#67. Watch every movie on the AFI's Top 100 list. (34/100)

In one of my sociology classes at Clemson, I learned that there is a correlation between rising temperatures and criminal activity: the hotter it is outside, the more likely people are to commit crimes. Interesting stuff.

I was reminded of those findings yesterday evening, as I was watching Do the Right Thing, which is #96 on the AFI's top 100. (Tom had already seen this in a film class at Clemson, so I watched it without him.) It's set in a Brooklyn neighborhood where racial tension is high, as is the temperature. Put it all together, and what you get is a bunch of people doing some pretty crazy, messed-up stuff.

I was also reminded of two other movies about racism, Crash and American History X. Since those two are a little more recent, I had to wonder if the creators of either of those movies took any cues from Do the Right Thing. Anyway, for me, the effect was the same for all three: the realization that prejudice left unchecked will consume you. The thing I really appreciate about these kinds of movies is that they expose prejudice for the sneaky thing that it is. We watch these characters make all kinds of negative assumptions about each other, and we think "you're a horrible person for thinking that," not realizing that we make those same kinds of assumptions about people every day, and most of the time we're not even aware that we're making the assumptions.

So I had to ask myself, "Where do I see prejudice in my own life?" And all I can say in response is, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." (Ps. 51:10) This isn't the kind of thing we can overcome on our own; we need the help of Christ, who loved in the face of prejudice.

On a lighter note, I came across a bit of trivia about Do the Right Thing yesterday, when I was poking around on its IMDb page (as I am often prone to do while watching movies): Our current President and First Lady saw this movie together on their first date back in 1989. Definitely not my idea of a romantic, feel-good movie...but I'm sure it gave them a lot to talk about afterward!