10 Great Films With Soul-Destroying Endings

This poignant and culturally significant film was released in 1989 by director Spike Lee, but still resonates today.

Focusing on ideas of class, race and police brutality, the film was initially condemned by some critics for 'inciting riots' in black communities.

In the film, a ‘Wall of Fame’ in a local pizzeria becomes a topic of contention. The Italian-American owner of the pizzeria, Sal, refuses to feature any black people on it, despite those from the predominantly black community (most notably Mookie, a delivery driver for Sal) rallying him to do so.

The pizzeria owner’s son is a known racist, but his father refuses to move out of the community despite his requests. One night, three local men demand the ‘Wall of Fame’ be changed to include some black heroes. A fight subsequently breaks out after Sal smashes a boombox belonging to one man (Radio Raheem) and uses a racial slur against another.

The police are called and, as we expected, things go downhill. Radio Raheem, a black man, is killed by police officers and the crowd destroys Sal’s store.

Whilst the narrative ends with Sal and Mookie partially reconciling, the film itself ends with a tribute to the families of six victims of police brutality. It is a stark reminder that outside of fiction, the real threat exists and even now decades after the film’s release, its message is just as important and current.