Pino: I'm sick of niggers, it's a bad neighborhood. I don't like being around them, they're animals.
Sal: Why are you so full of hate?
Pino: My friends laugh at me all the time, laugh right in my face, tell me to go feed the Moulies.
Indeed, Sal's question may be the main question of Do The Right Thing: why is everyone so full of hate? Or, as the late Rodney King asked, "Why can't we all get along?" The neighborhood is heating up even as the sun goes down, and the consequences will be incendiary.
Names dropped in today's viewing: Al Sharpton; Jesse Jackson; Tawana Brawley (the graffiti behind Mookie and Jade read "Tawana Told The Truth"); Kunta Kinte. The neighborhood is not in Harlem, but in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn (Radio Raheem's t-shirt reads Bed-Sty Do or Die). For those of you who have been on Mars for the past sixteen or seventeen years, Jackie Robinson, whose jersey Mookie wears through most of the movie, integrated baseball in 1947, playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
So:
1. What do you think of the film now, having seen another 40 minutes of it? Did your reaction change now that we pretty much into it (there's 30 minutes left of it)? What scene or moment in today's viewing particularly stood out for you—and why?
2. Pino and Radio Raheem, two characters who generally elicit strong negative reactions in my class when it views the film. Do you regard them negatively? Why or why not?
3. Sal asks Pino in the quote above, "Why are you so full of hate?" Pino doesn't answer, but if we are astute movie watchers, we know. Why is he so full of hate?
That's it. Get to class on time tomorrow, hope I've figured out the new movie system, and we'll finish the film.
1. I still really like the film. The scene that stood out to me the most was when Buggin Out when around trying to boycott Sal's. Everyone he asked seemed totally opposed to the idea. Ella says that she grew up on Sal's, which is the exactly what Sal was saying to Pino. Even though the people of the neighborhood and the restaurant have some problems, it is clearly a mutualistic relationship. Then Buggin Out goes to Jade, who seems to be the only truly sensible character in the movie. Jade understood that Buggin Out was upset, but she thought it was a waste of time. Jade wants to actually make a positive change in their community.
ReplyDelete2. I definitely regard Pino negatively. He is racist to people's faces. But even besides the racism, I think he is an asshole. He flips out on Smiley, who did nothing to him.
Radio Raheem is an odd character to me. I go back and forth with him. I don't like him as much as Mookie, but I like him more than Pino. When he was telling Mookie about love and hate, he seemed fairly smart and passionate. But he was really harsh to the Koreans, and he is really annoying with his boombox.
3. I think Pino hates his job, and he hates it even more that black people are their only customers. I think Pino is ignorant, and influenced by what his "friends" say, and that is why he is so racist. In this neighborhood, Pino is the minority. He feels powerless, and so he takes it out with hate.
1. I still really like this movie. My opinion of it has not really changed too much. The moment that stood out to me in the viewing today was when Pino said to Smiley "Fuck you" and Smiley just tried so hard to say it back. For me, it was just a really powerful moment for Smiley because he was finally sort of gaining some confidence and he was able to stop letting people walk all over him because of his speech impediment.
ReplyDelete2. I regard Pino very negatively because he's really a jerk to everyone. He doesn't care about anyone but himself and maybe his father and he really seems to just want to get out of the Bedford-Stuyvesant area purely because of race. I actually like Radio Raheem. I admire his own personal silence but his expression of his thoughts and opinions through his speakers. It gets annoying hearing the same song loudly over and over, but I sort of like the idea.
3. I don't know if this makes me a non-astute movie watcher, but I can't exactly pinpoint why he is so full of hate. For me, he just seems to be a blatant racist, maybe because he's jealous of the community and sense of love and belonging that seems to resonate among some of the groups of Bed-Sty or not. His friends really seem to be jerks and maybe he's hateful because of them. I can't exactly say what the reason is, but those are my ideas.
1. I really like the movie. My reaction hasn't changed at all. I still think that it has a really interesting style of getting to the root of the problem- animosity between different races but also animosity between a single race- but it makes it easy for us to laugh about it and see how ridiculous it all is. There were multiple moments that stood out to me today, but I did find the scene between Sal and his son particularly interesting in terms of how differently they see the neighborhood.
ReplyDelete2. Pino is obnoxious. I really dislike him. One moment that I really sticks out to me regarding how twisted his views are is when he is talking to Mookie about who he admires: Eddie Murphy, Prince, Magic Johnson. He says they're black but not really. He says that they're different. I was really bothered by how he is only okay with black people if they're famous and have achieved something that he hasn't. I don't know how I feel about Radio Raheem. I really liked what he said about love and hate, but I was really uncomfortable by his scene with the market owners.
3. I don't know where it stems from, but Pino is really resentful of the fact that his income comes solely from this black neighborhood. And the fact that his dad is interested in a black woman. It's possible that this neighborhood means the demise of his family. Sal was still wearing a wedding ring so I'm assuming he's still married and is emotionally cheating on his wife. Pino seems desperate to not have any part of that.
