Spike Lee calls out critics’ perception that ‘Do The Right Thing’ would incite violence

nme.com:

Spike Lee has called out the critical response to Do The Right Thing upon its release in 1989, criticising the perception that the film would “incite Black people to riot”.Lee spoke of the press reaction to his third film while attending the Toronto Film Festival on Sunday (September 10), where he received the Ebert Director Award.

The award recognises filmmakers who have “exemplified greatness in their careers”, and is named after the late film critic Roger Ebert, whom Lee said “was very crucial to my career” during his acceptance speech.“[Ebert] got behind me when those motherfuckers in the press were saying that Do the Right Thing was going to incite black people to riot,” Lee said as he accepted the award from the reviewer’s wife, Chaz Ebert.

Lee went on to criticise the perception among critics that his film “could not be shown in the United States”, as well as reviews claiming “Black people … would see the film and take to the streets”.“The film came out.

There were no riots,” Lee added. Elsewhere in his speech, the director lamented the way Do The Right Thing – which focussed on race relations between Italian-American and Black communities within Brooklyn – was reviewed in comparison to other films, describing it as “not an even playing field”.Lee specifically named critics Joe Klein and David Denby, pointing to the latter’s New York Magazine review of Do The Right Thing. “I know it was a long time ago and you should let some grudges go,” Lee said in reference to the review, claiming it warned audiences to “hope to God that [the film] doesn’t open in your neighbourhood”.“Thank [you] Roger because he went to bat for me and many years later, we’re on the right side of history/herstory,” Lee concluded.Responding to.