ineffective father for not being able to talk some sense into Pino.
1. One thing I like about this movie is the storytelling. Not long into the movie, we can get a sense of what this community is like without using a whole lot of dialogue. It is told through action and interaction. It Very much follows the Show, Don’t Tell rule. It is impressive that Spike Lee is able to tell us a story using the shots and not relying a heavy amount of dialogue because it is becoming more common these days in the film industry.
ReplyDelete2. Sal kinda bothers me but Buggin’ Out also bothers me. Buggin’ Out really likes to stir up things. For example, he’s been going there for three years and now he’s starting to notice “the injustices” such as the cheese and prices. On the other hand, Sal should have let him use the Parmesan. It’s literally on every table and doesn’t cost money. So really Sal had no right to take that away from him, despite it being his restaurant. Sal’s eagerness to fight Buggin’ Out kinda bothered me because it made it look like he was looking for a reason to fight which reiterates the tensions between them.
3. From what I’ve seen, Sal is kinda annoying. He just gives off a weird vibe to me and I can’t shake it off. He uses phrases like You people which definitely rubs me the wrong way. He’s for sure better than his son pino who is just blatantly hateful and prejudice towards the people in his community. However, I think he will make for an interesting character.