MJB SCRIPT REVIEW | DO THE RIGHT THING

“𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝘂𝘁𝘀.” | 𝗠𝗝𝗕 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 - 𝗗𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚

The film that made Spike Lee a household name, famously got snubbed at the Oscars and one of the all time essential films to be placed into the National archives as a treasured piece of film. Been itching to check out this baby since I got into its history on a podcast; DO THE RIGHT THING.

Plot in a nutshell: On the hottest day of the year, in a section of Brooklyn, hate and bigotry smolders between communities, building until it explodes into violence.

This is another one of those scripts that got written in a matter of days. Spike Lee sat down in his apartment and cranked this baby out in about 3 weeks. Now it’s in the National Archives of the American cinematic historical preservation society. It is considered an essential piece of artistic cinema, held for posterity and historical record, to be protected ongoing.

For starters, let me make one thing clear; never let anyone tell you that cranking out your script in a matter of days is going to lead to failure. if you know what you’re writing, you’re in the zone and you know you can write it well, you might just achieve this level of quality. So I’m not going to give any more away. Just going to grab some pizza and get right on down to it…

So, what did I learn from DO THE RIGHT THING?

1. Dialogue - a window into a certain time period (1980’s entering 1990’s), but with a language all of its own. This is dialogue to be enjoyed. This is you being allowed to write the voices that you hear on a daily basis. Look around you. Listen to other people. Listen to their conversations (obviously without being creepy). This is where the gold is. Real, human, actual dialogue. Spike did this in spades and he knew exactly what he was doing. There may be times when readers get lost with the dialogue that you use. Idioms or phrases that you hear every day, but to others, are simply out of their lexicon. But that is your strength. That is where the real source of the prose exists. It’s almost like you’re being handed the dialogue without having to try and come up with it. We all have stories we remember people telling us, or interactions that stick out in our mind. Sometimes it can be as simple as just getting those down on paper and using them to build your story around. Be inspired.

2. Dialogue 2 - p.47-48, we get five, repeat FIVE, small monologues, spoken by five different characters, which just consist of racial slurs against one particular group each. That’s brave.

3. Actors - Finally! An ensemble piece with parts on both sides. Really happy about this and makes a welcome change. There are some wonderful character roles here, with plenty to play in the sandbox with. You can really feel the attitude in the characters, their anger and they’re seeking some form of respect or justice. Some more brash than others, but it’s not difficult to sympathise with at least two or three of the characters in this script. Go take a look. Might help you to get some idea of the type of characters you want to play in your career. There’s plenty to choose here.

4. Action Directions - There is a poetry to these action directions. They give a lyrical feel for the atmosphere that this world contains. Spike Lee weaves us into this world, giving just enough explanation to see the world in our minds, but then almost introduces us to the dialogue. It’s really quite personal and very individual. I think this is one of the best examples a writer can have to use your own voice. Not what you think everyone else expects you to write. Your own voice. That special way of writing and speaking and thinking that you, and you alone, have. Really, really embrace it. This script gives you permission. Especially if you didn’t think you had it before.

5. Action Directions 2 - P.23. My brain just popped! The author informs us that we need to step out of the story for a minute and just appreciate how hot it is. Montage style. This is fantastic! So freeing, so meta and a very clever use of personality on the page to up the setting for the audience. Haven’t seen that before. Ace!

6. Story - the story here is about people. No grand quest for a sword or some bombastic general seeking to win a war. This is about people in the street and how they feel. Their lives, their personalities, their purpose. Their stories about seeking respect. You could call it a drama. You could call it a comedy. But what it is, is a very human story. This is character work at its best.

7. Finale - it feels sudden. No steady build. Just flashes of violence and abuse. The sweat on peoples brows is almost the indicator that things are escalating. And then, just like that, violence erupts. It feels sudden, quite unreal almost. But then, that’s how violence erupts. Unexpectedly sometimes. Here it doesn’t feel quite right, but I think there is room for the actors in the film to express looks and emotions that the script can’t quite purvey. Spike Lee knew this when he was writing the script, which gives him room to breathe. Very clever script work and thoughtfully planned out.

Quite a brisk script, which has made a lovely change from the last few tomes I’ve been going through. Spike Lee has written a powerful, clear message here. The type of story that is important, but with a purpose that is clear and necessary. Simple characters needing nothing more than love and respect, with the very fabric of society crumbling around them. It is only some faint sense of community that seems to keep people together. But when that falls apart, the dynamic is electric.

An important script. I hadn’t realised how essential a read this is. The best I can do is pass on my recommendation that you read this. Please. Truly a beautiful piece of work.