Spike Lee

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Lore & Background

Spike Lee conceived the idea for *Do the Right Thing* after discussing a 1986 incident at Howard Beach, Queens, with actor Robert De Niro. This incident involved an attack on African-American men in a predominantly Italian-American neighborhood, resulting in one victim being struck by a car and killed. Lee was also influenced by the Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode 'Shopping for Death,' in which the main characters discuss their theory that hot weather increases violent tendencies, and the killing of Eleanor Bumpurs by police. He wrote the screenplay in two weeks. The original script ended with a stronger reconciliation between Mookie and Sal than Lee used in the film; Lee's contemporaneous notes indicate Lisa Jones expressed Sal's reaction as 'too nice' as originally written. Initially considering De Niro for the role of 'Sal,' Lee eventually cast Danny Aiello at De Niro's suggestion. Roger Guenveur Smith, who was pestering Lee for a role, created the character of Smiley, who was not in the original script. Lee originally wanted Bill Nunn to play the role of Mister Señor Love Daddy but later recast him as Radio Raheem. Principal photography commenced on July 18, 1988, on a single block in Brooklyn, New York. The film crew transformed the dilapidated Stuyvesant Avenue, between Quincy Street and Lexington Avenue in the Bedford–Stuyvesant neighborhood, creating new structures such as the Korean grocery store, a functional pizza parlor representing Sal's Famous Pizzeria, and a radio station replacing a burnt-out building. During filming, the neighborhood's crack dealers threatened the film crew, leading Lee to hire Fruit of Islam members to provide security. Filming wrapped on September 14, 1988, with a budget of $6.2 million.

Reader's Guide

Lee's *Do the Right Thing* premiered at the 42nd Cannes Film Festival on May 19, 1989, and was theatrically released in the United States by Universal Pictures on June 30. It was a major critical and commercial success, grossing $37.3 million worldwide against a production budget of $6.2 million. The film earned nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor (Aiello) at the 62nd Academy Awards. In 1999, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being 'culturally, historically or aesthetically significant'. In 2022, the film was ranked the 24th greatest of all time in *Sight and Sound* magazine's decennial poll. The film blends elements of comedy, drama and social commentary, and is noted for its vivid color design, stylized cinematography, direct-address monologues and an influential hip-hop-driven soundtrack, prominently featuring Public Enemy's 'Fight the Power'. The epilogue shows two quotations—one from Martin Luther King, who claims violence is never justified, and one from Malcolm X, who claims violence is 'intelligence' when used in self-defense—and dedicates the film to six Black people, five killed by police officers (Eleanor Bumpurs, Arthur Miller Jr., Edmund Perry, Yvonne Smallwood, and Michael Stewart) and one killed by a white mob (Michael Griffith).

Did You Know?

• Spike Lee wrote the screenplay for *Do the Right Thing* in two weeks.
• Lee originally wanted Bill Nunn to play Mister Señor Love Daddy but later recast him as Radio Raheem.
• During filming, the neighborhood's crack dealers threatened the film crew, leading Lee to hire Fruit of Islam members for security.
• The film's epilogue dedicates the movie to six Black people, including five killed by police officers and one killed by a white mob.
• Lee allowed actors Danny Aiello and Giancarlo Esposito to improvise racist remarks during the final confrontation scene.