1. I am really enjoying the movie. My reaction to the film has not changed very much since we saw the first part of the movie yesterday. I have changed some perceptions about certain characters, but the feel of the movie has not changed. I can see how a person can regard Sal more negatively now because he does show more of a racist side than he showed yesterday. Also the relationship that Sal has with Mookie's sister is weird and Sal's intentions are not as innocent as he tries to convey that they are. That scene with Sal sitting in the booth with Mookie's sister showed this new side of Sal to me. I still like Mookie, but the scene where I realized that he had a son was very powerful. He never gets to see his son and he wastes a lot of time during deliveries. Mookie has high morals, but he still has a lot of growing up to do.
ReplyDelete2. I regard Pino negatively and I regard Radio Raheem a lot less negatively than I regard Pino. Pino's vision is so clouded with hatred and cruelty. He speaks as if he understands everything, when really he knows nothing. The scene that clenched my negative feelings for Pino was the scene where he cusses out Smiley. Pino regarded Smiley as a nasty piece of litter that needs to be swept off the side walk in front of Sal's pizzeria. He never stops to think and he will never realize that he is the problem. I like Radio Raheem to a certain extent. I think that the fact that he carries around a radio that is blasting at full volume and his rings of love and hate illustrate his cool, quirky image. I think that his temper gets the best of him sometimes, but I like him a lot more than Pino.
2. Pino is so full of hate because he focuses on what other people think and he has fully divulged himself into the culture that promotes racism and other prejudices. Also Pino wants to have some type of control over his life. His father pays the bills, tells him what to do, and doesn't give any room for Pino to have any say in what he wants to do. His friends laugh at the location of Sal's Pizzeria and ultimately Pino himself. Pino wants control over any piece of power he can get his hands on. In the beginning of the movie Sal told Pino to sweep the front of the shop, then Pino told Vito to do it and when that did not work he passed the job on to Mookie. He wants to be the man, but he has no power to do so. Pino feels a lot of the same pressures that Walter felt in his life.
1. I’m still really into the film. My initial reaction to the film hasn’t changed. A moment that has stuck with me was the image of Mookie walking over the chalk drawing of the house with the yard and the sun shining, drawn by a little girl. The image was a couple of times, and that led me to believe that it could be a commentary on the picturesque American Dream. The drawing was of a scene we would associate with the dream, and in this neighborhood this scene is nowhere in site; there are no beautiful lawns or cute little homes. The people are struggling to get by, and Mookie seems to be the only person really working to make a living. But even Mookie is only half-assing his job. The American Dream of hard work to have a manicured lawn and beautiful home is dead in this neighborhood because even if there was work being done, there is not a great chance of any kind of mobility. The dream in this community is being walked all over because there is no mobility. We see Pino criticize this community, and the members of this community will always face this kind of scrutiny, no matter how successful they are.
ReplyDelete2. Like everyone else, I definitely regard Pino negatively. The outright hate he displays towards the community is heinous, and the way he treats Smiley is despicable. From the very start of the film, he’s been a jerk towards everybody. I like Radio Raheem because he is one of the more admirable characters in the film, and his speech on hate and love showed that his actions aren’t mindless. He knows that their is hate in the world and that there is also hate within.
3. I think Pino is so hateful because he is miserable in the place he is in the world. At home his friends make fun of him, and at work his family and the customers make fun of him. He isn’t fully accepted in either community, most likely because of how awful he is. He can’t leave the pizzeria because there really isn’t much out there for him. He needs the pizzeria, and he needs his dad to give him not only a job but a roof over his head. Pino is at the point where he’s relied so much on his dad and his pizzeria that if he left and tried to end his misery, he would have nothing. He’s stuck. Just like the other members of the community, he has little opportunity for mobility.
1. I still like the movie as well, in fact I like it even more. We have seen so much of all of the characters' lives. The scene you posted on the blog last night was probably the scene that stuck with me the most. It was so in your face. The close ups of the characters' faces, the matter of fact, yet angry way they were spewing off stereotypes was so striking. Seeing how no race, no ethnicity went unscathed shows just how much racism there is in this culture.
ReplyDelete2. I don't regard either of them negatively. I see them as I see everyone else, simply trying to survive in a harsh, hostile community. Not that ignorance is is excusable but they were both raised in this community that, as we saw in the scene I mentioned above, is dripping with prejudices. They may not be my favorite people but I don't think that makes them bad people, they are just trying to get by.
3. I think Pino was raised in a very strange dichotomy. On one side he has his father who is both a great man and a little too eager to use his baseball bat. On the other side he has this extremely prejudiced society telling him he is both inferior and superior to all of his clientele. All of these conflicting messages must be so overwhelming and infuriating.
I definitely still enjoy the movie a whole lot. The scene that jumped out at me the most was the was with Da Mayor and Mother Sister. It was so sweet and just nice. I like that scene and the follow up to that when Mother Sister thanks him for having saved the boy. It's just not common to see old love as supposed to "young love" everywhere. She is so proud and it was nice to see her take down her pride for once when she half smiled or almost smiled at him when she thanked him.
ReplyDelete2. I know in my last blog I said that I liked Pino for unknown reasons. And for some reason I stil find myself wanting to side with him. There is no doubt that he is and has a negative outlook on his life. He says himself he hates this place, meaning the pizzeria. He won't smile, or laugh, or greet anyone nicely. Radia Raheem is very negative and pretty resentful towards life in general, but he's more reserved about it in some ways. He doesn't really day what he doesn't like but his music expressed what he can not. But there seems to be hope with Radio Raheem because of his love and hate speech. It was admirable to see that any guy thinks that way. First admirable because he thought of love winning over hate, and second because he has rings to express it.
