"My people, my people. What can I say? Say what I can. I saw it but I didn't believe it. I didn't believe what I saw. Are we gonna live together? Together are we gonna live?"—Mister Senor Love Daddy.
DA MAYOR. Where'd you sleep?
MOTHER SISTER. I didn't.
DA MAYOR. I hope the block is still standing.
MOTHER SISTER. We're still standing.
SAL. You keep [the money].
MOOKIE. No, you keep it.
SAL. You keep it.
MOOKIE. No, you keep it.
SAL. I don't believe this shit.
MOOKIE. Believe it.
SAL. Are you sick?
MOOKIE. Hot as a motherfucker, but I'm all right though.
SAL. Well, they say it's even going to get hotter today...What are you going to do with yourself?
MOOKIE. Make the money. Get paid. Sal, I gotta go see my son. If it's all right with you.
Sal nods yes.
"I'm gonna kill somebody today."—Sal.
Here's the scene of the destruction of Sal's Famous. Listen to what Mookie says when he throws the garbage can through the window. Look too at the reaction of the crowd when Coconut Sid persuades ML not to go after Sonny and Kim (and their little girl).
I've seen this film at least ten or twelve times. I know what is coming. And every time I see the film I always wish that Sal doesn't open the door to Ella and Cee and Punchy and Ahmed. And I always wish Radio Raheem and Buggin' Out don't get in Sal's face and Buggin' Out doesn't call him a "guinea bastard"—and that Sal doesn't call Buggin' Out a "n----r" and destroy Radio Raheem's boom box. It all seems so avoidable.
Radio Raheem's death this time was more painful for me than it's been the first twelve times I've seen the movie. Yet the very end of the film seems hopeful: three guys, two black and one Latino, are tossing a basketball around (are they Punchy or Ahmad and Stevie?). The street is beginning to get cleared. Old folks are going to church (it is Sunday after all). Life goes on. Carl Rosenbaum said years ago, when I told him we were watching this movie, that it was too hopeful.
So....
•Your reaction to the riot: from what Buggin' Out, Radio Raheem and Smiley demanding Sal put up pictures of black people to the police's assault on the neighborhood to that terrible keening shriek that Mother Sister makes in the midst of all the horror. And along with your reaction: why did it happen? Is there someone(s) to blame? Could it have been avoided? Was it inevitable? And what do you make of Mookie throwing the trashcan, shouting "Hate" as he does so? A lot of questions, I realize: but important ones.
A couple more points. The film is dedicated to the families of Eleanor Bumpers, Michael Griffiths, Arthur Miller, Edmund Perry, Yvonne Smallwood, and Michael Stewart, all killed by the NYC police. Second, the film ends with a song by smooth jazz singer Al Jarreau that plays over the credits. It's really quite a beautiful song—perhaps not what one would expect at the end of such an intense movie. But Spike Lee loves contradiction and conflict. And he has a great taste in music.
One more thing. Mookie is still delivering pizzas for Sal's Famous.
I honestly think that riot was completely unnecessary and could have definitely be avoided. It started off with a small issue that Buggin’ Out had with Sal. I get that Buggin’ Out had this issue about only having Italian Americans on the wall, and that’s understandable, but the approach to the issue was unnecessary loud, violent, and forceful. I think an assertive tone of voice instead of walking in an shouting would have given much better outcome for both sides.
ReplyDeleteI think the reason why it happened was because there was so much built up frustration for the other that it just exploded into an unfortunate series of events. For the black community it might have been the frustration of their success and for Sal’s family it was probably the frustration of being the outsiders, or it all might have just started because they were never open to accept each other’s differences.
I think that killing Radio Raheem showed a powerful message to the audience about police brutality, especially the audience at the time this movie was released.
When Mookie threw the trashcan, I understood why he was so frustrated. One can see that he chose the “Hate hand.” As hard as all that anger was to avoid, I don’t think he did the right thing. This scene showed how a person responds to oppression, and we can see that it’s so much easier to respond to hate with hate--to fight fire with fire. But just like the quote of Martin Luther King Jr. said, violence creates bitterness in the survivor and prevents understanding. And just like Radio Raheem showed us, love defeats hate in the end.
I think the riot scene could have been avoided at that time, and the situation should have been handled differently. Although Buggin Out was upset about the Wall of Fame at Sal’s, there were definitely ways he could have handled that without being violent in that very moment. I also think Sal maybe could have seen Buggin Out’s point of view and been open to discussing the idea. The riot happens because of all of the pent up anger Buggin Out and Radio Raheem had not only towards Sal, but to society in general. Sal busting Radio Raheem’s radio just put them over the edge. I do think that a riot like this could have possibly happened at a different time if not because of the Wall of Fame just because tension between everyone and Sal and his son. In the scheme of things, I don’t think there is anyone in particular to blame, and it is more about how passionate both sides were about what the believed in/wanted. I was honestly kind of shocked when Mookie through the trash can because I feel like Out if all of the characters, he was the most neutral considering he worked for Sal. I thought it was a good way to show that he was committed to sticking by his friends’ side. And the fact the Mookie went back to Sal to ask for his money after the place burned down showed how strong willed he his and he was not afraid to get what he wanted. This scene really changed how I felt about this movie as a whole and it made me see how fast and how easy it is for everything to change in the blink of an eye.
ReplyDeleteThe entire ending scene felt like it was all a bunch of little dominos slowly falling over until it grows and grows into the giant and final domino piece of Radio's death. It's easy to look at one domino piece and individually say that was the cause, but no one knew what was at the end of that chain. Each individual action seems so small and avoidable it's easy to brush over all the details and state that the entire situation was avoidable. Now I'm not completely sure what I'm saying here, but I know that every domino piece was pushed one after the other by the same force: hate.
