I chose these three films specifically because they are exceptionally different in terms of release date, content, thematic material, and critical reception. In other words, Do the Right Thing was released in the late 80's, deals with racism and community, received mass critical acclaim (earning it a spot on AFI's 100 Years, 100 Movies list), and is widely considered to be Lee's greatest work to date. The 25th hour is from 2002, deals with violence, hate, love, regret, and transformation. It is relatively unknown, even to Spike Lee fans, and garnered no significant critical acclaim either way. Miracle at St. Anna was released in 2008, is a WWII epic, deals with a specific event in history as seen through the eyes of four soldiers, and received widely negative criticism, widely considered to be one of Lee's worst films to date.
I also realize the caution and delicacy that is required in doing an objective analysis of Spike Lee. As most know, he is a highly controversial director whom most people have a polarized view of; he's one of those "ya' love him or ya' hate him" directors. His films often deal with racism and social issues, and Spike himself has garnered himself a lot of media spotlight over the years due to political stances and various controversial statements. Personally, I admire Lee as a film maker and a person, but I will do my best to make this piece about his films, and not about his personal life.
25TH HOUR
One of his lesser- known films, but certainly not one to be overlooked, 25th Hour is a powerful story of love, hate, regret, and transformation. It centers on Monty (Edward Norton), a convicted drug dealer and how he spends his last 24 hours before beginning a 7 year prison sentence. Starring as his friends are Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Barry Pepper, with Rosario Dawson playing his girlfriend Naturel. The whole film takes place over the course of one day. We follow Monty as he visits associates, eats dinner with his father, goes out to a nightclub with his friends, and ends with an emotional, thought-provoking car ride to the prison with his father. As is typical with Spike Lee Joints, the timeline is shuffled, constantly showing flashes into Monty’s past and the events that lead him to his current troubles. Also quintessential Spike Lee characteristics are ones that evoke the senses; his use of music, color, movement, and cinematography. Most notable in this film is the music, which some criticized as being too present and even overwhelming. While this may be true in some scenes, I think Spike did it on purpose. His musical selections act as a catalyst for tension building and release, and often emulate the emotional state of the characters. One particular scene comes to mind, when Monty asks his friend Frank (Barry Pepper) to beat him up and rough up his face, in hopes of appearing more tough and dangerous when he first enters prison. Though the scene is particularly violent, the element that really puts the viewer on-edge is the music, which is loud, unnerving, and encompasses the senses.
Ultimately, the movie begins showing an angry Monty who blames the world and everyone in it for his troubles, and ends with a regretful Monty who realizes that he has no one to blame but himself. Like many of Lee’s films, it has received criticism for the ways in which it addresses racism, portrays social issues, and depicts New York City. I personally think that Lee was successful at remaining unbiased in the making of this film, and painted a fair and accurate picture of the transformation and self-realization that many people go through.
DO THE RIGHT THING
I also have a deep appreciation for the stylistic elements of this film. Though they are dated and albeit a bit cheesy in certain parts, Lee’s use of color, sound, and cinematography is astounding throughout the film. Admittedly the flat tops, brightly colored clothes, and boom-boxes left me wondering when Uncle Carl and the Fresh Prince were gunna show up, but that's simply a tragedy of the 80's, not of Lee's film making. Several of Spike's trademark camera maneuvers are featured in the film as well, namely the "Floating Effect", where the camera is centered on an actor who appears to be floating through the air like a ghost.
MIRACLE AT ST. ANNA
The film received almost exclusively negative reviews, and though I don't think the movie was a total disaster, I can understand why it didn't fare well with critics. The plot was dense, confusing, and contained multiple layers and characters that seemed irrelevant to the main storyline. The depiction of several African-American soldiers was cliche', almost borderline offensive, which is ironic as Lee typically tries so hard to reverse those stereotypes in his films. At almost three hours long, the film wasn't captivating enough to engage the viewer for that long, unlike other WWII films like Saving Private Ryan that are equally long, but captivate the viewer the whole time. The other main piece of criticism that the film received was due to its apparent historical inaccuracy. Many Italians and survivors of the massacre claim that the films depiction of the event are far from accurate and even exaggerated at parts. I honestly can't comment either way on that front, as I am no historian and admittedly hadn't even heard of the massacre before seeing the film. The biggest disappointment of the film in my eyes was it's lack of Spike Lee-ness. In all his other films, his style is so ingrained. Everything from the colors to the music to the costumes and cinematography are so quintessential Spike that even if you don't care for the movie, you know it's a Spike Lee Joint. I got no sense of that from this movie. The visual effects weren't noteworthy, the camera angles and editing weren't spectacular, and nothing was overly eye-grabbing. Though not a terrible film, it just didn't feel like Spike.
That all being said, the film did have some saving graces, especially in relation to it's thematic content. Like most of Spike's Joints, racism was one of the central themes, but it was approached differently in this film. It showed the Italian villagers accepting the men and not treating them differently because of their race, showing that racism isn't universal. Stamps, the commander of the men (played by Derek Luke), even noted at one point "I don't get treated differently here because I'm black; I shouldn't feel more accepted here then I do in my own country." I was also quite moved by the bond that was struck between Train (Omar Miller) and Angelo, the young Italian boy who he cares for and watches after throughout most of the movie. All in all, though the film certainly has its flaws, a movie about African-American involvement in WWII was long overdue, and Lee's efforts, though imperfect, were certainly in the right place.