3. I think Pino feels hate all around him because there is so much racism and discrimination with everyone. He feels unwanted and like he doesn't belong. There is no doubt about because he says it. He feels trapped and confined to a lifestyle that he doesn't love or feel loved in. I don't blame him that much because, being a minority at Paideia, I know exactly what it feels like to not fit in. He also doesn't seem to try either, so that's on him. Yet I think it makes perfect logical sense that he hates living and working in an all black community.
1. I still like the movie; my opinion hasn’t really changed. It’s interesting, though, that the movie is slowly getting a more serious tone. There’s definite unrest here and it’s mostly centered on Sal’s pizza shop, the only white business in an all black neighborhood. First Pino has the conversation about race with Mookie which obviously riled them up quite a bit, then Buggin’ Out starts his boycott of Sal’s pizza (not really a super serious part of the movie but still), then Radio Raheem causes trouble at Sal’s by blasting his music, and finally Mookie get’s mad at Jade and Sal because of their (too?) friendly behavior. The scene that stood out to me the most was when Radio Raheem entered Sal’s pizza with his boom box blaring. This only reinforced my opinion that Sal is a good guy. He actually stays relatively calm. He even serves Raheem afterwards. In fact, I’m surprised that he kept it that cool considering how Raheem was acting. That leads to the next question…
ReplyDelete2. I don’t know if I view Radio Raheem completely negatively. His interaction with Mookie shows that he’s a nice guy who actually has a reason for acting the way he does. I do think that he’s a little over the top though. He does nothing all day except walk around playing that song. First of all, how is he not insane? If I heard one song over and over again for that long a period of time I might kill myself. It’s also pretty obnoxious. He’s obviously trying to promote a cause, but I don’t think that is actually being educated or helped by his actions. I also found it really annoying when he took the boom box into Sal’s. I regard Pino more negatively than I do Raheem. He’s blatantly racist. I guess we don’t really know what the circumstances of his life are, but Vito seems to have turned out ok.
3. I guess Pino’s just miserable. He doesn’t like spending all day every day working in a pizza shop in a neighborhood that’s not his own. He hates having to take orders from his father. So he takes it out on everybody. He’s mean to his brother, he doesn’t respect his father, and he just generally displays animosity to all of the black people he interacts with. He wishes he could be with his fellow white Italians instead of with all of the people in this neighborhood who must seem somewhat foreign to him. Then his friends make fun of him, and instead of getting mad at them, he gets mad at the people who haven’t done anything to him.
1. As most people have said before me I really am enjoying this movie a lot. My opinion has changed very little and everything I expressed yesterday holds true. One aspect which I'm questioning is the occasional scene in which the camera focusses on one character and they have a monologue, which is a little more surreal than I expected. Each character is well done and has their own personality which is, in general, pretty well fleshed out.
ReplyDelete2. Oh good god I hate Pino so much. Pino may be one of my least favorite characters in any movie I have ever seen. His sheer mindless hate and racism as well as his attempts to boss around his brother and Mookie. He seems to embody everything I dislike in a person. I have little to no understanding of his cruel treatment of smiley and his obvious hatred of the entire community that his father seemingly respects. Radio on the other hand I have very little issue with. His treatment of the Korean grocers is equally as despicable as Pino's racism, but he seems to be lacking the cowardly nature and stupidity that Pino seems to secrete into the air around him. While I don't like Radio as a character I also don't dislike him. I'm largely ambivalent towards Radio as a whole. Pino on the other hand is just the kind of guy I hate the most.
3. I hate to have to say the same thing as a few above me, but I honestly have not so much as a single idea of what could make someone as much of an asshole as I consider Pino to be. There could be conflict between him and his dad which could cause him to rebel against everything his dad stands for. There could be some unknown part of his past that turned him into the intolerable and intolerant prick that we see in this movie but in truth I have no idea. While I might be able to understand his wish to rebel against his father I will never understand the sheer level of the hatred he feels for black people.
1. I still really like the movie. I like all the characters and the different perspectives each character brings to the movies. They show different perspectives of the community, the other characters, the diversity, and the racism. The scene that stuck out the most to me was when the characters are bashing on the other races and stereotyping them. I thought it was a very strong scene, because it depicts the strong racism and diversity in this community.
ReplyDelete2. I don't like Pino, because he is pessimistic and is always hating on life. He never seems satisfied or greatful. He seems selfish. I have this certain respect for Radio. I don't really know why, but I feel like he comes off more strong-headed than he actually is. But he is actually one of my favorite characters. He strongly defends himself and his black community. He hates the haters and loves the lovers.
3. I think Pino hates his life and is unsatisfied. He's working all day with his father and younger brother at a pizzeria in Brooklyn. He's also a racist and hates the fact that he has to serve blacks all day long. I think Pino is so full of hate and hates the black community, because he thinks the black community feels the same way about him. I agree with Karen. He doesn't feel wanted in this community, and this is the life he wanted for himself either.
1. I still think the film is great but my perspective has shift a little. The more I watched, the more I realized that pretty much everyone in this film hates somebody else. It is very disturbing to see how everybody has something bad to say about somebody else. I still think that even though there is a lot of trouble between races, they would all joined up against a white men, which is very disturbing.