ReplyDeleteSimilarly, when considering who to blame it's easy to go straight to the police officer who struck the final blow, but that ignores the entire context of the events that transpired beforehand. Certainly the police officer must be burdened with the majority of the blame, but to honestly look at the rest of the scene and assign blame to other people is a much harder task. In order to do this, I think it's important to first understand who is NOT to blame. There are a few people that come to mind at first: Da Mayor (as he was actively trying to diffuse the situation), Vito (as we know he has no ill will towards African Americans, and, from what I saw, was just trying to defend his father), and MAYBE Pino as well. Everyone else had a choice to make: continue the domino chain or try to fight against the hate and diffuse the situation. Maybe considering this lens only Da Mayor remains to be the only person not to blame, but I want to include Vito as he was acting reasonably and to no pressure from external cultural forces (such as the people who looted Sal's or stood by as an injustice was happening), as well as the fact that we like him as a character. So in my book, everyone else is to blame. That doesn't mean they should go to jail or anything, but then that begs the question, why are we assigning blame if we know it doesn't mean anything? For me, if this were a real life situation the value in assigning blame would be to inform the partakers of the immorality of their actions, even if it isn't enforced by the law.
Okay I kinda went off on a philosophical tangent but I think it's important to understand why we are asking these questions (aside from the fact that they are fun).
Also Mister Senor Love Daddy would also be NOT to blame, as he actively advocates for peace n' love. So maybe it's just him and Da Mayor who aren't to blame. Am I wrong? Are there any other characters that don't act on hate in some unreasonable way?
Delete^I'm seriously asking that question because I probably forgot about a few characters
DeleteThis final scene is always horrifying to watch, especially when we see Radio’s feet stop moving and hear Mother Sister’s piercing wails over the riot. There are too many people to blame to even place it on someone’s name; the blame is on society. Of course this situation could have been momentarily avoided; however, it was inevitable that things were going to blow up sooner or later. I think the inevitability of catastrophe is evident through how deliberate many moves in this final scene really are. Mookie calmly takes the lid off and trash out of the trashcan and walks over to Sal’s before taking his part in the havoc. Smiley carefully places the picture of Malcolm X and Dr. King on the wall in the middle of a fire. These were not spur of the moment acts of passion that took place, which makes me believe that the community knew trouble was inevitable. The first time I saw this film, I had not noticed that Mookie shouts “Hate!” while throwing the trash can through the window, but I think this is so powerful. It shows that Hate has won the battle against Love both within Mookie and everybody else. It seems like Mookie cuts the war between Love and Hate short and embraces his Hate before throwing the trashcan through the window. Also, when we see Radio laying dead on the ground with the cop kicking him from above, his hand with the Love brass knuckles takes up the bottom of the screen, which I think symbolizes the death of Love as Hate takes over. The music at the very end of the film almost makes me even angrier than I already was after watching Radio’s murder only because it is so out of place, but it is also kind of funny, because the music seems to calm the audience so that I don’t become Mookie and start throwing stuff at the screen. The music seems like an act of self-preservation on Spike Lee’s part.
ReplyDeleteI do think that this altercation and riot itself could’ve been avoided, but I am not surprised it occured. I think that everyone reacts to tension and hate differently as portrayed in the quotes at the end of the movie. The MLK quote about avoiding violence and meeting adversity with peace put up next to the Malcom X quote about violence being a somtimes neccesary tool of self defense. I think both of this points are completely valid and the riot showed the sides of this. We see Sal and Radio Raheem respond with violence in their differenences and we see Da Mayor and Mother Sister trying to avoid this riot. I think the police add an aspect that in this siuation maybe the riot was inevitable. Seeing a vital person of the community killed brutally was nothing new for this people and when presneted with this awful violence from a higher power an obvious instinct is to meet this violence with more of the same. I think there was so much anger and so much of a divide building there was no way this dispute was going to end in a peaceful conversation. We’ve seen Mookie try to end disputes with this type of peaceful coversation but after the police brutality I think the gravity of this divide hit him which prompted him to break the window. Obviously, the riot itself was about much more than just some pictures hanging on a wall as it turns into much greater statements of race in this community. I don’t think I blame anyone specifically for solely causing this riot because I think there were mistakes made on many sides of the situation. Maybe if Sal and Radio and Buggin Out could’ve sat down and had a respectful conversation about their differences this could’ve turned out differently but that is an idealized and maybe unrealistic expectation.
ReplyDeleteAt a certain point in this movie, I could see where it was going to end up and I really hoped that it wouldn’t. It was heartbreaking, Radio Raheem wasn’t a main character but with the small interactions between him and everybody else in the neighborhood it was obvious that he was loved, which made his death and worse. We didn’t know him to his full potential; we just saw him with the radio, and that’s also how the police saw him. They didn’t see a whole person who may have been wronged or provoked, they just saw a large black man in a fight. I don’t think that this fight was anybody’s fault but the person who killed him, if the police had an arrived the fight whatever eventually dissipated and everybody would have gone home alive. I think that Buggin’ Out should have left boycotting Sal’s pizza as all that he was going to do rather than going in and confronting him, and I think that Sal shouldn’t have made it violent. When Mookie screamed “hate” as he threw the trash can through the window, I don’t think he was necessarily talking about Sal, I think it was geared towards white people in general. Sal, in this neighborhood (and movie), represented gentrification and white people and I think that Mookie recognized what Sal was to this neighborhood and and used him to react in a symbolic way the wake of radio Raheem‘s death.
ReplyDeleteThe ending, while it could be seen as hopeful, I also saw it as sad. It’s the reality that someone can get killed by the police but everyone just has to keep going. And that for too long there hasn’t been any real change and everyone’s just reverted to the norm after someone was murdered. I thought Mothersister’s last line “we’re still standing” is hopeful. That no matter what happens in the neighborhood they will be there to rebuild. It’s also sad because it makes it seem like they’ve seen stuff like this before and have had to regain a sense of normalcy.
