Chum's Decade Awards: The 80's
Submitted by grandpa_chum on Mon, 05/30/2005 - 12:53
Tags:
Best Picture
- Once Upon A Time In America(1984)
- Raising Arizona(1987)
- Field Of Dreams(1989)
- The Shining(1980)
- Conan The Barbarian(1982)
- Day Of The Dead(1985)
Best Director
- Sergio Leone- Once Upon A Time In America(1984)
- Martin Scorsese- Raging Bull(1980)
- Stanley Kubrick- The Shining(1980)
- Woody Allen- Stardust Memories(1980)
- The Coen Brothers- Raising Arizona(1987)
- John Milius- Conan The Barbarian(1982)
Best Actor
- Steve McQueen- The Hunter(1980)
- Robert De Niro- Sergio Leone- Once Upon A Time In America(1984)
- Woody Allen- Stardust Memories(1980)
- Howard Sherman- Day Of The Dead(1985)
- Paul Newman- The Color Of Money(1986)
- Tom Hanks- Big(1988)
Best Actress
- Holly Hunter- Raising Arizona(1987)
- Dianne Wiest- Parenthood(1989)
- Barbara Hershey- Hannah And Her Sisters(1986)
- Carrie Fisher- The Return Of The Jedi(1983)
- Isabella Rosellini- Blue Velvet(1986)
Best Supporting Actor
- Craig T. Nelson- The Osterman Weekend(1987)
- James Woods- Once Upon A Time In America(1984)
- Danny Aeillo- Do The Right Thing(1989)
- Keith David- They Live(1988)
- Joe Pesci- Raging Bull(1980)
- Randy Quaid- Parents(1989)
Best Supporting Actress
- Elizabeth McGovern- Once Upon A Time In America(1984)
- Shelley Duvall- The Shining(1980)
- Mary Steenburgen- Parenthood(1989)
- Carrie Fisher- When Harry Met Sally(1989)
- Mary Beth Hurt- Parents(1989)
Best Screenplay
- Cameron Crowe- Say Anything(1989)
- Dan O'Bannon- The Return Of The Living Dead(1985)
- Spike Lee- Do The Right Thing(1989)
- Woody Allen- Stardust Memories(1980)
- W.P. Kinsella- Field Of Dreams(1992)
- Harry Grey- Once Upon A Time In America(1984)
Best Cinematography
- Duke Callaghan- Conan The Barbarian(1982)
- Tonino Delli Colli- Once Upon A Time In America(1984)
- Barry Sonnenfeld- Raising Arizona(1987)
- Douglas Milsome- Full Metal Jacket(1987)
- John Alcot- The Shining(1980)
- Michael Gornick- Day Of The Dead(1985)
Best Original Score/Music
- Ennio Morricone- Once Upon A Time In America(1984)
- Randy Newman- The Natural(1984)
- Basil Poledouris- Conan The Barbarian(1982)
- Basil Poledouris- Red Dawn(1984)
- John Williams- The Empire Strikes Back(1980)
Author Comments:
Winners iIn Bold
Cloned From:
I do want to point out that in Do The Right Thing, despite differing opinions I've heard, I believe with the exception of mookies sister and the old man, NO ONE did the right thing, and were all basically good people, who happened to be racists... black or white.
There's Mother Sister, Smiley, Coconut Sid, ML, and the true heroes of the piece, Mister Señor Love Daddy and Vito.
(Not having seen Once Upon A Time In America...) I must say that I loved the cinematography in Do the Right Thing . It gives Body Heat , Alien and Cool Hand Luke a run for their money in the contest for "Sweatiest Movie of All-Time
I think that it's difficult to make the case that Mookie did the wrong thing...
well I'll give it it shot anyway, here's my case... He started a riot for the same reason the cops killed radio... because it seemed like the thing to do to a white troublemaker... how is that different than what the cops did? the only difference I can see is that it was a black troublemaker and they killed him, which is much worse than torching a business but that doesn't make mookie right.
I'm not saying he did THE wrong thing, there were plenty of other wrong things being done... but what mookie did was wrong.
I will have to give the cinematography another look though... it definitly was a sweaty movie, but I saw it on television so i don't think I can give it an honest assessment.
Well, I initially thought that Mookie's act was misdirected. Why trash Sal's place? He's not the one who killed Radio, he just smashed Radio's boom box. Besides, plenty of African-Americans got enjoyment from Sal's pizza. If Mookie was going to start a riot, start one against the police. They're the ones who killed Radio.
But your theory that no one did the right thing, including Mookie, is quite interesting. I guess you could alter my argument to say that a riot against the police would be a righter thing, though still not the right thing.
Oh, and I loved the cinematography in that film, though I haven't seen OUATIA either, nor Conan the Barbarian.
yeah, that makes a lot of sense... obviously the cops were the ones who did the big wrong thing... but I think Sal, mookie, radio, and specs, even sals sons were all in the same boat, good people all doing the wrong things because of race blurring the lines... the two conflicting quotes at the end also make me believe that the purpose of the ending wasn't to decide who was right and who were wrong, because they were all doing the wrong things for the right reasons, other than the cops of course.
