Ten Films You Should See If You Love Black People

FILM 8

from the Ebony/Jet site by Jacquie Jones

Do The Right Thing

Spike Lee

I am one of the few people in the black world, it seems, who actually does not think Spike Lee’s debut film, She’s Gotta Have It, is essential viewing in this category. It is not as over-hyped as Melvin Van People’s Sweet Sweetback’s Badasss Song, but, let’s say, it’s got issues, in my opinion, that are not explained away by the youth of the filmmaker. That notwithstanding, I’m a big Spike Lee fan and could recommend a few titles for those of you who are too young to have been forced by your black nationalist friends to see these movies when they first appeared – Malcolm X and Four Little Girls, especially – but start with Do the Right Thing. In it, you will get a taste of Spike’s brilliant palate and his unmistakable love of black people, his virtuosity really. (For an even more in-depth look at this film and its moment, also see St. Claire Bourne’s “Making Do the Right Thing.”)

From IW: Okay. Over the years I have learned to keep my mouth shut over this movie, as it seems to be a perennial favorite of both Black and non-black fans. But this is my blog, so I can say what I want, and I have never liked this movie. I found it preachy, shrill, overwrought and heavy-handed. Yeah, I said it. I also found the characters to be loud, cartoonish, and ultimately annoying. All of it was just too much in every way.

But that is just my humble opinion.

Here is a clip kinda from the movie. It is a version of some scenes made with Fisher Price toys set on Sesame Street, with Ernie playing the Spike Lee character. It's pretty ingenious--not to mention freakin' hilarious. Now this I liked: