Do the Right Thing (Spike Lee, 1989, 35mm, 120 mins)

Lee’s Oscar-nominated screenplay sets tensions to boil on a hot Bed-Stuy day when a boombox and a pizzeria’s wall of fame spark a tragedy. Siskel and Ebert both named it the best film of 1989. Starring Lee, Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Rosie Perez, Bill Nunn, Giancarlo Esposito, John Turturro, and Samuel L. Jackson. 35mm print from the Yale Film Archive.

The “Art & Protest” film series is presented by the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library and the Yale Film Archive in conjunction with the exhibition “Art, Protest, & the Archives” on view at the Beinecke through January 7, 2024.