Plot: What’s it about?
In Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy neighborhood, summer has arrived in full and this is without a doubt the hottest day of the year. As the heat pours down the residents, fire hydrants are opened for people to cool off in and people try to find the shade and keep cool in whatever ways possible. At Sal’s Famous, owner Sal (Danny Aiello) is about to have the heat turned up even more, thanks to one of the local residents. While Sal is proud of his business, which his two sons help him run, and feels he is a positive presence in the area, he has upset at least one local. That local is Buggin’ Out (Giancarlo Esposito), who wants to know why no blacks are featured on Sal’s Wall of Fame. This sparks debate amongst the locals and while Sal is confident in his rationale, as the day burns on, tension continues to mount. How will this volatile situation turn out for Bed-Stuy and when night falls, will the locals be proud of their actions on this day?
I find Spike Lee to be one of the most overrated filmmakers around, one who gets more press via his outlandish behavior than his actual creative output. As mediocre as most of his projects have been, Do the Right Thing is a testament to the potential that Lee once held. This is by no means a masterpiece of cinema, but it is a good movie and it is a shame Lee didn’t follow this path for his entire career. The plot is rather basic, driven by the characters more than a narrative, but all of the points that need to be made are well covered. The controversial conclusion shows Lee’s limitations as a writer, as he was unable to drive the solid stories into a solid finale. Even so, the journey is well worth the lame duck destination, even if just for the great performances. Do the Right Thing is heavy handed, as all of Lee’s films tend to be, but it is also solid entertainment. Universal’s 20th Anniversary release is well done also, so Do the Right Thing is recommended.
Video: How does it look?
Do the Right Thing is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. This movie is two decades old now, but it looks excellent in this new transfer. The detail level isn’t up there with Blu-ray’s best, but given the age and budget of the material, I am surprised it looks this good. The visuals come to life well, from the warm, even hot color scheme to the overall depth, it all comes through well in this treatment. Again, this won’t win any visual transfer awards, but the movie looks great and that is what matters.
Audio: How does it sound?
This DTS HD 5.1 option is capable, but unremarkable. Given that the film takes place in a congested urban landscape, you’d assume the audio would bustle. But the sound design here is pretty generic, so atmosphere isn’t too present. The main power comes from the music, which does sound great and features some deep bass. No issues with dialogue, which is crucial here, so no lines are lost in the mix. Again, not a bad soundtrack, but this should be more alive and instead it sounds flat. This disc also includes Spanish and French language tracks, as well as subtitles in English, French, and Spanish.
Supplements: What are the extras?
A nice mix of old and new, the supplements here are impressive. The audio commentary with Lee, Ernest Dickinson, Wynn Thomas, and Joie Lee returns, but Spike Lee also contributes a new solo session. While the old track was informative, this one seems more focus and candid. Lee does narrate at times and has his silent spots, but it is a decent session. Making Do the Right Thing is an hour long look inside the production, loaded with candid footage taken on set. This is informative, but is quite padded at times, so it falls in the middle of these kind of pieces. A half hour retrospective featurette is also worth a look, as is a Cannes Q&A session, and about an hour of home movies, taken on location. This disc also includes a few other brief featurettes, some deleted scenes, storyboards from the riot sequence, two television ads, and the film’s theatrical trailer.
