Classified X: Film Analysis

In his documentary Classified X, Martin Van Peebles describes three areas where African-Americans could be receive some sanctuary from the racism that pervaded almost all Hollywood films. These three places were: the Hollywood version of an all-Black film, the church, and entertainment. Black culture and music is prominent in mainstream society, but the people behind this culture don’t always receive recognition and respect for their creations. Mainstream White pop culture excitedly consumes and appropriates Black culture, but disrespects the source.

As Martin Van Peebles describes, “Outside of being required to mug it up, the Negro entertainers were encouraged to do their routines, strut their stuff, to sing and dance their hearts out.” Many early Hollywood films included music that had its roots

in Black culture. Jazz was especially popular in the earliest decades of American cinema. However, as described in the documentary, Black artists were expected to stay in the background. He shows two clips from the same film, one with the Black performer is shown, and the next where everything is the same, except that her face is not shown. In other words, “Cinema has played a distinct role in an American culture that eagerly consumed black creations but mocked and ridiculed the humanity of the people that produced it” (Sanchez 19).
One of the most memorable scenes from Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing is when Mookie pulls aside to try and explain this exact concept. Throughout the entire film, Pino exhibits racist sentiments and holds deep resentments about the fact that his father’s business is in a Black neighborhood. Mookie asks Pino, “Who’s your favorite basketball player?”, “Who’s your favorite movie star?”, and “Who’s your favorite rock star?”. Pino admits that his favorites are Magic Johnson, Eddie Murphy, and Prince, respectively. Mookie explains the irony in the fact that Pino is constantly talking poorly about the Black people in their neighborhood, but all his favorite people are Black. Pino gets flustered and tries to explain that the African-Americans that he admires are “different”. The scene ends with various characters in the film angrily spewing racist slurs at the camera.
Pino perfectly exhibits those in mainstream culture who consume work by Black creators without respecting Black lives. In many ways, Black culture becomes mainstream culture, as seen with jazz, rock and roll, and hip-hop. Even after Mookie explains Pino’s hypocrisy, Pino still warns his brother about how the people in the neighborhood are not to be trusted, and how they just don’t mix. He still holds deep resentments about the location of the family restaurant, and encourages his father to consider moving. At the end of the day, the police officers still unfairly kill Radio Raheem.
The idea of a lack of a respect for Black lives is also exhibited by the character Buggin Out.

He gets upset with Sal for not having any pictures of Black people hanging on his wall, despite the fact that Black people patronize his pizzeria almost entirely. In fact, Sal acknowledges the importance of the Black community as he has a conversation with Pino, saying how meaningful it is to him that the community has grown up on his food, and that he would not be successful in his own neighborhood. He shows kindness and empathy toward Smiley and many other characters. However, as soon as Buggin Out and Radio Raheem try to address the lack of Black presence of the Sal’s wall, Sal gets defensive and angry, and unwilling to consider that they might be right.

Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing touches upon many messages involving racial tension and race issues, including the dichotomy between respect for Black art and disregard for Black artists. In various scenes, he shows the importance and breadth of Black culture, from music to athleticism. But at the end of the day, the fact that Whites appreciate the culture isn’t enough for them to appreciate the people and the

neighborhood.