The views of New York in “Do the Right Thing” and “Mad Hot Ballroom” couldn’t be more different. The communities depicted in “Mad Hot Ballroom” are of naive and innocent children, with few prejudices other than mild ones based on gender. The town in “Do the Right Thing” is full of people who are angry, have seen harsh realities, and some are the most prejudiced people I’ve ever seen. The children are very open to new ideas, despite initial reluctance. Though some did not want to dance at first because it was uncool or they didn’t like the idea of getting so close to the opposite sex, they eventually got past their reluctance and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The characters in Spike Lee’s work were incapable of getting past their prejudice and just became more angry over the course of the film.
“Mad Hot Ballroom” also showed more variety of community than did “Do the Right Thing.” This is one of the many reason that the New York of “Mad Hot Ballroom” was more familiar to me. I could identify with the shots of crowded Manhattan which I am used to when I go there as well as the shots of playground and residential neighborhoods. There were one family houses with small yards and space between the houses. This is visually much more like my New York than the series of connected apartment houses. The look of the people in “Mad Hot Ballroom” was more familiar to me as well, but that may just be due to the time period of “Do the Right Thing.”
The strongest reason I could better identify with the New York of “Mad Hot Ballroom” was the general feeling of the atmosphere and experiences of the characters. The grammar school experience in “Mad Hot Ballroom” was very similar to mine. Kind, caring teachers, the conflict of trying to be “cool” or “mature” while still being young, and the awkwardness of boy-girl interaction was all part of my time in grammar school. I could also relate, to a degree, with the process of learning dance. Though I never had as extensive a program as the one depicted in “Mad Hot Ballroom” I did have to take part in a spring performance every year. For this “Spring Show” the teacher would pick a song and, with the help of a local dance teacher, choreograph a simple dance. There would be initial complaints and protests from the boys, but in the end everyone enjoyed it. Like in “Mad Hot Ballroom” there was always discomfort involved when boys and girls had to be paired up. There would be teasing if a pair got too close, and no matter who I or any other boy was partnered with, the question “do you like her?” Seeing all these similar conversations and emotions in the interactions of the children in the film made me strongly relate to the New York shown.
In contrast, I could find very little relatable in the experiences of the characters in “Do the Right Thing.” The obsession with race and the seemingly incessant conflict is not remotely present in my New York. There is clearly a focus on racial tension and conflict in the movie- Buggin’ Out’s insistence on the presence of Black people on the wall of fame, and the successive shots of community members spewing racial slurs being two of the strongest cases. However, I was struck by the presence of both racial awareness and conflict in general. Buggin’ Out’s commands to “stay black” as well as Sal’s pride in his Italian heritage are not about conflict, but a general focus on race. This was never something present in my community. Whitestone is made up of mostly Italian, German, and Irish, and Greek people, but the only flags to be seen are American. There is very little talk of ethnic pride or identity except on major holidays and festivals.
The only thing that exists less in Whitestone than racial pride is conflict, and this is not due to the lack of racial tension. The community of “Do the Right Thing” is filled with conflict in addition to those which are racially charged. There are a number of non-racial conflicts in the movie- Sal’s conflict with Radio, the Mayor’s with Mother-Sister, Mookie’s with Tina, the young men’s with Mayor, as well as man others. There is an anger and readiness to fight in the community that is not in mine. The community seems defined by conflict, but the movie doesn’t explore the reasoning behind this. Perhaps instead of making the major issue race, the issue should be the readiness for and acceptability of violence. If not for the angry, violent atmosphere of the neighborhood in general, the explosion of violence leading to Radio’s death may never have occurred. If the general population in “Do the Right Thing” was more inclined to deal with problems civilly, they may have been able to find a better way to settle the conflict over the pictures, the radio, and everything else people were angry about.
