An independent film from 1989, Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing," takes place in a neighborhood in Brooklyn which is predominately black and Hispanic. White folk in this neighborhood were few and far between and appeared to be not overly welcome.
The film follows Spike Lee's character, Mookie, his neighborhood and all its inhabitants for one excruciatingly hot day. As the heat rose, so did voices and racial tensions. Whether it was at the Korean grocery story or Sal's pizzeria across the street, someone was having a problem with somebody else. There became a pattern. There was very little reflection and mostly reaction.
Repeatedly featured in the movie is a photograph of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. They were shaking hands, but at the time they were preaching very different things. Like the question of violence versus nonviolence, much of the characters were conflicted.
At the end of the day, the sun and the heat went down, but the momentum of unrest could not be stopped. The crucible was overheating and steam needed to be released.
When things blow up and go up in flames you're left wondering, "Did Mookie do the right thing?"
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