Do the Right Thing

Main Plot

Do the Right Thing unfolds over the course of a single, sweltering summer day in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. The story centers around Mookie, a young African American man who works as a delivery boy at Sal's Famous Pizzeria, a local Italian-American-owned establishment. As the day progresses and the temperature rises, tensions simmer between the diverse community members, highlighting racial and cultural differences. A dispute arises over the pizzeria's Wall of Fame, which features only Italian-American celebrities, sparking debates about representation and respect. The film explores themes of racial tension, identity, and social justice, culminating in a series of confrontations that force the characters to confront their prejudices and the impact of their actions. Through its vivid portrayal of a community on edge, the film offers a powerful commentary on race relations and the complexities of doing the right thing in a divided society.

Characters

• Danny Aiello plays Sal, the pizzeria owner whose escalating tensions with the neighborhood residents drive the film's central conflict and climax.
• Ossie Davis plays Da Mayor, a wise, elderly man who seeks respect and offers guidance, ultimately influencing the community's response to rising tensions.
• Ruby Dee plays Mother Sister, the neighborhood matriarch who observes the community's dynamics from her window, offering wisdom and emotional depth to the story.

Ending Explained

In the ending of Do the Right Thing, tensions in the Brooklyn neighborhood reach a boiling point on a sweltering summer day. The conflict centers around Sal's Famous Pizzeria, where racial tensions between the Italian-American owners and the predominantly African-American community escalate. The situation intensifies when Buggin' Out, a local resident, demands that Sal include African-American figures on the pizzeria's Wall of Fame, which only features Italian-Americans. The climax occurs when Radio Raheem, a friend of Buggin' Out, enters the pizzeria with his boombox blaring. A confrontation ensues, leading to a physical altercation. The police arrive and, in a tragic turn, Radio Raheem is killed during the struggle. This event ignites the community's anger, resulting in a riot. Mookie, a pizzeria employee, throws a trash can through the window, symbolically choosing solidarity with his community over his job. The pizzeria is destroyed, but the film ends on a note of ambiguity. The next day, Mookie and Sal have a tense conversation, reflecting on the previous night's events. The film closes with quotes from Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, highlighting the complex themes of violence and racial tension, leaving the audience to ponder the right course of action in the face of injustice.