Red, White and Blu

In his films, Spike Lee presents the American flag as a tipping point to cultural divide. He opens Malcolm X by setting it on fire. In Do the Right Thing, released this week on Blu-ray, Lee dresses his central protagonist, a young man whose speech is framed by dollar signs not quotations, in a Dodgers jersey, its color scheme (red, white and blue) more fashion statement than pledge of allegiance. Both would make for good viewing this Fourth of July weekend.

Be Like Spike

Air Jordans do the right thing.

Black and White

A conversation about the 'American Dream' ends in opposition, but also with hope. Released in 1989, Do the Right Thing continues to resonate American culture more accurately than any film since. Consider it over the next few days.

Video Sh*ts 1

VH1 has selected Public Enemy's Fight the Power as the greatest hip hop song of all time. It is an obvious and rightful choice. The track elevated hip hop from party genre to political change. It was also the heartbeat for Spike Lee's 1989 masterpiece, Do the Right Thing. Both film and song helped bridge the racial, cultural, and generational divide from the 80's into the 90's. No other media did as much damage.

Speaking of Lee, Roger Ebert interviewed him at the Toronto Film Festival.

40 Acre Sh*t

Spike Lee is not an easy man. Thematically, his films are always an uncompromising look at communities of color at play within a predominately White world. Never has a filmmaker divided so many audiences among racial lines. This is exactly what makes his place in cinema history so vastly important.

To illustrate, scenes from Do the Right Thing (1989) and 25th Hour (2003) - two of Spike's best. During pivotal moments in each movie, Spike calls a timeout, allowing his characters to address the audience through monologues beginning in hate and ending in self-conscious reprimand, common in Spike Lee Joints.