Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing: An Example of Maritn Luther King Jr.

Spike Lee sets the scene of his movie, Do the Right Thing, on the hottest day of the summer, specifically March 1, 1988. The community he follows in the movie is comprised of several characters that vary in age, ethnicity, social class, and beliefs. The central problem these characters face throughout the film is racial tension. As the temperature continues to rise, the racial tension in the atmosphere intensifies with it. The tension is sustained by a “turn the right cheek” method, but the sustainers reach their boiling point and chaos flows into the minds and actions of the people.

        Spike Lee ends the movie with two quotes, one being from Martin Luther King Jr., famously known civil rights activist. He preached, “Violence is immoral because it thrives on hatred rather than love. It destroys a community and makes brotherhood impossible. It leaves society in monologue rather than dialogue. Violence ends by defeating itself. It creates bitterness in the survivors and brutality in the destroyers.” In the movie, hate and love is discussed in a pivotal scene in which Radio Raheem explains to Mookie the meaning of his brass knuckle rings - one saying “hate” and the other “love”. This is the only time in the movie in which these words are said. Not one character has ever said “I love/hate you.” to another character. They show their hatred through racial slurs and prejudice encounters. In this community, Martin Luther King Jr. is right. The violence thrives on the hatred which stems from non-acceptance, fear, and prejudices.  The physical act of violence happens later in the movie when two characters, Buggin’ Out and Radio Raheem, personally feel they need to rise to the occasion and go against their enemy, Sal. They want to fight for representation only to be shut down by Sal through words and the presence of his bat. A fight commences and the police are soon involved. The situation worsens as the community witnesses police brutality first hand, killing Radio Raheem. This only adds fuel to the fire and both literally and figuratively sets the scene aflame.This movie is a perfect example for the quote because the community looked to violence for answers.        
      The death of their own member will always be a reminder as to why they these separate groups will never get along, or will never become a brotherhood. Instead of moving on together, they will stay in the past and do what they can to find justice for what has been done. Violence can end only when it defeats itself because violence is never the answer.