I don't think that the policemen intended to kill Radio Raheem, but they certainly did respond with an unreasonable level of force. - - And once they did, they flee with the evidence/body, beyond the power of the neighborhood to reach them. As I recall (and interpreted it) Mookie and Da Mayor save Sale, Vito and Pino from the angry mob. I think that Mookie stares (glares?) at Sal as he passes him with the trash can prior to hurling it through the window. Radio Raheem loss of his beloved radio cost him his life, Sal's loss of the pizzeria cost him $500 (if memory serves.)
I think it's instructive that there are only coins in the register when Sal's Famous Pizzeria is looted. This is how Sal is able to pay to have his troubles and Mookie to go away (with the instruction/admonition to always do the right thing.) If all of those "good" people are racist then I feel that racist reactions probably aren't wrong within the context of the movie. They're to be expected... to do anything else would be to invite destruction. (The Korean grocer is able to save his store by saying "Me black.")
Mookie starting a riot against the police is impossible. The police exist seperate from the neighborhood. The only way for the neighborhood to resist what is being done to them is to attack Sal's... even at a high cost to themselves. (I think that when Smiley sells Mookie a picture it is one of Malcolm X (as opposed to one of Dr. King.) By any means necessary... and even though Mookie went for the cheapest picture it still has a cost.) -
If we take Mister Señor Love Daddy's command (plea?) at the very beginning of the film seriously to "WAKE UP!" it strongly supports your contention that, in fact, nobody does do the right thing. Spike Lee has always been terrible at ending his movies. I think that Do the Right Thing might be his best and most successful attempt at weaving everything together... but he still has trouble maintaining his energy and focus.
you actually make a pretty good case for the fact that maybe mookie had sals best interest in mind with the trashcan... but I have to think that outside the movie world, starting a riot is not on too many occasions going to save the persons life that it's directed towards... also the fact that mookie basically despises sal throughout the whole movie makes me think it was an act of hate...
I think he ended this movie perfectly... blurred and indecisive is the only way to end a movie about race... and I love the way that he makes you feel sympathetic towards just about every character in the movie, at least I did... the problem I see, which really reflects the problem that the movie is addressing, is that way too many people take sides and claim it as a statement for themselves, when in reality all the characters are straddling the line of right and wrong and none of them prevail with flying colors at least
Yeah, but Radio Raheem was far from innocent himself. He joins in Buggin' Out's "riot", enters Sal's after hours, and is playing his radio at full blast even as Sal tells him to turn it off multiple times. And then he strangles Sal for a good five minutes or so. On the other hand, Sal doesn't really lose anything of tangible value. Mookie says Sal's insurance money will pay for the restaurant, but there's clearly a sentimental value he's attached to it. He says he built pizzeria with his own hands. Sal's is clearly a long-standing establishment in the neighborhood, and I feel like destroying it is just counterproductive to everyone. Raheem could've always bought another radio.
Even if good people are racist, I don't think racist riots are right in that context - inevitable perhaps, but not right. Is Mookie making any kind of statement against Sal? Do you think Sal, or any other white character, learns a lesson from this? Destroying a radio means we'll destroy your place of business? I think it's just a misguided act of eye-for-an-eye. You make a good point about the Love Daddy. I like chum's theory that no one did the right thing.
I also love the scene where the guy hangs up the picture of MLK or Malcom x I'm not sure which or both, but it just shows that that is all sal had to do to prevent this, is hang up a stupid picture, should he have to no, should they demand that he does no, but it would have been wise to swallow his pride and just do it, to let pride get in the way of keeping your pizzaria is ridiculous, It was wrong to torch the place, but it could have been prevented had sal done the right thing, the point is they all had choices that could have prevented the whole thing from happening, mookies just happened to be the last one.
I have a tough time imagining how else Mookie could've reacted. - - I think that he (and the neighborhood) had to do something. To do something would be the "right thing." The alternative is to let oppression win without resistance. The heat is oppressive, poverty is oppressive, the police are oppressive, the noise from Radio Raheem's boom box is oppressive... racism is oppressive. The movie is full of people trying to deal with circumstances and conditions beyond their control. Mookie's act, which sets off the riot, is the first time that he tries to take control of his life. Up until that point everyone (and I do mean everyone) has been telling Mookie what to do, how to act.
I think that the neighborhood used to be Italian and is now becoming gentrified. Sal's Famous Pizzeria and Clifton's (the guy in the Larry Bird jersey) brownstone are the last and first traces of the change sweeping through the neighborhood. I'm not sure that Sal's insurance (if it exists) could/would replace the pizzeria. Even if it did I can't picture how Sal's could be resurrected. I am almost certain that Radio Raheem could not afford a new boom box. The impression that I got was that his music was all that he had (plus the struggle between "love" and "hate".)
I also loved it that Smiley finally gets a picture of a "brutha" on the wall at Sal's. Of course, it's not worth the price but how else could the struggle have ended? Sal can put Italian-Americans on his wall and his customers can insist on having African-Americans up there. I wonder how that conflict could have ended differently. I wonder what else Mookie could've done, how he could've acted differently. And now I have to watch the film again because I can't remember whether Martin or Malcolm ("love" or "hate") ended up on the wall. (Could it be both of them?) In any case, we end up right where we started, with "WAKE UP!"
What a great movie...
that is one side portrayed in the ending quotes, and the other says that we shouldn't be fighting against each other when we all have the same problems.
but you are right, it is hard to imagine mookie doing much else, but that isn't because it's the right thing to do. It's because the right thing would have been much much harder to pull off, in fact I don't even know what the right thing would have been, but I guess that is the point of the movie, at least to me.