ReplyDelete2. I really dislike Pino. Like many before, I think he is racist and thinks that the world revolves around him. Most of all, his inability to think for himself makes me sick. It is very sad that his opinion is highly based on what his 'friends' think. It think it is very easy for everyone to dislike him. I am not sure how I feel about Radio. One scene he seems like a complete asshole but the next he seems okay. What really did it for me was the scene when he tries to buy batteries (i hope this scene of what you guys saw today). The complete rudeness of his acts toward the Korean couple took away any respect I felt for him.
3. I think I can understand why Pino feels this way. Going back to what John talked about last week about how American was still segregated, I think that humans do have a tendency to be with people they relate to. Coming from a school that was mostly Hispanic, it is interesting (and somewhat hard) to be with people with whom you have to look out in order not to disrespect them or vice versa. Since Pino work in a neighborhood where he feels he is not wanted, it is natural for him to feel threatened. The fact that his 'friends' laugh at him adds more fuel to the fire. However, I think that this is no justification for him to be such an asshole.
I appreciate how you, Aldo, and Karen try to understand Pino from the perspective of a minority in a majority world. What Spike Lee does so powerfully is shift the usual racial dynamic that his primarily mainstream audience would experience in a movie. The white folks here are the minority and it's not always comfortable for them. As for why Pino is the way he is, take a look at the exchange between he and his father at the head of the blog question. Doesn't anyone find it interesting that Sal does not comment on or challenge his son's use of nigger? Wouldn't you think he might say, "Don't use that word?" Yet he doesn't, ever, when Pino uses it, which he does with greater frequency as the film goes on. Why might that be?
Delete1. My reaction to the film is still the same. The scene that stuck out to me the most today was when Pino was getting really aggressive towards Smiley for no reason. I think it was just really sad to see how poorly Pino thinks of the people in the neighborhood that have basically given his father a place to do business for 25 years and that he has no doubt benefited from. I think its just sad to see that even as a grown man, he cant see what these people have done for him indirectly already and how he cant seem to get past the barrier of race. And to be so mean to Smiley, who really cant help it, it was just really awful.
ReplyDelete2. I think Pino has a nasty personality. I think he thinks that as long as he is aggressive and projects superiority over the other people in the neighborhood, that he will “put them in their place”. I think he just doesn’t understand that that technique is only going to give him more trouble. As for Radio Raheem, he’s just kinda weird to me. I don’t really get him, but I don’t think he’s terrible. I definitely prefer him to Pino. I just think he has a weird attitude and he doesn’t really seem to hold respect for people who differ from him.
3. I think Pino is so full of hate because he doesn’t hold any kind of power and no one really respects him. His father still treats him and his brother like children, the community holds no respect for him (with reason since he’s a racist idiot) and his friends don’t give him any respect in his own community either. I think he is just trying to gain some sort of power in order to feel like he is a respected figure and someone that matters and holds a real place in the world.
1. I can really see the shift in this movie now that the characters have developed more and the the story is starting to form. I still really enjoy watching it, but its no longer about a black neighborhood trying to get through a hot day. The scene with Pino and Radio Raheem with Sal brought tension to the table, and now we hear what Pino really thinks about his customers.
ReplyDelete2. I See what Pino may have in his mind as an argument, but most of it is based off of racist views and hatred. When him and Radio Raheem clash it is because of their mutual stubborn characteristics and while Radio Raheem does not bring up race, Pino uses this as his fallback weapon, almost like a shield in a sense. I cannot say I have any sympathy or understanding of Pino's actions other than how a non-racist may understand what a racist is thinking. I disagree with it though.
3. This may be a stretch, but Pino is so full of hate, so unhappy, because he has felt the same unrest Walter Younger has felt. He has not made anything in his life to his name, and he is living under his fathers shadow as merely a worker to uphold what his father built. His anger is unrest, and he wants to move out of the current neighborhood because he feels that progress will finally cause him satisfaction. His racism is rooted from this unrest and lack of control and he feels like the only way to confirm in his mind he is not the lowest of the low is to hate those around him and boost himself above them.
I still like this movie just as I did yesterday as not much has really changed. I would argue that it is more or less still the same plot, if there is a plot, and certainly the same struggle between characters because of race. And then within that, there is still the same struggle between characters because they are all individuals with their own personalities, their own good and bad traits that naturally will clash with each other. And then even with all of that, there is still the struggle that it seems everyone in this movie is a part of and struggling with on the same level to some extent, and that's poverty. It still holds true that each race finds pride in their race amidst this poverty because, I would argue, it is something that distinguishes them from the rest. It is something they can call their own and that can give them pride, and so they take full advantage of that. The scene that really stood out to me in today's viewing was the scene where they pan in on characters of all of the races, who each go off on long tangents about the race of the character before, letting loose a string of insults and negative stereotypes. I thought this was a great scene to put in there as it truly is eye opening about how each of the races feel towards the others. It basically presents the main problem in just a matter of seconds, and it's extremely blunt, so if you were completely not paying attention and happened to have missed the main issue before there is no way you are not aware now. It's also worth noting how simply the races write off the others, thinking they all simply fall under one category and are not their own individual people, as the characters see the other people of their own race.