The end of the movie was hard to watch. I felt like whole time I wanted to go up and tell the characters that the riot was not necessary and violence wouldn’t solve it, but once one person snapped, it was a chain of terrible events. Slowly, the actions grew more and more violent and controversial from Sal breaking Raheem’s radio to the death of Raheem and burning of the pizzeria. It is hard to pinpoint why exactly the riot happen, like Isaac said it was just like a domino effect. One thing set off another, which built tension between people until everything went up in flames, literally and figuratively. I think one problem was the lack of tolerance and understanding between the different communities within the neighborhood. Sal never seemed to understand why Buggin Out and Radio Raheem wanted photos of black people on his wall and Pino never really tried to be accepting of the african american community. I think most of everyone is at least a little to blame for the riot, with the police being the most guilty for killing Raheem. I think the intensity of the riot could have been avoided because if people tried to understand first rather than act out in violence immeditaley, problems may have been dealt with in a much better way. I do think the some form of confrontation was inevitable though due to the high tension between Sal, Pino, Raheem, Mookie, Buggin Out and the rest of the neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteI didn't see the full extent of the riot coming at all, but maybe I should have. I would like to think that the riot could have been avoided, like MLK said, violence is not the way to achieve social justice. I think that all the characters could have attempted resolving this in a more peaceful way. Radio Raheem’s radio was a part of him, so I think when it died, so did he. It wasn't until after his radio had been destroyed that Raheem resulted to violence, in response to violence to a vital part of him. I think the riot could have been avoided, but as soon as Sal smashed the radio, there was no going back. Sal is very stubborn and doesn't deal well when people challenge him and the ways he's been doing things. I think it started because Buggin Out wanted black people to be featured on Sal’s wall. But it spiraled out of control when Sal resorted to violence, the whole neighborhood joining along to fight the common enemy, Sal. I think at points some of the community was unaware of what they were fighting exactly, but they were united against these outsiders in their neighborhood. I was surprised when Mookie threw the trashman, throughout the movie he had tried to stay friendly with both sides, but with this action he aligned himself with the community. I think that Sal understands why Mookie had to do that. Mother-Sisters scream startled me, It wasn't entirely clear to me what she was feeling. Raheem’s death definitely helped to make the audience are aware of how real police brutality is, this large man had no choice but to succumb to the grip of the police officer. It was really powerful when Smiley posted his picture of MLK and Malcolm X, finally on the wall of fame.
ReplyDelete1, My reaction to the riot of the film was mixed, but I found myself cringing the entire way through. This sort of nasty conflict that still feels all too real within our society today can be extremely difficult to watch, even in the context of the film. I felt like mostly, the characters such as Radio Raheem and Buggin’ Out had a lot of anger, and rightfully so, but I do not feel at all as if Sal was the right person to take it all out on. In both situations, it seemed as if they were the ones who instigated the situation, but Sal was the one to take it too far. As you put it, it all felt tremendously avoidable. Why did Radio Raheem not just turn off his music inside? Why did Sal have to reach for his baseball bat? Why did Radio Raheem and Buggin Out threaten Sal as they walked into the restaurant? Why did Sal take it so far as to break his boom box? These were all junctures at which everything could have been prevented, but no one wanted it to be. Deep down, I felt as if Radio Raheem and Buggin Out were fed up with the life they were being forced to live in an extremely skewed society, and Sal was the easiest person to drive that anger towards. I felt like Sal would not have ever actively gone out of his way to start anything violent with them, and they just picked him because they found little things in his somewhat racist personality to hate and identify as evil. I totally disagreed with Mookie’s choice to throw the trash can through the window, I get that he was angry with Sal for how he treated his sister, but his turning against Sal catalyzed the entire situation into how bad it got. I’m not quite sure about his screaming of the word “hate” i’m not sure what specifically he is referring to in this instance because there is so much prevalent hatred in this movie. Even after all is said and done, after all these preventative things could have happened, there should have been no situation where Radio Raheem died at the hands of the police, but at the same time, I believe he had the intention to kill Sal as well and that he did not deserve to die either. It all left me feeling very sad.
ReplyDeleteEverything about the incident at Sal’s was not only entirely unavoidable, but also validates Pino’s feelings towards african-americans. I think the first misstep was Buggin’ Out and Radio Raheem’s actions in the pizzeria. While they should be allowed freedom of expression, Sal’s place was his place, and its entirely understandable for him not to want music in his public establishment. I honestly didn’t have much sympathy for Raheem when his radio broke. From then one, the entire ensuing battle was a mess, and it was all the fault of the african-americans. As unlikeable as they may be (and, really, I only feel Pino was unlikeable) the Italians were innocent in the conflict. Radio Raheem’s death by brutal police force has always stuck with me since I first saw the film. It’s one of the hardest scenes I’ve had to stomach. Hearing everyone, even other officers, telling his killer to back off is gut-wrenching. I think this is why Mookie smashed the window. I don’t think it had anything to do with longstanding anger, or, as I’ve heard some people suggest, as an attempt to lure the crowd’s attention away from Sal and his sons. Mookie was consumed in immediate anger as a result of his friend’s murder and sought to take it out in the easiest available fashion. I hate this scene because here, Pino’s anger is being validated. It’s easy to see those who destroy Sal’s as savage, simple animals with no regard for what’s around them or the consequence of their actions. In the Civil Rights movement, MLK and other organizers made sure that african-american protesters came across as the most civil, elegant group of people on the face of the earth. From their peaceful methods to even their formal clothing, the protesters presented their best selves because they knew what it would take to be accepted by the whites. The rioters at Sal’s were representing their entire race for the three italians and two koreans who witnessed the proceedings. It’s unfair, and,
ReplyDeletepardon my French, but a bullshit consequence to add on to the chaos of the night, but it’s true. Here, nobody comes out a hero. As hopeful as the ending may seem in terms of returning to the status quo, I see no indications of things getting much better than that in this Brooklyn neighborhood.
