This film by director Spike Lee was one of the most powerful and socially important films of all time. The film's story, showing the racial strife in one small New York City suburb, tells its story during one day. From the time the people in the town wake up in the morning, throughout the day the tension builds from all sides for a race war. And finally, by the time night has fallen, Radio Raheem pushes Sal (played by Danny Aiello) just too far, and the violence erupts. Because the tension and the violence have built so steadily and slowly through the film, this sequence is mesmerizing to watch, as we realize the true problems of race relations in America. When the white policemen arrive, the situation only gets worse, as we see scenes that remind us of real life violence against blacks, back in the 60's in Birmingham, Alabama and times since then. Radio Raheem ends up dead, and an angry and hurt black neighborhood attack Sal's Pizzeria, and Spike Lee's character, Mooky, who tried to keep the peace all day and who works for Sal, is the one who starts it, throwing a garbage can into the window. They torch the pizzeria while Sal can do nothing but watch.

Anger finally subsides as people can't really say anything -- we simply see the destruction, and we wonder will the situation ever improve? Will there ever be harmony among the races? It's a stunning piece of film from one of our most talented and bold filmmakers, Spike Lee. He doesn't take sides, he simply presents what is, and like an intelligent film should, it leaves the audience with some tough questions to answer.