Cultural difference is something you cannot really understand until you experience it yourself. I do not understand it before I study abroad in another country and identify myself as “foreigner” for the first time. I’ve told in my communication class that it is people’s nature to view things that is different from what they are familiar with as “strange” instead of thinking that their culture may also seems “strange” from other people’s perspective. I remember that once an American asked a Chinese student: “Do you Chinese eat dogs?” and the Chinese student responded: “Do you American eat turkey? Turkey is our favorite pet in China.” Of course turkey is not our favorite pet but I think what this means is to remind people who think they are in the most civilized and prestigious culture that sometimes things you think is normal may be weird in another culture too so the only way we can get along with each other is to view people who do not like us as different instead of strange or inferior.
“Do the Right Thing” vividly pictured a black community in Brooklyn and did a great job to present us a real African American lifestyle. The typical black culture makes the only white neighborhood seems very incongruous, especially in that historical period of time. Although Sal tried so hard to get himself and his family to fit in this community, the anger African American had towards white people make all his effort in vain at the end. I was moved when I heard Sal saying that he was proud that his pizza feed those people and he enjoyed to grow old with them. At that moment I thought it is very possible for black and white to get along well, however, what happened next made me question this.
Radio Raheem’s death in the movie was an accident, the police man may be responsible for that but there is no way for all the neighbors to blame on Sal. People just found the pizza restaurant to be the only place they can give full vent to their anger. It is even more ridiculous that they tried to destroy the Koran grocery store. The Koran guy saved his store and family by telling those black men that they are the same. He is right, they are same and equal although they have different skin colors. However, the anger removed people’s wise and the violence made the peace impossible.
The first and the last shot in the movie are very interesting. The movie began with a black woman dancing aggressively. Her facial expression and her body movement expressed her anger, pain and despair. She wanted to fight against what oppressed her and that is what all African Americans want. This also explained their behavior later. At the end of the movie, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. advocates nonviolence, is followed by a quote from Malcolm X, which says, in effect, that nonviolence is fine, but only as long as it works. According to Canby, the movie and the quotation at the end wanted to show people that it is necessary to have a spirit to fight back when they were facing injustice. However, I still believe that violence is never a way to resolve a problem and that may be why Martin Luther King is remembered and respected by more people comparing with Malcolm X.
Radio Raheem's death was not an accident, it was murder. Furthermore, the police would not have come into the neighborhood had it not been for Sal so that is why their anger is directed toward him. I think they tried to destroy the Asian guy's store because he too, is an outsider (not black despite what he says). Yes, they may be equal now. But back then, it wasn't like that.
回复删除Malcolm X is respected just as much as Martin Luther King is despite their different beliefs. I too think that fighting isn't a way to solve a problem but some times it is necessary.
It is true that people in the community finally try to give vent to their anger by destroying Sal's pizza as well as the Korean's grocery store; however, it is not only about that. They are not only angry, but also resentful and perhaps afraid. The film tells us where their emtions come from; in such a case I don't think their actions are rediculous.
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