I did think that something would happen to the pizzeria and Sal in the end, but I didn’t really know what it would be. I think the riot could have been avoided if Sal never smashed Radio Raheem’s boombox or even if Radio Raheem, Buggin’ Out, and Sal were more tolerable of each other to begin with. After Radio Raheem was killed, I do not think that the riot could have been avoided. The people were mad (as they should be) and they felt like justice needed to be served. The whole situation was very hard for me to watch. The screams, Sal’s reaction to his lively hood being destroyed, Radio Raheem’s tragic death, all of it. I think that the police were just in pulling Radio Raheem off of Sal only because Raheem did have his hands around Sal’s throat. However, I do believe that the police should have stopped there. They took it way too far and ended up killing someone. They didn’t even seem sad about it. They just took his body and threw him in the back. I think Mookie was just very pissed off and angry about Radio Raheem. He was clearly liked by the community. Mookie also semi-referenced what Radio Raheem said about love and hate when they were talking earlier in the day. I also really liked how two sides were shown in the end. Violence or non-violence. Whether or not it is okay to take things to that extreme or whether it’s better to try and understand the other side without violence. They showed quotes from both Malcom X and Martin Luther King, Jr which I thought was very interesting. You would think that, since they had differing opinions, they could not get along, but they also showed a picture of them together and smiling. It was a very interesting thing to put at the very end after that horrific riot.
ReplyDeleteIn the scenes leading up to the riot, it was shocking how quickly matters escalated. I was anxious about the response that Buggin’ Out, Radio Raheem, and Smiley would receive from Sal seeing as he was in a very positive mood a second ago. But the loud music and disorienting yelling riled him up and you could see that something bad was about to happen. The chaos that erupted after Sal crushed the radio with his baseball bat was terrifying. The endless yelling and arms wrapped precariously round others either trying to join fight or pull them out of it. I felt awful watching it happen and wanted it to stop. When Da Mayor went over to try to split things up I was worried that in the midst of the fight he might accidentally be injured. For a split second I hoped the sirens would make them disperse or stop but soon the policemen were violently parting the fight and it cut to a shot of Buggin’ Out’s hands in cuffs behind his back. I started to get worried about what would happen to them next but I didn’t think anyone would die. Radio Raheem was still angry about his radio and Sal’s blatant disrespect and struggled a bit with the policemen, but soon the policeman behind him had the baton pressing into his neck in response. At that point Radio Raheem was choking and couldn’t possibly stay still and the awful turn of events grew deadly. This all happened because of a few wrong decisions (like yelling so loudly in Sal’s or Sal’s violent response with his baseball bat that cost Radio Raheem his radio). It seemed to me that if any of the characters stopped to think twice before their actions that all of this could have been avoided. I don’t think any one person is to blame here because it was a series of decisions and actions of multiple different characters that set these dominos in motion. I wish it could have, but given the mix of personalities and motivations, I don’t think these characters would have reacted differently if they’d had a second chance. Having said that, I’m not sure whether it was inevitable that something like that would happen because of a wall of fame in an Italian pizzeria. Maybe, had it not been such a hot day or maybe had Sal not felt that his son’s weren’t taking their jobs seriously (and was already feeling a bit defensive) then he wouldn’t have threatened to use his bat in response to Buggin’ Out’s request for “brothers on the wall”.
ReplyDeleteMookie throwing the trash can was not something I had expected to happen. The way he said “Hate” made me extremely sad as it reminded me of Radio Raheem’s memorable love vs hate speech. Mookie’s decision to throw the trash can was something that I didn’t agree with. After Radio Raheem was killed, I didn’t want any others getting hurt (emotionally or physically). At the same time, I completely understood Mookie’s anger towards the events within the pizzeria that led to Radio Raheem’s murder. And also the fact that, by stopping there, they were doing nothing about his death.
After the end of the film, all I could do was sit there in silence while everyone left. This is a hard film to digest for a lot of reasons but the feeling that it left me with at the end was what made it so unsettling. This movie, which has made us laugh throughout all three viewings, takes such a dark turn in an instant. The smile on your face quickly becomes a look of shock. It's a hard feeling to label, and harder to understand. But as John told me, I think this is exactly what Spike Lee was going for. I think it was completely deliberate to leave the viewer with a pit in their stomach. Lee wanted to show just how fragile that balance is; life is not all jokes and music and pizza, especially for minorities. There is a lot of horrible stuff happening in the world and in this age of media and entertainment, it is all too easy to forget about the people who are suffering and have lost their loved ones or their lives for no tangible reason. Radio Raheem's death, I think we all can agree, was completely avoidable and something that should never have happened. If Sal hadn't smashed his boombox, if Buggin' Out hadn't said anything about the wall of fame, if the pizzeria hadn't stayed open late... It's so easy to look back at the series of events leading up to the riot and Raheem's death and say, "if that one thing hadn't happened, maybe all of this could have been avoided." This is true of so many needless acts of violence around the world, but as they say, hindsight is 20/20. It is unfortunate chain reactions like this one that end in tragedy.
