On the hottest day of the year on a street in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, everyone's hate and bigotry smolders and builds until it explodes into violence.On the hottest day of the year on a street in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, everyone's hate and bigotry smolders and builds until it explodes into violence.On the hottest day of the year on a street in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, everyone's hate and bigotry smolders and builds until it explodes into violence.
- Director
- Writer
- Stars
- Nominated for 2 Oscars
- 21 wins & 19 nominations total
- Mister Señor Love Daddy
- (as Sam Jackson)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaDuring the 1990 Oscar ceremony, while announcing the Best Picture nominees, Kim Basinger caused some controversy when she ignored her scripted text and said: "We've got five great films here, and they're great for one reason: because they tell the truth. But there is one film missing from this list, that deserves to be on it, because ironically, it might tell the biggest truth of all, and that's Do the Right Thing (1989)." Spike Lee would later thank her for it in a 2019 episode of the podcast "Unspooled".
- GoofsThe bicyclist walks past him on the left; but the black mark is on the right side of his shoe.
- Quotes
Radio Raheem: Let me tell you the story of Right Hand, Left Hand. It's a tale of good and evil. Hate: it was with this hand that Cain iced his brother. Love: these five fingers, they go straight to the soul of man. The right hand: the hand of love. The story of life is this: static. One hand is always fighting the other hand, and the left hand is kicking much ass. I mean, it looks like the right hand, Love, is finished. But hold on, stop the presses, the right hand is coming back. Yeah, he got the left hand on the ropes, now, that's right. Ooh, it's a devastating right and Hate is hurt, he's down. Left-Hand Hate KOed by Love.
- Crazy creditsFilm title logo at the end of closing credits
- Alternate versionsthe "pan & scan" version broadcast on ITV4 truncates the conversation between Radio Raheem and the Koreans when he visits their store to replace the batteries for his portable radio. The sequence where the husband loses his temper and swears "mother-f&%k you", to which Raheem responds warmly is omitted.
- ConnectionsEdited into Film Title Poem (2016)
- SoundtracksFight the Power
Music and Lyrics by Chuck D (as Carlton Ridenhour), Hank Shocklee, Eric Sadler,
and Keith Shocklee
Performed by Public Enemy
Def American Songs, Inc. (BMI)
Courtesy of DefJam/CBS Records
The cast is terrific, and they deliver memorable performances. I really wish Danny Aiello picked up the Oscar for his role as Sal, because that is definitely the pinnacle performance of his career and one of the best I've ever seen. Other noteworthy performances are by John Turturro, Ossie Davis and Giancarlo Esposito.
The film is put together with such fast-paced editing that it doesn't once get boring, doesn't have any low points. This is a gritty, memorable film that I wish can be considered more prominent in the eyes of the average moviegoer, because it really deserves great recognition for its unique, unforgettable style.
Spike definitely knows how to do the right thing.
My score: 10 (out of 10)
- mattymatt4ever
- Apr 29, 2001
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Heatwave
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $6,500,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $27,545,445
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $3,563,535
- Jul 2, 1989
- Gross worldwide
- $37,295,445
- Runtime2 hours
- Color
Contribute to this page
![Spike Lee, Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, John Turturro, Ruby Dee, Giancarlo Esposito, and Bill Nunn in Do the Right Thing (1989)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BODA2MjU1NTI1MV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwOTU4ODIwMjE@._V1_QL75_UY133_CR0,0,90,133_.jpg)