ReplyDeleteI do have a negative reaction towards Pino. He is, obviously, a racist, but I would say that that is the case for a great many people in this movie. Why I feel negatively about him is because not only is he hateful towards other races, but he is hateful towards his own race, towards his own family and the people he interacts with everyday and regards as human beings. He is, as Sal put it, generally just plain filled with hate, and I do not yet know the answer to this question. But for right now I see no explanation and I feel that this hate without a known cause is uncalled for. Even if there is a cause, there really isn't any valid excuse for someone to express hatred towards just about everything in their life, including the things that they claim to love. Radio Raheem is a strange character, and I have a hard time pinpointing what he's really doing in this film. From what we've watched, I see him as representative of a black guy facade, an image that he wants to uphold for all of the people of other races to see. He does not talk, only goes around with a boombox to draw attention to himself. It's almost an intimidation thing in a way, he wants everyone to see him, to see what he represents, but have every other part be unknown. So I don't really regard him negatively, just mysterious for intentional reasons. But I have to say I don't agree with the way he treated the Koreans in the shop.
Like I said above and like Molly has said, I'm not quite sure why Pino is so full of hate, but I can take a stab at it. I think Pino feels like the minority, which he is in this situation, and it's uncomfortable to him. I would argue he feels alone amidst all of the other races that he doesn't understand and who don't understand him. So to fight off this discomfort and aloneness he uses hate. I think that Pino also realizes that all of the races here share this poverty that they are living in, and he wants to get ahead as any man would, and so he uses his race and the race of other people in an attempt to push them down and pull himself up.
1. My opinion of the movie has not changed. The personalities of the characters are now well developed, and I have formed my own opinions about them. The hatred has become more obvious, and conflicts between the races are more evident, and this will no doubt result in a tragic event. The scene where Buggin Out is trying to recruit boycotters really stuck with me. The majority of people in the neighborhood don’t hate Sal, because they’ve grown up with Sal. Pino is more ignorant as he only sees the people by the color of their skin but he doesn’t know them like Sal does. Buggin Out is similar to Pino in that way. He doesn’t respect Sal’s decisions, and takes offense where offense is not present.
ReplyDelete2. Radio Raheem is a bit of a nuisance, forcing his music onto others, but otherwise he’s okay in my mind. I respect how passionate he is about his cause, and his speech to Mookie was touching, but he is intimidating to the Koreans and Sal. Pino, on the other hand, is an ignorant hater. He not only hates his neighbors, but also cannot even say why he hates them. I don’t like Pino; he is too hot headed and his utter disregard for others is bound to hit him back.
3. I cannot even comprehend why Pino is so full of hate. He hates black people because his friends make fun of him, and he hates his job because it depends on the people he hates, but his friends aren’t really his friends because they laugh at him for working with black people. It seems like this is an endless circle of hate, and there is no cause for it; it just exists, or perhaps this is an outlet for whatever Pino really hates. Sal is a nice guy, Vito is a nice guy, but for some reason Pino is a bad guy.
1. I'm still enjoying the film. As usual, the controversial undertones have become more pronounced as we move further into the film. I like how each character embodies an aspect or culture of the community. The scene that struck me was the father-son talk between Pino and his father, Sal.
ReplyDelete2.
I regard Pino negatively. He appears to need to be in control the entire time, whether it's over Vito or Mookie. He is extremely hateful towards everyone he comes into contact with. Radio Raheem I am indifferent towards. He has talked very few times throughout the entire movie. I feel that these two characters are the two that are most difficult to read, and perhaps the deepest.
3.
Pino is hateful due to the fact that he has to serve a people he hates. His livelihood is dependent on them, people he perceives to be below him, and this causes resentment towards everyone he comes into contact with.
That's it. Get to class on time tomorrow, hope I've figured out the new movie system, and we'll
1. Yes I do in fact still like it, especially after the "thank god for..." scene with Mookie and his girlfriend. However, my favorite scene is probably the one that is opinted out at the top of this blog. The scene with Pino and his father finally articulates the feelings that Pino has been aggresively projecting throughout the film. I really like what Sal said. Even though Sal is reserved, he sends a message to Pino by asking him why he has to hate so much. Of course, Pino didn't really have a legitamite answer.
ReplyDelete2. Pino and the radio dude are two very similar characters in this movie. Although they are different races and they come from different cultures, both of them share the same perogative. They both believe in hating others based on race. I think that this is ultimately why students end up disliking the two characters.
3. I think Pino's hatred stems from the neighborhood that he has mentioned a couple of times already, the place where he lives. He mentions how he has "friends" there, friends who make fun of him for working in a black neighborhood. It wouldn't suprise me if these were the same people who gave him the racist notion that black people are "animals".
1. I think this movie brings up a lot of hard questions that are extremely prevelant in our everyday lives. For me, the scene that really stuck with me was when Radio Raheem was buying batteries from the Koreans. It was the store keepers' reactions that really struck me. They are obviously first genereation immigrants that have been completely immersed in this very specific environment. I thought it was fascinating how these people have picked up the prejudice, foul language and hatred from living in this neighborhood. It illustrates how these views are learned,and especially with the scene with Raheem, they have a basis for their feelings towards different races.
ReplyDelete2. I don't think that Radio Raheem is someone to view negatively. I think he's misunderstood and completely obnoxious but I don't believe it's out of hate. Unlike Pino. I regard Pino very negatively because he is so filled with hate, it's toxic and turns out to cause trouble for Sal.