ReplyDeleteEven though most of the movie was pretty upbeat and fun, it was clear that tensions between these characters were brewing and once they'd reached the boiling point, there was no going back. There were a million other ways that these tensions could have been resolved, but unfortunately things unfolded the way that they did and nothing can be taken back. However, I don't blame anyone in the movie for any one thing they did. Sal shouldn't have smashed the boombox, but I can understand why he did. Mookie probably shouldn't have thrown a trashcan through the window of the pizzeria, but I understand why he did. And there is truly no way of knowing how any of us would react in these situations; we know how we'd like to think we'd react, but everything changes in the heat of the moment. The only people I can truly place blame on are the police officers for their unnecessary and excessive force against Buggin' Out and especially Radio Raheem. Their carelessness and brutality cost a young man his life, and rocked an entire community. The aftermath of Raheem's death was horrifying and I can only imagine the fury felt by his friends and neighbors afterwards. I think that this is not a question of inevitability, but rather willingness to find an alternative to violence.
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ReplyDeleteI think the first question to answer is that I don't believe that the entire fight was inevitable. I think it was avoidable but it would have taken a single person or maybe a group of people to become bigger than the situation and attempt to try to at least tolerate each other. In this specific situation, I don't think that Sal should have smashed Radio Raheem's radio. Because when Sal smashed the radio, that is when all of the bickering became violent. I also agree with everyone when they say that it was very difficult to watch. In specific, the scene with when Raheem was killed made me want to look away completely. But even after that, the situation kept escalating and escalating and it made me feel a lot of emotions, but especially frustrated. Mainly because it was impossible to trace all of this back to one issue or incident, but instead it was a build up of tension. I don't believe there is one person to blame in this situation. I think each person who watches the film will have differing opinions, mainly because I think it is completely dependent on who point of view you choose to really see the situation through.
ReplyDeleteI think the image of Mookie throwing the trashcan yelling "hate" was really significant. Throughout the movie I always say Mookie as almost a bridge connecting so many different parts of the movie. But in the end, it didn't matter about all of his relationships with different members of the community. Instead, all of the hate that was building up (between Sal, Buggin' Out, Radio Raheem, Mookie, and others) overcame the community that had been built through the riot.
I think the fight broke out because of Buggin Out and Radio Raheem teaming up and trying to make a statement at Sal’s pizzeria. It was a foolish argument which ended in a very unexpected tragedy. So many decisions led up to that conflict. It could have been resolved if Sal would have told Buggin Out he woulld put up a black person on the wall of fame . Or if Buggin Out didn’t have that conversation the moment he did with Raheem. If Sal wouldn’t have let the people come in to get 4 slices of pizza after hours Buggin out and Radio Raheem couldn’t have walked in. I think the fight broke out and could have ended with the people separating them. I was a fight bound to happen because no of Sal’s and Raheem’s size and tendency to not back down. But bringing the police just made it worse, even though I didn’t catch who called the police I made a guess that it was Sal. And people blame Sal for Raheem’s death because they know nothing will happen to the cops. It was Muki who started the riot and destruction of Sal’s pizzeria and I think he was angered with the fact the Sal took it to such extent with Raheem. He chose hate to represent what he was feeling st the moment but at the end of the movie he was with love because he was going to go spend time with his son. But aside from that was really surprised me wasn’t the the community was going to trash the Korean’s place next to Sal’s for no reason. If it wasn’t for one man who stopped another altercation who knows what could have happened because I saw that no one was thinking things through.
ReplyDeleteI definitely think this all could have been avoided. Everyone in the situation was clearly upset and wanted the problem resolved. Sal and Buggin’ Out could have handled the situation a bit differently and the two of them could have come to a compromise instead of the violence. Sal only saw his opinion and stayed strong with that opinion. With Radio Raheem was a bit obnoxious, and the outcome was not anything like we expected. I think Sal definitely overreacted but if someone walked into my restaurant blasting music I would politely ask them to turn the music off or leave. Sal was polite or even say “please”, instead he started cussing and yelling which escalated the whole situation. When the fight breaks out I did not expect the outcome and the death of Radio Raheem. I don’t think there is one person to blame for all of this, there were many factors and people that caused these events to happen, one thing after another. The music played that played out of the burned boombox meant a lot and was almost a tribute to radio raheem because it was the same song that he always played. I also liked how smiley but a picture up of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King up at the end answer the pleas of Buggin’ Out.
ReplyDeleteSurprisingly, I had never seen a Spike Lee movie before we watched Do The Right Thing in class. To say that watching this film gives me utter joy would sound a little ridiculous without an explanation. In my daily life, I do not get to watch a lot of African-American movies that are neither focused on slavery nor Jim Crow. Do The Right Thing has an exuberant amount of black humor that made me feel really warm inside. Even though I have not lived in a setting such as the black section of Brooklyn, this movie still felt relatable and conveyed a lasting message.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what John said on the blog post. There were so many unnecessary catalysts for the riot. The whole crew with Cee, Ella, Punchy, and Ahmed only fanned it’s flames. Radio Raheem and Buggin' Out never would have been able to step one foot inside of Sal' Famous Pizzeria if Sal had not let the crew inside in the first place. I stick by the stance that I took in my first blog post: Buggin' Out has no legal right to yell at Sal in his own piece of real estate. This being said, Sal should have been a little more open to the black man's thoughts. Still, if Buggin' Out would have introduced the subject in a less brusque way to Sal, he might of gotten somewhere with his argument.
Mother Sister is my favorite character in this movie. She is everything that I want to be when I grow up: blunt, attractive, and unapologetically right all of the time. When she was chanting "burn it down, burn it down", I could not help but laugh. Throughout the movie, she is shown as a frail/volatile old woman who almost never comes out of her window ledge. Then all of a sudden she becomes a part of an angry mob that is destroying everything. That woman quickly becomes overwhelmed with the situation and goes to the Da Mayor for comfort. She is such an enigma.
