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Spike Lee explores racism from multiple angles in Do the Right Thing, a provocative but entertaining ‘day in the life’ flick set in a Brooklyn community on the hottest day of the summer. Films that deal with racism tend to be either maudlin or one-sided, so I was glad to see Lee present the issue as the complicated one that it is. Scenes between two Italian brothers (John Turturro and Richard Edson) and their father (Danny Aiello) are especially illuminating and effective. The entire cast does a bang-up job. My favorites were Ossie Davis as the Da Mayor and Ruby Dee as Mother Sister, two of the older denizens of the block who have an unrequited affection for one another. Rosie Perez makes her impressive acting debut in the film (including a vigorous, solo dance performance over the opening titles), and Aiello was Oscar-nominated for his supporting turn as the owner of the community’s much-loved pizzaria. Also with Samuel L. Jackson, Martin Lawrence, and Bill Nunn. In addition to playing central character Mookie, Lee also wrote the Oscar-nominated original screenplay.