Fight the Power: Do the Right Thing in Context – until 30 Sep @ BFI Southbank
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing, the BFI have put together a season of films which influenced, or were influenced by, this often overlooked masterpiece. Lee is perhaps the best-known black film director, and in a career full of controversy, his 1989 feature remains one of the most controversial of his career, but arguably one of the best loved.
The film itself is a funny and thought-provoking slice of life examining the racial tensions swirling around a Brooklyn block on a sweltering summer day. At the time there were fears that it could spark riots in inner-city neighbourhoods, but when watched today these fears seem quite irrational. Although there is anger in the film (not least the repeated refrain of Public Enemy’s Fight the Power), in fact Lee almost smacks you upside your head with the non-violence message in the closing credits. This is a pity, because he film’s mix of hilarious dialogue and vital performances from an ensemble cast speak for themselves, producing a nuanced view of society’s problems with no easy answers.
In some ways, this season acts as a condensed history of black American cinema, with classics like In the Heat of the Night (1967) and The Killer of Sheep (1977). Blaxploitation is represented by Sweet Sweetback’s Badassss Song (1971), a very dated and angry revenge tale with a proto-Rambo title character. As the first true film of the genre, it was obviously extremely influential, but not noticeably so, on Spike Lee. Its inclusion in the season, therefore, stems only from its more generalised role in empowering black directors to go out there and make films (thankfully much better films than this exist). ‘White’ films that had a more direct influence are also being shown, each one brilliant in its own way. Do the Right Thing includes a monologue “borrowed” from Night of the Hunter (1955), so the exquisite thriller makes a welcome appearance. The film is tense beyond belief, a sort of anti-To Kill A Mockingbird in which the innocence of childhood is replaced by abject terror in the form of Robert Mitchum’s evil preacher. Another classic, Scorsese’s iconic Taxi Driver (1976), is included for its bleak view of New York. Jim Jarmusch’s Stranger Than Paradise (1984), a deeply odd but wondrous film, taught thousands of indie filmmakers, including Lee, that you could tread your own path and still find success.
Boyz in the Hood, US 1991, Dir: John Singleton
The films that followed Do the Right Thing in the season are a similarly varied bunch. A few are part of the rush of films with messages from black directors which came in the early 1990s, when the burgeoning hip hop and gang culture seemed to catch the Zeitgeist. Boyz n the Hood (1991), John Singleton’s searing fable of LA gang life, is one of the most famous and represents a more serious, and perhaps more conventional look at some issues covered in Do the Right Thing. One of the most unexpected inclusions in the season is Clerks (1994), Kevin Smith’s debut comedy made on a shoe-string budget. Smith followed Lee’s lead, following an array of characters as they shoot the breeze over one particular day.
Varied, surprising and never dull (just like the film at its centre), this season is a worthy reappraisal of Spike Lee’s early career. While one can question the appearance of some films and ponder the lack of others (Smoke [1994], another Brooklyn-set ensemble drama would have fitted in nicely), this is a chance to see some great films on the big screen.
