I must say, all of the films we have watched throughout the duration of this course have influenced me slightly in some way. However, one film, which I feel had the biggest affect on me, was Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing because of how relatable, realistic, and hilarious it was to me.
In my eyes, Do The Right Thing had the most perfect depiction of New York City. Since I have grown up in the South Bronx, I have mostly been surrounded by people of color my entire life. However, when I would watch movies about NYC, I would typically only see Caucasians play the big roles, as if they were the only people living in this vast metropolis. I would also notice that these Caucasians would typically play unrealistic characters as wealthy individuals, without a care in the world. This always seemed a little unfair to me. Often times, I would even find myself asking: Why aren’t the Hispanics or Blacks being represented in these movies about one of the most diverse cities in the world, why are only the rich snobs being portrayed, why do these movies always have to be shot in Manhattan, what about Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, or Staten Island? I always felt there was some imbalance in representation of the people and places of New York City in these movies. But Spike Lee’s film changed this view. The neighborhood portrayed in this movie in Brooklyn greatly reminded me of my own diverse home. How Spike Lee represented the Hispanics, the Blacks, and the Chinese was spot on, and made me happy because for once, these ethnic individuals were playing big roles as regular people, and not just as “delinquents.” Along with this, Spike Lee touched upon the very serious issues of racism and gentrification, which continue to be very apparent problems today. This film, to me, is very symbolic of NYC because of this. Spike Lee was not afraid to show everyone what the REAL New York is like and how the people really are, and I will always love this movie because of that.
In closing, I feel as though this movie has a great portrayal of New York City and its diversity. It is a movie that should be seen by everyone because of its realism, hilarity, and importance.
