I chose Do the Right Thing and Hallelujah! for this project because they are two films that are suppose to represent the black race. Yet when comparing these films, they tell two very different stories about race. Hallelujah! was made in 1929, a time period in which racism was very common in popular culture. Although the film was the first Hollywood produced film to feature an all-black cast, it was full of racial stereotypes of the black race.
Do the Right Thing was just the opposite. Critics praised Spike Lee for portraying all races in an equal manner. There were no stereotypes in this film, just an honest portrayal of a New York City street on a hot summer day. When you compare Do the Right Thing with Hallelujah!, it's hard to miss the fact that so much has changed on the topic of race over the 60 year period between these films, and that's what intrigued me the most when choosing these films.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Hallelujah!
"The films you are about to see are a product of their time. They may reflect some of the prejudices that were commonplace in American society, especially when it came to racial and ethnic minorities. Those depictions were wrong then, and are wrong today. These films are being presented as they were originally created because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming those prejudices never existed." These words are written clearly across the screen when you view Hallelujah! on DVD and VHS are they are rightly justified. The film itself is a cruel reminder of how popular culture in the 1920's portrayed blacks in such a stereotypical manner.
The film was written and directed by King Vidor, a white Hollywood producer. He based the story on his childhood experiences and wanted to show the world black song and dance. What it ended up being was a caricatured and stereotyped image of blacks in the South. The story itself is not racist,(click here for synopsis), but the characters are portrayed as Mammy's, Sambo's, and the happy black man picking cotton. The only positive to come out of this film is that it was the first all-black Hollywood produced film which opened the door for other black actors.
Do the Right Thing
"In the twenty-first century, the Hollywood film from 1989 most likely to be screened, discussed, argued over, is Do the Right Thing", Richard Sklar (Fabe p. 206). Richard Sklar was right when saying this, because there has never been a film that confronts race in quite the same way Do the Right Thing has. It tells the story of a race riot from a black perspective, which had never been done and is yet to be duplicated.
The film was controversial from the very beginning due to it's underlying message that black people should stand up for themselves, with violence if necessary. Some critics thought it would start race riots anywhere it was shown. Through all the controversy, Lee was praised by blacks and white alike, and was 'featured on the cover of Newsweek, in the show Dateline, and even Oprah' (Hagopian).
To see the trailer for Do the Right Thing, click here.
History's Influence
Spike Lee's take on racial tensions in New York did not come out of thin air. Some of the major components of the film are based on events that took place in New York in previous summers. In his production notes, Lee states, "I'm making an allusion to the Howard Beach incident by using a pizza parlor" (Lee p. 537). The Howard Beach incident occurred when three black men were stranded in an all Italian neighborhood in Queens, New York, when their car broke down. They went in to a pizza parlor to make a phone call and when they left, they were chased by a group of white youths carrying baseball bats. One black man escaped, one got beaten, and the third, Michael Griffith, was chased onto the expressway and killed. No one was charged for the crimes. This film is a protest to that event and all the other hate crimes committed.
Lee also makes references to other hate crimes throughout the movie. In the scene where Radio Raheem is killed, after the cops drive away, voices in the crowd shout out the names of Michael Stewart and Eleanor Bumpers, both of whom were killed due to excessive force by policemen in 1988. Also in the scene where Mookie talks to his sister outside, behind them on the brick wall reads, "Tawana told the truth" which refers to the Tawana Brawley alleged rape and abduction case. To read more about the Tawana case, click here.
Perhaps the biggest influence on Lee when writing this film are the words of Malcolm X. The very last shot of the movie is a quote from Malcolm X which reads, "I am not against using violence in self-defense. I call it intelligence". This ends up being the major theme of the film. Martin Luther King jr. was also an influence on Lee, and he puts a quote from Dr. King in at the end, but he gives the last words to Malcolm X. The character Smiley holds this picture of Dr. King and Malcolm X throughout the movie and pins it on the wall after the pizzeria is burned.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Production and Release
December 25, 1987- Lee starts putting his ideas on paper for Do the Right Thing. "It's nine in the morning and I'm sitting down to get started on my next project, Do the Right Thing. I hope to start shooting next August. I want the film to take place over the course of one day, the hottest day of the year, in Brooklyn, New York" (Lee p 536).
August, 1988- The film is shot in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, and Silvercup Studios, New York. Most of it was done on the streets of Brooklyn.
May 23, 1989- The film is nominated for Golden Palm award at the Cannes film festival but loses.
June 30, 1989- The film is released nationwide
March 26, 1990- The film, nominated for best supporting actor(Danny Aiello) and best original screenplay, both lose on Oscar night.
