One question I couldn’t help but ask while watching the final scenes of Do the Right Thing was how could have the entire conflict that resulted in Sal’s pizzeria being burnt to the ground been avoided? It seems to me that the arrogance of both Sal, his boys, and his customers lead both parties to be blinded by their emotions and act in a brutal manner. By arrogance I mean both parties thinking that their actions are never in the wrong, they never take a minute to use a mellow tone and think twice about what might happen if a compromise was in the picture. Is that another message Spike Lee tries to convey to us? It seems to me as if he tries to portray the characters as not having having that ability to take a deep breath and step back, like Sal and Mooky do at the end of the movie after the fire. If so, maybe that is a positive way to resolve these conflicts before they start.
I agree, and while I was watching the scene escalating into the miniature riot and looting of Sal’s pizzeria, I kept thinking of ways in which the situation could have been defused. Mookie seemed to be the ideal character to have the power to bring down the rising tensions, being both a part of the black crowd but also someone who Sal seemed to have a high respect for and a close relationship with. He seemed to be portrayed as a character well-respected enough by everyone (with the possible exception of Sal’s elder son) that he could have urged everyone to back off and find a more peaceful resolution. However, Spike Lee chooses to make the character apathetic towards his former employer, and instead uses Mookie to kick off the riot himself. I believe that this was Spike Lee’s way of showing how deep some racial divisions are, and all people are human and flawed. This, along with the two quotes that close out the movie, is a realist look at racism and way of life in the poorer areas of New York. Spike Lee is arguing that happy endings are not guaranteed in these areas and these times, and “doing the right thing” is often something that one has to figure out for themselves.
I agree with not only this post but with the comment that goes with it. As I watched the scene leading up to the riot I had a similar thought to what Chris said. I found it interesting that, the only time in that entire scene that someone took a minute to think about his actions, was when Mookie was watching the argument after Radio was killed. Additionally I find it interesting that after he took that minute to think, Spike Lee still had him take the garbage can and start the riot that ensued. I think this is one of the many ways in which Spike Lee is taking away the “easy answer”.