Just watched this movie again...
I'm sure most of you have probably seen it.
JUst curious to what peoples opinions are regarding the scene when all the violence erupts in Sal's famous Pizza joint.
Radio Rahim winds up getting killed because of the force used by the police and then pretty much the crowd turns their anger on the business and burns it to the ground.
While both sides in the dispute were ultimately wrong, the whole thing started because of the actions/ conduct of Rahim & BugginOut. Why is that key point brushed over as if it never existed? To me all that does is send the message of its okay to act out in violence or provoke violence if you want to make a point/ if you want your way.
Oooops wrong forum, sorry,
mods please put in the Sideline
I just got off the phone with Spike. He said that you are in fact buggin out.
I can't think of one Spike Lee movie I've ever watched.
Quote:Not even Malcolm X?
Read it, then tried to watch it. As usual, the book was better. But then again, it would be tough to top Alex Haley.
Quote:Its Radio Raheem.
so I see no one in the thread has really contributed anything meaningful, pertaining to the points I tried to raise...
Obviously the blame can be spread around equally and Spike Lee masterfully pits the audience in place where it has to choose who was in the wrong - he business owner, the police, Mookie or Radio Raheem. Lee loves to stoke the flames of racism and there's no better example than that particular scene.
All he had to do was turn down his radio, that's it. He failed to do so and violence erupted. The police elicit excessive force and kill a guy for doing nothing more than playing a radio too loud.
Mookie overreacts and throws a trash can through the front window, sparking the riot. Bad deeds all around.
This movie came out when I was 19 and at the time, I viewed the movie a bit differently than I do now.
The only problem I have with the scene now is the reality of a riot such as that starting up at all. Sal was a local businessman who had been there for decades. He had no beef with those people and they had none with him except for Buggin out wanting pics of black people on the wall as opposed to Italians. Outside of that, it was a symbiotic relationship and they got along well. There was no reason for that fight to start up. That was a true community that looked out for one another and I think it's unrealistic that they would turn on each other the way they did just because of a lack of African Americans on the walls.
I only liked the scene with the ice.
Quote:Obviously the blame can be spread around equally and Spike Lee masterfully pits the audience in place where it has to choose who was in the wrong - he business owner, the police, Mookie or Radio Raheem. Lee loves to stoke the flames of racism and there's no better example than that particular scene.
All he had to do was turn down his radio, that's it. He failed to do so and violence erupted. The police elicit excessive force and kill a guy for doing nothing more than playing a radio too loud.
Mookie overreacts and throws a trash can through the front window, sparking the riot. Bad deeds all around.
This movie came out when I was 19 and at the time, I viewed the movie a bit differently than I do now.
The only problem I have with the scene now is the reality of a riot such as that starting up at all. Sal was a local businessman who had been there for decades. He had no beef with those people and they had none with him except for Buggin out wanting pics of black people on the wall as opposed to Italians. Outside of that, it was a symbiotic relationship and they got along well. There was no reason for that fight to start up. That was a true community that looked out for one another and I think it's unrealistic that they would turn on each other the way they did just because of a lack of African Americans on the walls.
Yeah, but Buggin' played a huge role in all this too, as his antics were just as instigating as Raheem's.
The issue wasn't Buggin' wanting pictures of black people on the wall, the issue was how he went about getting his wishes. I wouldn't [BAD WORD REMOVED] on him if he was on fire, the way he acted. Had he respectfully explained his case and showed some tact maybe I'd feel a bit of sympathy toward his side.
And Mookie showed zero respect/ loyalty to his boss by throwing the trash can through the window and inciting the riot. He pretty much made Sal's one son look like a prophet with his comments about "trust" earlier...
I also disagree somewhat with your opinion that they looked out for one another as a community....several of the community disrespected the old man character known as the mayor, they all seemed to reject the Korean's in the store across the street, they weren't too friendly with the white dude in the Larry Bird jersey either.....and funny, no one (other than Buggin & maybe Mookie) seemed to care for Raheem all that much until he was killed, then all of a sudden the entire neighborhood went into mob mentality mode and were acting as if their firstborn was taken from them....
Technically, these aren't even movies. They're Spike Lee Joints.
Quote:No other opinions?
Its Spike Lee.. He's agenda driven and racist.. That's my opinion..
Spike Lee and Jamelle Hill should hook up and get married.. They can get Al Sharpton to marry them..
Quote:Its Spike Lee.. He's agenda driven and racist.. That's my opinion..
Its possible.
I think there were legit points he illustrated in that particular movie, but the way it seems to encourage a violence/ aggression as a means to get your way or be heard is something that I don't believe is/ was any good for anyone. Especially amongst the target audience which is (was) impressionable young people.
Violence/ fighting should always be last resort. or Self defense.