The Empire Strikes Back VS. Do the Right Thing
The Empire Strikes Back
I've seen the original trilogy so many times it is a part of who I am. I grew up on it, and wore out the VHS tapes. They were the first movies I fell in love with. I collected the action figures and acted out every scene. I would make 'lightsabers' and fight with my brother. And yes, maybe, I spent more time than I care to admit trying to move an object across the room using the 'force'. What I am getting at is that it is impossible for me to approach any of the original star wars movies objectively. They are stitched into the fabric of my cinematic soul. Every scene is indelibly etched into my memory.
While I no longer rewatch the trilogy weekly any more, I do revisit them every couple of years. 'Empire' is generally considered the best of the original trilogy, but I actually like it the least. On one hand, it definitely has some of the highest highs. The opening Hoth scene, the asteroid field, Yoda, 'I am your father'. All fantastic. I just find everything else kind of dull. There I said it. I love it, but really I found myself getting impatient waiting for my next highlight scene and not really caring all too much about the rest. Again, I'm tainted, I can't watch this film with fresh eyes and my memory of the film blurs what is actually good. I've seen this film so many times that it is understandable that the less iconic scenes are a little boring after the 100th time. But come on, its Star Wars. It can't possibly lose...... right?
Do the Right Thing
I originally watched 'Do the Right Thing' in the only film studies class I've ever taken. This was right in the beginning of when I was discovering film as an art. I'm going to paste the short review I wrote up after I had watched it then. After rewatching it today, my thoughts are pretty much the same.
"April 20th 2009
A film full of visual style, painting a vivid, if not exaggerated, portrait of a 'typical' neighborhood in Brooklyn. Spike Lee uses vibrant colors and music and language that are full of style to create an array of interesting characters simply living their lives on a particularly hot day in the city. At the heart of this film are the racial tensions that drive the plot from beginning. This film is aptly named 'Do the Right Thing', but it is presented more as a question in the film rather than a statement. What is the right thing to do? Lee carefully constructs a brilliantly intense climatic scene in which the hatred that had been simmering all along finally erupts and the result will affect each viewer differently. Who was right and who was wrong, or if there is really a clear cut answer to that question is the essence of this film. Regardless of your opinion this film will evoke strong emotions and will make you question even your own stances on racial issues, and this is what makes this film so great."
Nearly four years later I find that I like the beginning of the movie less. It really hasn't aged well. There are a few brilliant scenes, but some are really painful (the ice cube scene was hard to watch). The ending of this movie is absolutely spectacular though. While I don't love all of Spike Lee's work, some of my favorite 'impact' scenes are credited to him. Since first watching the movie the emotional impact of the ending of this movie has stayed with me, and rewatching it only reinforced how powerful it is.
Verdict: I watched 'Empire' first. After I was done I was a bit nervous. I wasn't blown away. As I said in my write up I love the movie, but was kind of bored. It wasn't 'Star Wars' time yet. I wasn't in the mood. Having already seen the movie it was up against I knew it was in trouble. I started to panic. How could I possibly break the news to everyone? Maybe I should just toss back the matchup. Fortunately after watching 'Do the Right Thing' the verdict is not so hard. While I like it quite a bit, it is no Empire. I'm relieved to say that Empire moves on.