3. I think Pino is full of hatred because he never really fits in anywhere, and he doesn't know how to feel around all of these people that live very differently than he does. It's a natural meachanism to be on your guard around people who are different, but that is no excuse for ignoance and hostility. I think there is a part of Pino, like Mookie said, that wants to be black. Not because he loves the people (he doesn't), but he wants that sense of community and the only way for him to do that is side with his friends and reject the negroes.
To answer John's extra question about Sal allowing the word nigger, I think that Sal has grown up with that word being said. I think that he is being realistic when he sees that not allowing Pino to say that word woudln't do much to his attitude. Also, Sal isn't perfect. He is prejudice too, and it's possible that the word nigger dosen't phase him.
Delete1. I think that as we continue to watch the film, it definitely begins to have a more heavy feel to it. The racial tensions really began to flair up in this section, and it sounds like they can only get worse. The scene that I distinctly remember was when they showed a character from every race talking about stereotypes of another race. I think it mainly sticks with you because its funny, but it also shows a crazy amount of stereotypes in a short time. Also the scene with Sal and Pino stuck with me, just because I think it touches on what the film is really about.
ReplyDelete2. I agree that Pino is a pretty prickly character; he has not really done anything that would paint him in any sort of positive way. I don't know why people would dislike Radio Raheem, I actually kind of liked him after his Love/Hate speech he made to Mookie. He does come off as a bit of an asshole in the corner store and pizzeria scenes, but its not like the Koreans and Sal don't fire right back at him. It also seems like that's just how people talk to each other in that neighborhood, regardless of race.
3. Like others on here have said, I'm really not sure why Pino is so angry about everything. I feel like he really talks himself into hating his situation way more than he has to. He hates black people because his friends tell him to, and he hates his work because he hates black people. As others have said, he is the minority in his neighborhood. I think we can assume that Pino's friends are not in a similar situation at all, so I guess Pino wonders why he can't have the same life as them.
1. I thought the part of the movie we watched today brought out more of the negative side of this small neighborhood. With the harsh words from Pino and the fighting between races things seem to be escalating in the neighborhood. I thought this tension was shown best by the scene in which the four different races in the neighborhood each have their own hateful monologue about another race. I thought this was very powerful and something you couldn't do in this day and age because the consequences would be to severe.
ReplyDelete2. I saw Pino as very racist and ugly today in class. When he went outside to shoo away the stutter he really turned into an evil character to me. His hate seemed to overflow and is slowly turning into a dangerous man. I would stay away from him if I lived there. I don't agree with the idea of negative vibes coming from Radio Raheem. I see him as a man of pride and selfishness. This doesn't mean he should be seen as a bad person but just that he is unique and should be treated just the same as everyone else.
3. Pino seems very confused to me. He doesn't seem to have his head on straight. He says that his friends make fun of him for living and serving blacks. Yes his friends might make fun of him for it but I think he also sees himself as a failure. What his friends make fun of him for seems like the truth to Pino. He takes their jokes seriously because he is still working in a pizza shop with his father. His life really isn't worth anything. I feel that he hates himself but shows this outwardly as hate towards other races.
Also responding to John's extra question I feel that if Sal engaged in fighting against the word nigger with Pino there would be a large fight that would create tension between father and son. As Sal said in the movie he has been serving pizza to these people for a long time. He has probably heard this word many, many times, probably right in his own shop. If he tells his own son not to use it but everyone else can Pino would feel even more alone. Sal doesn't want this for his son.
Deletemonche08
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the scene where Sal tells his son that they are not moving and that he cares about the community. I also liked how he mentioned that he has seen these kids grow up and that it was in his food. This shows that Sal is human and that he has a connection to the neighborhood despite his angry moments. I also liked how no one wanted to boycott Sal's. This shows how they too enjoy his presence.
I think Raheem and Pino are very similar because they both are individuals in a community that want to be independent and express what they like and feel. But whenever they try they always end up in some kind of conflict. I think they are aggressive because they struggle to fit in because of all the taunting and hatred that goes around. They do not see or learn how to share and come together with other races. I disagree with Pino's views but understand why he is he way he is. Same with Raheem I like him more but dislike when he is aggressive. I think Sal lets Pino continue with the use if the word because he probably knows there is no use to censoring him because he will continue to be that way and continue to say it. He doesn't like it, but he doesn't act because he is used to it being used around as a normal vocab word.
1. I remember that Sam said at the very end that this is not a movie I would see for fun with my friends. That being said, it is a good movie and I like it, especially how it addresses racial issues. I still like the movie and enjoy watching it, but as the movie goes on, the tone gets darker as racial issues are addressed more and more. The scene that stuck to me was the same as Nicholas’s where the different characters listed different stereotypes of other races.
ReplyDelete2. I definitely feel a little bit of a negative attitude towards Pino. Sal, who moved here, might have had racial prejudices and might still, but tells Pino to cool down. He has accepted that he is here, and likes the community, although he shows frustration sometimes. Pino has been around these people for a greater fraction of his life, and yet still feels this hatred. He tried to rationalize his hate for some but not others in that scene with Mookie. Radio Raheem on the other hand I don’t really mind that much. Although I wanted him to get his love hate speech over with (this movie is a little slow for me sometimes), I can understand his yelling at the Koreans. I get frustrated sometimes. Not THAT frustrated, but still.