The riot scene to me was crazy. I think it was so crazy because it was completely blown out of proportion. It’s Sal’s restaurant, therefore he can have whatever pictures he wants in it, but on the other hand, Sal goes and shouts slurs at the people that are bothering him instead of taking a moment to step back. Everyone involved is so on edge and impulsive that if one of them could have stepped back, the whole situation wouldn’t have happened. I think Mookie threw the can into the window for 2 reasons. I don’t think he wanted to be associated with sal and his sons anymore, and I think he knew that people needed an outlet after Radio Raheem has been killed, and Sal’s was the perfect place to put that anger. The shots of it burning down, and the wall of fame melting away shows how insignificant the argument was and how easily avoided it could have been.
ReplyDeleteWhat I like about this movie is that almost every character exists in a grey area. I’m used to watching movies where good and evil are clearly set up, and the hero is clearly defeating the evil. Mookie is clearly our hero, and even though he’s a slacker and a deadbeat dad, he’s still loving (the ice cube scene). However, he takes violent action, and, is it the Right Thing? He obviously has a lot of pent up energy built up throughout the film, and it unleashes in with the hate trashcan. I do think that the destruction of Sal’s is inevitable. Violence is an easy way to respond, because it’s in our nature, and even though I totally believe in non-violence (And I think Mookie didn’t do the right thing) it’s extremely hard to let yourself get beat up. The beatings, paddy wagon, and hose obviously harken directly back to the civil rights movement of the 60s, and we question whether Buggin’ out should go to jail–Martin Luther King Jr. was seen as a radical in the 60’s, and Ossie Davis, the guy that plays Da Mayor, spoke at the march on Washington in 1963. It’s hard to lay down and take a punch, but I appreciate that Da Mayor advocates for this–it can be productive.
ReplyDeleteImagine seeing a prominent, loved member of your community killed in front of you by a violent force you have no control over. Hate is instilled in us when we don’t know, or contact another race, or buying into stereotypes (Just because Sal is white doesn’t mean he actively supports police brutality [or maybe he does] and just because Mookie takes long-ass lunch breaks doesn’t mean all black people are lazy) and when a system offers little to no hope for anyone in the community. The cops describe the men on the corner as “a waste” and constantly, throughout the film, we see black folks in an almost hopeless state, with nothing to do. We often see aerial shots of Mookie walking over a House, dog, and white picket fence drawn in white chalk. Spike Lee asks us, do we really have a level playing field for everyone? And how do we get there? Violence may be a quick emotional fix, but personally, I think that Señor Love Daddy has the answer. “Remember to register to vote!
First off, it's not at all how I expected the movie to end. I'm not sure exactly what I thought would happen, but I assumed there would be some sort of resolution. As soon as radio Raheem showed up with his radio I knew there was going to be trouble and I wasn't surprised that people were bringing the issue of the wall back up. It was really hard to watch everything fall apart after Sal wrecked the radio, especially that moment with mother sister and da mayor. These were two characters that didn't mesh well during the entirety of the film up until this point. It was really powerful because it shows how people will come together, despite their differences, in a time of crisis. I think this all started when Sal let those few customers come in after closing. If he had just turned them away and told them to come back in the morning when they open, this wouldn't have happened. At least I feel like this wouldn't have happened right then in that moment. I also think had Sal handled the whole radio situation differently in a much calmer manner, things wouldn't have been so bad. I think Sal makes very impulsive decisions and doesn't think much before he acts, and I think breaking the radio is a perfect example of this. I don't know if anyone is 100% responsible for this, because everyone played their own role. I will say however that I think Sal fueled the fire that made everyone lash out.
ReplyDeleteWhile I was watching the riot, I was really shocked by how the movie turned so fast. I think that the riot was more violent than I was expecting and I was for sure traumatized by Radio Raheem’s death. Also during the scene where the riot was going on, I couldn’t help but cringe and think of how useless (useless isn’t the right word but I hope you get the jist) and backtracking the actual events of the riot are. We see later with the quotes from Dr. Martin Luther Kringle Jr. and Malcolm X how violence is hardly ever a good solution to a problem and it doesn’t fix something forever but it is ok to use in self defense. I think that these quotes really hit me hard after just seeing a crazy fight between people who all seemed so filled with hate and violence. I definitely think that this riot was avoidable at this time however I do think that some sort or argument and/or riot was inevitable as there was so much tension in that environment that had to be released someway or another. S from this conclusion that the riot was “inevitable” in some sort, I don't think that there was anyone in particular to blame for the occurrence, but rather the whole population of people in that area who clashed over things and eventually all of that tension and pressure erupted in the form of the riot. I think Mookie throwing a trash can through the window and yelling “Hate” was a great representation of just how hard it is to be able to have love in a situation where there is so much pain and struggle. I think he found it easier to hate than to love because of the circumstances where he found himself. I really wish this confrontation could have ended in a more peaceful way without having death or the burning of the pizzeria, but I’m not sure if that is quite realistic and it definitely serves well for the movie as it hits the audience hard and really gets the point across.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the last part of this film, I think because it’s so relevant in today's time in showing police brutality and and is something that could and does happen in today’s society. I think the tension between races throughout the film got good closure through this scene. However, I do think the riot itself was unnecessary.
ReplyDeleteI think the fight happened mostly because of all the withheld tension between characters throughout the movie, and all it took was one brave, fighting character in Radio Raheem to break the silence and bring out the physicality and anger in the characters. I think the tenison finally reached a breaking point with Radio Raheem and Sal’s aggressive nature, especially when fighting for their own people and belongings. Another reason I think this happened is because throughout the movie, not one character is willing to speak whats on their mind when conflict arises. I also think Pino’s clear attitude toward the neighborhood and the people who live in it made customers dislike him and the pizza place at least a little, and when Sal began to get physical with Radio Raheem, those negative feelings towards Sal’s family came out, and naturally they started fighting for their own.