November 8, 1989- Douglas Wilder is elected first black governor of a state in his home state of Virginia.
Box office gross to date- $25,972,051.00
August, 1988- The film is shot in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, and Silvercup Studios, New York. Most of it was done on the streets of Brooklyn.
May 23, 1989- The film is nominated for Golden Palm award at the Cannes film festival but loses.
June 30, 1989- The film is released nationwide
March 26, 1990- The film, nominated for best supporting actor(Danny Aiello) and best original screenplay, both lose on Oscar night.
November 8, 1989- Douglas Wilder is elected first black governor of a state in his home state of Virginia.
Box office gross to date- $25,972,051.00
Blacks in Film Time Line
1915- Birth of a Nation- The film portrayed blacks as sex craving savages and showed the Klu Klux Klan was a savior in the South. Due to the popularity of the film, many African Americans work hard to change the stereotyped image portrayed in this film.
1920- Within our Gates- Oscar Micheaux wrote, produced, and directed this film which was largely about race. Micheaux's films are now labeled as Race Films and were made to rejuvenate African American's public image which was damaged by Birth of a Nation.
1929- Hallelujah!- The first Hollywood produced all-black cast film. Written and directed by white filmmaker King Vidor, the film was filled with stereotypical black characters which would never be allowed in today's cinema.
1930-mid 1950's- Race films are shown in over 1,200 segregated theaters across the country. These films are written by blacks and for the black audience. These films are not Hollywood produced, yet they still make money while portraying blacks in that time period in a dignified and respectable manner.
1950- No Way Out- This Hollywood produced film starring Sidney Poitier was one of the first films confronting the issue of race in Hollywood portrayed Sidney Poitier's character as a respectable doctor. Although the film is not completely rid of black stereotypes(Mammy character), the film is a step for blacks in Hollywood.
1964- Sidney Poitier wins the Best Actor Oscar for his acting in Lilies of the Field.
1970's- Blaxploitation era- Films such as Shaft and Superfly, just to name a few, show the inner city lifestyle of the black community. These films are a huge commercial success in Hollywood. Click here for my essay on Blaxploitation.
1980's- Race is not that big of an issue in films during this time period. The blaxploitation era is over and blacks are portrayed more evenly as whites in films.
1989- Do the Right Thing- The film that confronts race as a major issue not just in Brooklyn, but throughout the United States. Read more about the film later in the blog.
2002- Halle Berry becomes the first African American to win the Best Actress Oscar and Denzel Washington wins in the Best Actor category. The first time African Americans win both of the major acting awards.
Time line summary- African Americans have come a long way in Hollywood, and all of the United States, since the release of Birth of a Nation in 1915. Race is still an issue in America and Hollywood today, but everyone has made great strides to diminish the importance of race and instead put more emphasis on people for who they are on the inside.
1920- Within our Gates- Oscar Micheaux wrote, produced, and directed this film which was largely about race. Micheaux's films are now labeled as Race Films and were made to rejuvenate African American's public image which was damaged by Birth of a Nation.
1929- Hallelujah!- The first Hollywood produced all-black cast film. Written and directed by white filmmaker King Vidor, the film was filled with stereotypical black characters which would never be allowed in today's cinema.
1930-mid 1950's- Race films are shown in over 1,200 segregated theaters across the country. These films are written by blacks and for the black audience. These films are not Hollywood produced, yet they still make money while portraying blacks in that time period in a dignified and respectable manner.
1950- No Way Out- This Hollywood produced film starring Sidney Poitier was one of the first films confronting the issue of race in Hollywood portrayed Sidney Poitier's character as a respectable doctor. Although the film is not completely rid of black stereotypes(Mammy character), the film is a step for blacks in Hollywood.
1964- Sidney Poitier wins the Best Actor Oscar for his acting in Lilies of the Field.
1970's- Blaxploitation era- Films such as Shaft and Superfly, just to name a few, show the inner city lifestyle of the black community. These films are a huge commercial success in Hollywood. Click here for my essay on Blaxploitation.
1980's- Race is not that big of an issue in films during this time period. The blaxploitation era is over and blacks are portrayed more evenly as whites in films.
1989- Do the Right Thing- The film that confronts race as a major issue not just in Brooklyn, but throughout the United States. Read more about the film later in the blog.
2002- Halle Berry becomes the first African American to win the Best Actress Oscar and Denzel Washington wins in the Best Actor category. The first time African Americans win both of the major acting awards.
Time line summary- African Americans have come a long way in Hollywood, and all of the United States, since the release of Birth of a Nation in 1915. Race is still an issue in America and Hollywood today, but everyone has made great strides to diminish the importance of race and instead put more emphasis on people for who they are on the inside.
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