Do the Right Thing, I think, remains the seminal Spike Lee flick. The timing of its release, the story, the humor, the music combined to deliver a piece of cinematic culture that endures. Chi-Raq is in some ways hard to compare. It’s very good, but is it as important? Is it more important?
The narrative around the movie is still unfolding. Events in daily headlines out of Chicago seemed pulled from the film and speak to an underlying truth in the movie. And the casting here seems set to become one of the more risky and rewarding gambles with Nick Cannon and Teyonah Parris over-delivering in ways no one could have predicted. Chi-Raq‘s story is unfolding and its resonance moves as the nightly news mirrors the truths told in the story. That Lee could find humor, art and a sexy romance in all heartbreak and violence puts the film high up on the cinematic shelf.
Chi-Raq.