Movie Club—Do The Right Thing

This month the Movie Club will be screening Do the Right Thing, written and directed by Spike Lee and starring Lee, Danny Aiello, and John Turturro.

On one of the hottest days in the summer, tensions in a racially mixed neighbourhood in Brooklyn start running high as the temperature rises. Mookie (Lee) works as a pizza delivery man for Sal (Aiello), and Italian-American who has been running the business in the neighbourhood for decades. When Buggin' Out (Giancarlo Esposito) questions Sal for only having Italian-Americans and no African-Americans on his "Wall of Fame" the confrontation that follows becomes the first sign of many culturally run-ins that the day has in store. With personal tensions coming to the fore and the frustrations of clashing cultures stewing, the day comes to an explosive end.

The film has been noted as "a polemically charged portrait of contemporary race relations" and "became a subject of controversy at the same time that critics praised its allusive imagery.” (Monaco, J. How to Read a Film: Art, Technology, Language, History, Theory. Oxford, New York, 2009. p. 410). It features a colourful set design and many tumultuous cultural explorations while being a solidly crafted ensemble piece and saw Lee shift from an independent filmmaker to become one of Hollywood's main iconoclasts.

The film will be screened on Wednesday 9 November at 6pm at Narellan Library, Corner of Queen and Elyard Street, Narellan. Tea, coffee, and biscuits provided, but BYO snacks are more than welcome. Stay after the screening to share your thoughts about the film and join in a discussion about the many though provoking moments in the film.

Book Review—Arguably by Christopher Hitchens

The late Christopher Hitchens was a divisive voice in American and international politics and culture. He came to international prominence with God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything, which, if the title doesn’t ring a bell or make entirely clear, takes a severely critical view of religion, although his firebrand polemics covered a much broader array of topics. He was, for example, one of the few left-wing supporters of Bush and Blair’s War on Terror. Arguably collects this variety of Hitchens’ works.

What distinguishes Hitchens is not his clear prose or his extensive knowledge, although these are striking features of his writing, but his passion. Every topic, book, action, person, and event are examined and spoken of with unrelenting clarity of view and purpose. You very quickly learn his angle on the topic and most importantly the reasons behind those views. This is Hitchens’ strength, and why even those opposed to his views maintained a fascination with his output. He takes even the most assumed common sense, the most assured convictions, and questions them relentlessly. There are definitely blind spots, and Hitchens abounds in many seeming contradictions, and, arguably, many of his opinions are not as revelatory or original as his most ardent supports may claim.

Arguably will not be to everyone’s taste and will leave many people bemused, annoyed, and angered. But I would argue that is exactly the reason why everyone, at least everyone convinced of the strength of their own convictions, should read it.

Andreas