I think the riot definitely could've been avoided and was definitely not inevitable. I think if a few of the characters hadn’t been so hard-headed and resilient to emotions and communication, conflict could’ve been solved without violence or pain. I think if Pino had not shown so much hatred, things might not have erupted in such a way that night. I think the easiest and earliest fix to the tension between Sal and some of his customers was if Sal had been a little more open to listening to Buggin’ Out about the wall of fame. It also didn’t help when Buggin Out fought to boycott the shop, but it created more tension. That along with Sal’s constant establishment of dominance over his customers just created hatred for each other, and I believe without the combination of these things, the riot would not have happened, and Radio Raheem would not have been killed.
I like that by the end of the film Mookie stood up for himself against Sal. I was rooting for him to stick up for himself against Pino and Sal, and I’m glad he did, but I didn’t expect him to begin the riot against Sal’s shop by throwing the trash can and breaking the window. At the same time, it was very satisfying when he did.
I was left feeling pretty conflicted after finishing this movie. While watching, I had no idea who’s side I was on, as the actions of each character made my stomach twist. Watching these people go through something so gruesome and yet so unnecessary was disheartening. I think that the initiation and unwarranted continuation of violence can always be avoided. After all, the riot was caused by disagreeing sides that are only able to assert and not listen. No one in particular is at fault here, but I think that every character who did something to promote violence holds some level of responsibility for the devastation that occurs. For instance, if Buggin’ Out had approached Sal in a non-aggressive way, or if Sal had shown a more empathetic nature, they might not have lost their tempers, and everyone would have progressed having had a more beneficial interaction. Similarly, I was disappointed in Radio Raheem for attacking Sal, but the policemen took the situation deplorably too far by ending his life. That said, I feel like this situation between the characters in this film was pretty much inevitable because of the lack of and resistance toward a peaceful discussion. Ideally, each of the characters could be more empathetic and reasonable, but they’re just not. The controversy had to be resolved at some point and in some way, and in this instance it ended in conflict and death because of each characters’ behavior.
ReplyDeleteI was not expecting Mookie to choose to take such a weighted position by breaking Sal’s window with a trash can. It’s really tough for me to decide on one reason why he would do it, but I think one of the biggest ones has to do with the chaos surrounding him. It must be extremely conflicting and painful to be stuck between two sides, each with whom you share personal connections. I also think that Mookie and his community felt like they could perhaps reach some sort of catharsis by burning down the pizzeria, as it was an essential element in the death of one of their well loved community members.
I thought the film was inconsistent in its accuracy when it was showing the events of the riot because some of it seemed like it was a real life thing and at other moments it had me thinking that this is just for dramatic effect. When the police first showed up during the riot and I didn’t see at least a few of them run away then it just showed me how inaccurate it really was. At other times, Spike Lee did an excellent job of humanizing each character from an angry mob and a racist police force. When Raheem was being choked and you could hear one of the officers saying that he had had enough it really showed me that not all of them were meant to be bad. It was the same effect when I saw the look of “oh shit” when that cop realized what he had just done. In my opinion, the riot began due to Sal being unreasonable and not putting up any pictures of black people on the wall. It could have been avoided if Buggin Out had approached it in a more civil manner, but it was absolutely Sal’s fault for what happened to Raheem. While he didn’t kill him himself, he is the one that set things in motion. If Sal had been able to keep his cool then they would have been able to possibly not have anyone die. Even though it could have been avoided if things were handled differently, the movie showed that the neighborhood was rigged to explode and on a short fuse.
ReplyDeleteThe ending of this film always breaks my heart. It seems like such a dramatic transition from a mostly wholesome neighborhood to a racially charged war zone. I actually have to disagree with Carl’s idea of the ending being too hopeful. If anything, it struck me as terrifying. The streets were being cleaned and people were playing basketball with each other as if the anarchy caused by Radio Raheem’s death never transpired (or, at the very least, didn’t happen just one night ago). It gave off this eerie type of dread, almost as if the movie ended where it began, which suggests that something like Raheem’s death could happen again. I think that everyone had a part to play in the riot; however, Buggin’ Out and Radio Raheem seemed to be the instigators. It was their actions that prompted Sal to call them out of their name and to break the radio. In other words, nonviolence led to violence: I think that that’s why Spike Lee ended the film with two quotes: one from an advocate for freedom through any means necessary (Malcolm X) and one from someone who believed in the power of nonviolence (MLK Jr.). As for a solution, I honestly don’t know how the riot could have been avoided. I would say that Sal shouldn’t have smashed the radio, but that doesn’t seem all that fair. Sal made it clear that he didn’t want loud music in his restaurant, so Raheem should have at least tried to respect that. And finally, I think that Mookie shouting the word “hate” was done in reference to Radio Raheem’s story about the ongoing battle between love and hate. Maybe Mookie was signifying that he and the neighborhood let hate win when they decided to ransack Sal’s Famous. I guess, in that regard, the ending can be seen as a little hopeful. Because just like Radio suggested, love always wins, even when it looks like hate will first.