3. I’m not exactly sure why he is so full of hate. But, I feel that maybe it is because he doesn’t belong in that community, nor does he fit in with his friends, kind of like Anna said. Sal, as people mentioned, is important. People grew up on his pizza. But Pino isn’t like that. And he feels different from them. He is the minority. Sometimes, I feel not wanted. There are people who just look at me as an Asian, and while the discrimination isn’t as hard towards Asians, it’s still there. Pino feels that he is not wanted there, and doesn’t feels like he fits in, so that may be part of it.
Also, I don't find it that surprising that Sal didn't comment on his son's use of the word nigger. Maybe it was just that I missed it. But I think it is more that Sal, while not growing up in this community, has been around these people for so long. It may just seem a little normal for him. Or, maybe he has prejudices as well. Which is very possible.
Delete1. I still enjoy watching the film, and my opinion of it has not changed in that respect. I do agree, though, with what many others have said in that the film has become a lot more "serious" in dealing with racial issues and tensions in the neighborhood. The scene from today's portion that stood out most to me was when the "corner guys" (i.e. Slick Dick Willie and co.) were discussing the immigrant Koreans and their grocery. The only one who accepts the fact that the Koreans are the most successful among them and that their status of sitting on the corner isn't going to change anytime soon is Willie.
ReplyDelete2. Pino and Radio Raheem are probably the characters that antagonize others the most in the film: Pino Mookie and his father, and Raheem the Puerto Ricans and Sal. I don't really think too highly of either of them because they are so in-your-face about their dislike of each other's race. But then again, perhaps they are the only ones being honest.
3. Pino is angry because he hasn't gotten anywhere in life and he knows it; he is constantly being overshadowed by his father (and he still works for him). Pino hasn't gone out and done anything for himself, he's continued to hang on to his father and brother while continually annoying others around him with what are really his own problems.
1) The movie has still kept me interested. Just like Nicholas said, Spike Lee's message has become more and more clear as the movie progresses. The scene where Mookie takes Pino aside and asks him about his idols was the most interesting scene to me. This film works as an insight into Black culture so a large part of the movie focuses on the perspective of white people. Sal's pizzeria is the only place where we see white people. This scene was fascinating to me because Pino loves this culture, he has simply internalized the beliefs of discrimination.
ReplyDelete2) I definitely see the reasoning behind Pino, but I don't mind Raheem. I'm not exactly sure of his role in this movie yet but he is still an interesting character. Pino is a nuisance to everyone who knows him. He clearly wants Sal's power, and wants to grow out of the pizzeria. His racism is evident, but I don't think it's truly genuine. Something tells me Pino isn't a true racist and just says the things he does because of his "friends".
3) Pino feels powerless. He feels that he is better than sweeping floors and deserves more than a Brooklyn pizzeria. He has nowhere to channel this anger, as his father and brother resent him, so he blames the world around him; black people. Pino doesn't really hate black people, he feels that it is the culture around him that restricts him. He wants to feel significant, but he can't even ask his brother to sweep the floors without someone questioning his authority.
4) I did find that a bit odd in the film. Sal has shown a bit of prejudice, but my feeling is that he sympathizes with his son. He sees through the racism as a way to vent and wants the best for him. If he thought that Pino was truly being racist, I believe that he would have stopped him.
I still like the movie. I was really shocked to find out that Mookie is a father. Although he could be called the most “balanced” person in the movie he still seems like a little kid…especially when he says, “Thank God for the kneecaps,” which was hilarious. He wants to have fun and enjoy his life and get along with the people he lives with (is stuck with?).
ReplyDeleteWhat bugs me about Pino is that he always has to have the last say and side with someone. However, at the same time I feel some sympathy for him, because it seems like he always wants to side with someone because he doesn’t want to be alone and in the situation he’s in right now, he doesn’t have good friends (the ones who make fun of him) and he only has his dad and his brother. Pino is confused, he doesn’t know to stand up to his “friends,” and I do not truly think that he really, deep inside is, “sick of niggers.” In the meantime though, he does come off as an arrogant racist to everyone he yells at during the day. As for Radio Raheen, I have to say I do not completely understand him. He doesn’t show any respect for anyone (plays loud radio in restaurant) and always has to win (loudest music).
I think Pino is full of hate and angry all the time because he feels like he is stuck, like he is never going to move on to something different in his life. As the movie goes on, there is this sense of repetition and stillness in the town, no one goes anywhere, the same things happen every day. I think Pino is aggravated by the people around him, because they do not seem to have this want for more, this motivation/desperation to move on and get out that he does.
I still really like the movie, My reaction has not changed hat much from yesterday, My favorite character is still Smiley. i still think that the sense of community that we see in the movie and today from Sal standing up for smiley is something I really admire about the community. I really like the movie and i am interested to see more of tina and Mookies relationship. One of the scenes that stood out to me today was when Sal stood up for Smiley. I was having trouble figure out which side Sal was on, whether he was was racist or whether he was tolerant and this helped me to determine that he is one of the good guys. How he talks about the community with a sense of pride, like they have grown up on his food, this is just as much their neighborhood as where they live. I really liked sal at this point, he was endearing and I wanted to give him a hug and punch PIno.
