- Actors: Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Wesley Snipes, Annabella Sciorra
- Directors: Spike Lee
- Writers: Spike Lee, Richard Price
- Producers: Jon Kilik, Martin Scorsese, Monty Ross, Richard Price, Rosalie Swedlin
- Format: PAL
- Language German, English
- Subtitles: German, English, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish
- Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9 - 1.77:1
- Number of discs: 3
- Classification: 18
- Studio: Universal Pictures Video
- DVD Release Date: 7 July 2003
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B00005PJOJ
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 74,889 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)
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Reviews
Amazon.co.uk Review
Spike Lee's incendiary look at race relations in America, circa 1989, is so colourful and exuberant for its first three-quarters that you can almost forget the terrible confrontation that the movie inexorably builds toward. Do the Right Thing is a joyful, tumultuous masterpiece--maybe the best film ever made about race in America, revealing racial prejudices and stereotypes in all their guises and demonstrating how a deadly riot can erupt out of a series of small misunderstandings. Set on one block in Bedford-Stuyvesant on the hottest day of the summer, the movie shows the whole spectrum of life in this neighbourhood and then leaves it up to us to decide if, in the end, anybody actually does the "right thing." Featuring Danny Aiello as Sal, the pizza parlour owner; Lee himself as Mookie, the lazy pizza-delivery guy; John Turturro and Richard Edson as Sal's sons; Lee's sister Joie as Mookie's sister Jade; Rosie Perez as Mookie's girlfriend Tina; Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee as the block elders, Da Mayor and Mother Sister; Giancarlo Esposito as Mookie's hot-headed friend Buggin' Out; Bill Nunn as the boom-box toting Radio Raheem; and Samuel L Jackson as DJ Mister Señor Love Daddy. This is a rich and nuanced film to watch, treasure and learn from--over and over again. --Jim Emerson
DVD Description
Contains the following films:
- Do the Right Thing
- Jungle Fever
Clockers - Jungle Fever
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I purchased this film just out of curiosity and of course like everyone else I was totally blown away by it. I consider it to be one the best films ever made and it is one of my favourite films. In short this film is totally mesmerising, powerful and incredibly important. Everything about the film just oozes confidence and daring. It is certainly not a film that suffers from a lack of imagination. This film is Lee's exposition on race and racial tension. I think ultimately that this is movie grounded in reality - no matter how PC people are they are sometimes just plain racists hiding behind smiles and that racism bubbling under the surface of polite society can explode at any moment.
Throughout the plot Lee explores the dynamics of a community in which different races have been living together for a long time and outwardly tolerating each other. However, long running issues such as economic deprivation, power struggles, questions of status, questions of responsibility, questions of history have been left unresolved and so manifest themselves in the form of racism. As well as this the inhabitants of Bed-Stuy (where the film is set) have shied away from the glaring fact that they are all different but they live alongside one another. Bed-Stuy is shown as a ticking time bomb whose time to detonate has come - on a maddeningly HOT day.
The acting performances can't be praised enough. Everyone from Lee (who plays Mookie) to Aiello (who plays Sal) to Perez (who plays Tina) to Nunn (who plays Radio Raheem) gives a cool and assured performance. I personally like Jackson's character, Mister Senor Love Daddy, a DJ-cum-philosopher who communicates his worldview over the airwaves.
The production is quirky and fresh. Every scene is vibrant and visceral.
To say that the dialogue is second to none is not an exaggeration. It is partly the dialogue that makes this film so outstanding. It's witty, intelligent and disconcerting. This movie makes you think really hard about your own prejudices.
The soundtrack is very important as the opening of the film makes very clear. Public Enemy is used to great effect.
By the close of the film two arguments are presented, one for the use of violence as self defence (Malcolm X) and one for non-violence (Martin L.King). I don't believe that Lee is claiming that either ideological viewpoint is right or that it should be used as a rule. I think that he is challenging the viewer into asking "What is the right thing?"
This is a key movie that deserves to be seen.
Throughout the plot Lee explores the dynamics of a community in which different races have been living together for a long time and outwardly tolerating each other. However, long running issues such as economic deprivation, power struggles, questions of status, questions of responsibility, questions of history have been left unresolved and so manifest themselves in the form of racism. As well as this the inhabitants of Bed-Stuy (where the film is set) have shied away from the glaring fact that they are all different but they live alongside one another. Bed-Stuy is shown as a ticking time bomb whose time to detonate has come - on a maddeningly HOT day.