ReplyDeleteI was shaking my head throughout the entire riot scene. Though I believe that Radio, Buggin Out, and Smileys request to have black people on the wall was really about more than just Sal’s and just the wall, I think the fact that they think Sal is responsible for advancing general racism is incorrect. I was honestly not surprised that Sal reached for the bat and broke the boombox. What can you do in that situation? There is no room for actual conversation over all of the screaming and madness, and he is asking them to leave his restaurant and they are refusing. Today, and in a lot of stores back then, I would not have been surprised if he had pulled out a gun and made them leave with that. Then the police came to break up the fight, which if they did not do Radio Raheem probably would have killed Sal, which is obviously legitimate. I do not believe the police officers actions were all bad, but a mix of malfeasance and mistake. I think they had to do something to try to get Radio Raheem to the ground, and choking him was not the worst way they could do it. They did not notice that his feet were off the ground, which is what killed him. The worst part was the once he was on the ground and clearly unconscious, they kicked him, and once they realized he was dead, did not really care or fear the consequences of that and left. I think the biggest problems with the cops are that you are giving those men who are really not specially trained or equipt for a tough situation like the fight, the power to kill. Then things went really down hill when Mookie decided he would throw the trash can, which was such a horrible decision. The riot and burning down of Sal’s warranted the police department and fire department because they had to put out the fire so it did not spread and try to put some sort of order back in place. One sickening part to me was when Mother Sister begins to chant burn it down, it made me have no sympathy for her when she shrieked as the fight commenced between police and the people. I feel like almost every character in this movie represents a different racial tension in America, and this movie shows what happens when all of that tension is mixed up and boils over. I think that it is a great movie that makes a lot of super interesting points about race in America, but the question was about the riot and I think the people in the town were in the wrong.
ReplyDeleteI really liked this ending. I have never seen a movie like this. It is unique in style and theme. I acatully liked the violent ending. Mostly because I could feel myself wanting the characters to not come into conflict. I didn’t want Radio Raheem to get in Sals face and I didn’t want Sal to become hostile. Then
ReplyDeletethe fire started and the cops came. The whole situation escalated so quickly and all I could do was watch. I was caught between two instincts: I wanted the community to receive some form of justice s d stick it to Sal and his racist kid, but I also didn’t want anyone to get hurt. The mother sister started by chanting « burn it down! » but after the situation fell out of control she started screaming « no! ».
I feel like the last two quotes of the movie really sum up the main struggle in this movie. MLK preaches non-violence no matter what. Do the right thing always. But Malcom X preaches violence if it’s for self defence. In fact, he says you would be stupid not to defend yourself. I agree with Malcom.
Both times I saw this film, I felt as though all people involved made grave errors that led to Radio Raheem’s death. Radio and Buggin’ Out shouldn’t have bursted into the store in such an aggressive manner. His actions made confrontation nearly inevitable. Radio Raheem shouldn’t have been blasting his music as well. Sal also made a significant mistake when he took his bat out because it just made everyone more on edge. He also shouldn’t have destroyed Raheem’s boombox and then taunted him over it. The majority of the blame though, lies with the police in how they handled the situation. Radio Raheem was clearly subdued and there was no reason for them to continue choking him. The people who witnessed the murder shouldn’t have looted Sal’s Pizzeria because while he was somewhat responsible, he wasn’t the one who actually killed Raheem.
ReplyDeleteOut of the entire film, the riot scene is definitely one of the most striking and upsetting parts. I knew that there would be some sort of climax involving Sal, Radio Raheem and Buggin' Out but I did not expect it to be so explosive. I found it all to be so sad for Sal, Pino and Vido especially. This act only moves them further from the truth and just makes them believe in their already racist views. This final scene can be seen in two ways: like MLK or like Malcolm X (as per the quotes at the end). It can either be seen as a heartbreaking story about how the cycle of violence never ends and that the only way to stop racism is through understanding, or what Malcolm X was saying which is you should always defend yourself against racism whether that be with words or with violence. I believe the riot would not have happened if Mookie hadn't thrown the trash can through the window at first. I found Mookie throwing the trash can in general and shouting hate to be a very disturbing image as well. The scene where Radio Raheem dies seems to be a symbol of police brutality that can also be seen in either the MLK way or the Malcolm X way. This final scene succeeds in making the viewer question whether or not either side is right about what happened and very much shows how complex race dynamics are in America.
ReplyDeleteI think that this specific riot could have been avoidable THAT night, but a riot was bound to happen eventually. Too much tension stirred between Sal, the police, and the majority of the community beforehand. I was screaming in the back of my mind that the movie would end with love, not hate. It ended with a hope towards love, but the damage was already done. I was disappointed in almost all of the characters during the climax if the film. Buggin Out and Radio Raheem really had no reason to go into Sal's try to force freedom of music and representation on the wall of fame. Sal should not have resorted to racial slurs to express his complete anger, nor should he have destroyed the boom box. Raheem shouldn't have tried to kill him after that. The police should not have killed Raheem, and Mookie should not have started the riot. Now, I do have to appreciate Da Mayor, as he tried to stop the situation from escalating without joining a side. But once a riot starts, everyone who isn't with you is against you. The mob mentality was horrifying; Sonny and Kim had nothing to do with Raheem's death yet they were almost subject to the rioting. Spike Lee really showed the worst of the Black community here, and I tried but really could not see his death as a valid motivation to start riots. It only made everything worse. The ending seemed to picture Mookie as a protagonist still, which I could not agree with anymore. But the end credits showed a neutrality to what the right viewpoint is, and that made me like the movie so much more.
ReplyDeleteMy reaction to the riot scene was horror. I just looked at the screen with my jaw dropped as everything was unfolding. Everyone’s inner demons and prejudices finally reached the surface in a way that was not peaceful or resolving. The riot very much embodied the word that the riot was screaming, “Hate!” There was so much hatred from everyone and every race. However, sadly, this was not avoidable. Throughout the course of the film, we have seen so many mini conflicts related to race such as the black guys on the corner mocking the Koreans, Radio Raheem being prejudice towards the Koreans, Sal and Buggin’ Out’s little discourse over the Parmesan and Pictures on the wall, and others. All of these issues have an underlying tone to it, prejudice. All this prejudice eventually came out and there was no stopping it. It’s almost like the Incredible Hulk, you can’t stop him once he starts going. More people would have died maybe including Sal, Pino, and Vito if they didn’t direct their anger at the restaurant. Was it unnecessary? yes. Was it unavoidable? No.
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