Raging Bull

Rarely sit through a movie that i don't like. Unfortunately Raging Bull was one of those movies. Though im told that i have to like it just cause Scorsese or Deniro or whatever but i just didn't enjoy it. The problem was that i had no sympathy for any of the characters in the film and i think thats the most important part of a good story. As far as film quality goes it isn't too bad but its just not a movie for me.

Do The Right Thing

Do The Right Thing is a very loud and in your face film and set Spike Lee up for a long career are racially charged films. Overall i quite liked the film and while there are some specific complaints that i have it still warrants praise, especially for its complex and controversial subject matter.

The film starts out quite simple, simply showing life in New York in a black neighborhood. For a large part of the film I had trouble finding any particularly coherent plot. Normally I would immediately be put off by this in a film but I think Lee makes it work. His honest portrayal of communities like this one overshadows the lack a specific plot. Later on though, different character dynamics begin to take prominence and the point of the film becomes clearer.

The acting in the film plays a large part in making to film seem real and all the actors played their parts well. I’m especially impressed by Spike Lee’s ability to write, direct, and act in his films, especially at his young.
The deeper messages of the film are especially interesting though many things in the plot don’t seem to get resolved. This is another thing that normally would cause me to not like a film but I think it fits the subject matter. Spike Lee doesn’t try to bring unrealistic closure to the issues being dealt with.

I thought Do The Right Thing was a very good movie and deserves the acclaim it has been given and the place of cultural significance it has.