The acting performances can't be praised enough. Everyone from Lee (who plays Mookie) to Aiello (who plays Sal) to Perez (who plays Tina) to Nunn (who plays Radio Raheem) gives a cool and assured performance. I personally like Jackson's character, Mister Senor Love Daddy, a DJ-cum-philosopher who communicates his worldview over the airwaves.
The production is quirky and fresh. Every scene is vibrant and visceral.
To say that the dialogue is second to none is not an exaggeration. It is partly the dialogue that makes this film so outstanding. It's witty, intelligent and disconcerting. This movie makes you think really hard about your own prejudices.
The soundtrack is very important as the opening of the film makes very clear. Public Enemy is used to great effect.
By the close of the film two arguments are presented, one for the use of violence as self defence (Malcolm X) and one for non-violence (Martin L.King). I don't believe that Lee is claiming that either ideological viewpoint is right or that it should be used as a rule. I think that he is challenging the viewer into asking "What is the right thing?"
This is a key movie that deserves to be seen.
11 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
Quite simply, this is Lee's best and most powerful film to date. He combines wit and anger to illustrate the evils of racism. As the temperatures rise on the hottest day of the summer, tempers begin to fray in a Brooklyn neighbourhood. When night falls and a young black man dies at the hands of the police, these racial tensions boil over into a neighbourhood race riot. The tight script and strong acting, with Lee taking the lead, as well as the noise of Public Enemy combine perfectly to produce one of the best African-American films of all time. In my top 10 films ever.
19 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I won't focus on the films too much as you're only likely to buy this box set if you have some experience of Spike Lee films already. Being a huge fan of 'Clockers' I was curious to check out Spike's earlier films, and this box set includes what I think are 3 of his best ‘joints’.
‘Do the Right Thing’ is certainly provocative but revolutionary in its style and presentation. You’ll probably want to watch this first before watching his other films to understand Lee’s style of film-making.
‘Jungle Fever’, while not as important as ‘Do the Right Thing’ is never the less a fine film with some great performances from Lee’s regular group of actors (especially John Turturro).
‘Clockers’ is my personal favourite and to me shows Spike Lee as a more mature director, although the involvement of Scorsese and Harvey Keitel no doubt helped for this one.
So 3 great films, but a bit of a let down on the presentation front. ‘Do the Right Thing’ has received a reasonable treatment in terms of extras, commentary and picture quality but the other 2 are bare minimum releases.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The Best Film About (Black/White) Racism Ever Made?
Spike Lee's 1989 masterpiece Do The Right Thing is arguably the best film about racism ever made. I was trying to think of other comparators, and whilst there are of course many... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Keith M
20 years later, still hits home
When I first saw this film, I was utterly mesmerized by the lively, tumultuous tableau that Lee so masterfully painted. Read more
Published 8 months ago by rob crawford
ONE OF THE BEST AMERICAN FILMS
If I had to name 10 best American films, this Spike Lee joint would probably enter the competition, fighting with the best Ford, Hawks, Altman, Lang, Hitchcock, Huston, Welles,... Read more
Published on 3 Dec 2009 by Nikica Gilic
The Right Thing? Right Choice To Watch
This is a movie thats fun to watch for an hour and a bit as it cruises along (Samuel L is brilliant at portraying the vibe as a radio host)... Read more
Published on 4 April 2009 by K. Maloney
The best Hip Hop Film
Although this film is not about Hip Hop, it embodies the spirit of Hip Hop circa 1989.
Public Enemy's music blasts throughout the film, the characters could have stepped... Read more
Public Enemy's music blasts throughout the film, the characters could have stepped... Read more
Published on 4 Mar 2009 by British Commentator
unforgettable - what a way to get a message accross
the style is not to everyone's taste, but it's nicely pitched........ however irritating the characters, they put you right there..... Read more
Published on 6 Jan 2009 by phil mars
A Masterpiece of Urban Cinema
While some people find Spike Lee's filmic style a little too "in your face" at time, it is impossible to deny that he has extraordinary talent as both screenwriter and director... Read more
Published on 13 Aug 2008
A Classic
Forget the recently made film Crash which far from being a critical analysis of race and class in society this film, made over a decade before is the one you want to see. Read more
Published on 14 July 2008 by Gogol
The movie that put Spike on the map, and deservedly so
The first time I've seen Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing" was at the theater and the movie refused to leave my mind for about several weeks. Read more
Published on 26 Jun 2007 by Jenny J.J.I.
Bordering between racist and brilliant
The film's best scene characterises the best and worst of life, race relations and this film. 'Radio Raheed' shows us two knuckle-dusters - one called 'LOVE' one called 'HATE' and... Read more
Published on 1 April 2006 by H. Feddern
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