ReplyDelete2.I see Pino as an extremely negative character. He is constantly talking down to people and never has anything good to say. He thinks he is better than everyone who lives in the neighborhood and talks down to his own family. I really dislike him. I feel like Radio Raheem has a softer side, everyone in the community respects him. However when he is yelling at the people who own the corner store we begin to see similar qualities of Pino coming out in him. He is very impatient and un necessarily rude. I think there are negative aspects to both men, however I have a bigger problem with PIno.
3. Pino is completely trapped. He cannot do a think about where he works and who he works with. He is powerless against his father and helpless in controlling his own life. He cannot do anything but sit and work in the restaurant and watch as his life passes him by. He is a very insecure man and he does not feel like he is accepted in his own community and they only way he knows how to make himself feel better or feel like he has any control is to push others down. He gets his power by taking it away from the black people. He is so desperate to control something that the only way he knows how is to hurt the people that keep him alive and thriving.
4. I am not surprised that Sal allows that word. While he accepts the people in his neighborhood and even tries to defend them, I think he still sees them in a negative light a lot of times. I also think that he allows it because he knows this is the only way pino can express himself. He sees that PIno is trapped in a world he does not want to be in, and I think he feels bad for him. He wants to see his son happy and feels that he can let the "small" things go for the sake of his son.
1) I'm really enjoying the movie. There were two scenes that really stuck with me. One was the scene were Smiley stood up to Pino. Smiley has been a very quiet character, one that has been pushed aside by the others quite a lot. I love this scene because I think it could be a huge turning point for Smiley. It's such a strong transformation and it really stuck with me. The second scene that I really enjoyed was the one where Radio Raheem went into the Korean store for the batteries. I have no idea why but I really loved that. I was really amused by when the store owners finally started getting mad back at Radio Raheem and when they started to fight back he decided that they were okay. I think it's a sort of respect that he holds for those who can stand up for themselves.
ReplyDelete2) I don't hate Pino as much as others do I don't think. I honesty feel kind of bad for him. I do think he's an asshole but I can't help but feel a little bad for him. I am sort of in the middle with Radio Raheem. I am not particularly fond of him but I don't necessarily dislike him.
3) I actually have no idea. This makes me feel kind of stupid but I can't really tell what exactly makes him do hateful. I think it may be that he doesn't even try to find peace or maybe it's the negative influence of his friends. But honestly I can't really tell.
Mookie being a baby-daddy was a bit of a slap in the face. He seemed so much like a kid that it is impossible to see him as a father figure. The way he and Tina act so casual about it is shocking to me, especially having grown up in an environment where raising a child is all-consuming. Neither of them even care for the child, Tina's mom does. It leads me to believe that they too have been raised this way, and that their culture accept that as normal. This tiny detail doesn't really change the entire movie for me, but it definitely makes it just that tiniest bit more real, like more is at stake than some dudes in the street.
ReplyDeleteRadio Raheem just seems misunderstood to me. Pino too for that matter. Although I have much more sympathy for RR than Pino. Radio Raheem appears to be a plain, uneducated, not-the-sharpest-tool-in-the-shed kind of guy, whereas Pino acts like he's superior, and has true hatred for the community he lives in. My problem with Pino, and honestly, most of the characters is their lack of work ethic, other than Sal. Pino just believes that he is working hard, and he's trying to get out of a situation he doesn't like, and I can empathize with that, but he doesn't take action, other that complain and yell. Radio Raheem doesn't complain, he's just a poor lumbering brute.
Pino is the eldest son living in his fathers shadow in a neighborhood thats not his own. He probably doesn't think of Italy as his home, but he certainly doesn't feel like he belongs in the place he's grown up all of his life. Pino wants to grow up and see the world, he want the American dream just like everyone else, but is encountering issues with racism toward Italian-Americans and is taking it out on the other minority. It may also be because he has a safe job that he feels entitled to something more than the others. Although its not his job, its his dads, he's not free, not any more than Mookie in that pizzeria.
1. I still enjoy the movie after watching the next 40 minutes! I, like many others, find it very weird that Mookie is a father. He acts and looks like a teenager. I also usually think of the job as a pizza delivery boy as one meant for teenagers because that is what I have seen. I can't believe he has a child who isn't even a baby but is a toddler+. The scene that really stood out to me (I'm not sure if this was in this section because I watched the movie all in one go) was when Tina was holding her chid and yelling, cursing, and fighting with her mother and talking about how Mookie was a terrible father. All I could think about was how fucked up Hector is going to be when he grows up. He is growing up in a house full of hate, which is a really depressing fact considering that life outside the home will be the same.
ReplyDelete2. Pino is extremely angry with his life. He feels trapped and is taking his anger out on other minority groups. I feel really bad for Pino, but he is treating people absolutely terribly and that will never be okay no matter how much pain he is in. I really don't know how I feel about Radio Raheem. He is a really quiet guy that makes up for that quietness by blasting music out of his boombox. I think that it is very disrespectful to make people listen to this. It was completely stupid of Radio Raheem to get mad at Sal telling him to turn the radio off. I just truly don't get him.
3. As I said earlier, Pino is completely trapped in a life he hates. He hates the neighborhood, he hates being in his fathers shadow, he hates not having a name for himself, there is really nothing he enjoys. Sal asks him this question because as a father, he thinks that he has managed to provide his kids with everything but starting up a business with his bare hands. In reality, this can only satisfy Sal because he made a name for himself, not for his children. Pino simply wants more and is struggling to find that.