Do the Right Thing (non-analytical review)

There are two elements that drive a story. In plot driven stories, the story is driven by the plot (seems a little self explanatory) and in character driven stories the story is driven by the characters. Movies and novels have elements of both but there is always a majority of one or the other. Movies for the most part are dictated by the plot and not the characters. For example, for the most part if we were to replace Mikaela Banes (Megan Fox) with a monkey I don't think the storyline would change. She does not dictate the story and neither does Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf). If neither of them were in the story the Decepticons and Autobots would still be at war. In general most movies are plot driven.

Do the Right Thing is different. There's no general storyline with a beginning, middle, and end but rather it is more life-like. The story begins in the middle of certain conflict and starts to develop slowly from there. Although the actual plot isn't irrelevant it doesn't give the feel of the movie.

Inside Sal's, an Italian pizzeria, there's a "Wall of Fame." This wall of pictures has all Italians from Silvester Stallone to Al Pacino. Buggin' Out (Giancarlo Esposito) decides to boycott the store until Sal (Danny Aiello) decides to put some black people on the wall like Martin Luther King or Malcolm X. There are also other side stories, one that involves a boy named Mooky, a Korean family, and three homeless people trying to make it in the world. All four stories do not necessarily intertwine but rather they compliment each other and bring about the theme.

Throughout the movie there is this whole war between those that want to protest peacefully and those that want to "fight the power" with boxing gloves. In order to truly appreciate this movie, all preconceived notions of storyline must be wiped and a more character driven story must come to mind. The characters are the story.

8.4/10.