Do the Right Thing lands at number ninety-six on the American Film Institute’s List of the one hundred best movies of all time. In 1997, the American Film Institute selected the one hundred best American movies of all time and updated the top one hundred list in 2007. The director of Do the Right Thing is Spike Lee, the main actors are Rosie Perez and Danny Aiello, and the cinematographer is Ernest Dickerson. The movie stars Danny Aiello as Sal, a tough guy who owns a Sal’s Famous Pizzeria. Also, Do the Right Thing portrays Spike Lee as a kid delivering pizza named Mookie who knows that there is no future in his job. The setting is in the Bedford-Stuyevesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. The main source of conflict is the race relationships …show more content…
in America during this time period of the movie (Ebert). Conflicts arise when the neighborhood changes and racial violence occurs. Do the Right Thing deserves to be on the AFI movie list because of its use of costumes depicting the race relationships of that time, its accurate portrayal of characters throughout the entire movie, and its enhancement through cinematography to show the tension among characters. Do the Right Thing deserves its spot on the AFI movie list because of their costumes depicting race relationships.
This impacts the greatness of the movie because it divides races through costumes and brings attention to how different races dress. An example of how races are divided by costumes is when “Buggin’ out is excitable, characterized by short dreads that stand on end and is always the first to see and call-out injustice, characterized by gigantic, impossibly thick, Coke bottle glasses” (Wilson). Radio Raheem’s boom box is his most prized possession while he has love and hate knuckle rings. He does not understand how worthless those items are. Even though it is gold, Radio Raheem is still poor and uneducated (Clark). One scene where costumes depict race relationships is when Mookie arrives at work. He is wearing a Brooklyn Dodgers Jackie Robinson jersey. It shows that Mookie likes his independence and that African-American history is important to him (Do the Right Thing). Although costumes depicting race relationships hold meaning as to why Do the Right Thing is on the AFI top movie list, another important factor is the accurate portrayal of characters throughout the …show more content…
movie. Do the Right Thing deserves its spot on the AFI movie list because of the movie’s accurate portrayal of characters. This impacts the greatness of the movie because it makes the movie seem realistic to how blacks were living and acting differently than whites. Sal treats all his black customers with respect, however when they don’t play by his rules “Sal keeps a baseball bat handy if anyone wants to argue. No one has yet. Today someone will” (Travers). The pizzeria and the bat are references that Lee makes to Howard Beach. Three black men were beaten in Howard Beach by white youths with baseball bats. This symbolizes that blacks are tired of being killed and the racial injustice of that time period (Travers). Tensions arise when Radio Raheem, Smiley, and Buggin’ Out march into the pizzeria with their boom boxes blasting. Sal calls Radio Raheem a nigger and destroys Radio Raheem’s boom box with his baseball bat. The characterization largely depicts the hostile racial sentiments of the time. The officer, Gary Long, strangles Radio Raheem to his death while he arrests Buggin’ Out. A riot occurs and it ends with the pizzeria going up in flames when Smiley throws a match (Do the Right Thing). The accurate portrayal of characters is important in explaining the movie’s racial injustices; however, its enhancements through cinematography to show the tension among characters is also key as to why it is on the AFI movie list. Do the Right Thing deserves its spot on the AFI movie list because of its enhancement through cinematography to show the tension among characters. This impacts the greatness of the movie because it alters how the audience feels about the tension and who’s side they are on. The cinematography shows the heated discussion have “that could have been easily done in a two-shot gets much of its energy from shot/counter-shots that indicate the gap between the characters” (McKibbin). When the characters talk about how they do not like another race, Ernest Dickerson starts the camera as a long shot and then quickly zooms in (Carter). In the scene where Radio Raheem and Buggin’ Out march into Sal’s pizzeria wanting for him to put black people on his hall of fame, the canted frame and low angle shot show that the relationship between them and Sal is rocky. The shots are short to show the power that Radio Raheem and Buggin’ Out have. The shots are also tilted to make it look like tensions were rising and to change the audience's perception of the characters (Do the Right Thing). Although the cinematography allows for this movie's placement on the AFI movie list, viewers have largely criticized the violence that it contains. Although often argued, Do the Right Thing does contain violence that can make viewers concerned. The movie ends with a fight, riot, police brutality, and Radio Raheem’s murder “but, as in the character Radio Raheem’s monologue about his LOVE-HATE set of gold knuckles, love won” (Larson). While the movie has violence, it reignited interest in Malcolm X and made teens fans of Public Enemy, a rap/hip-hop group in New York. The movie also encourages people fight injustices in their neighborhoods. The message is that the ends are justified by the means. As Long as people call attention to injustices, it does not really matter what course of action they take (Larson). The movie did not ignite or support violence, it brought attention to all neighborhoods and how injustice could be fought. Do the Right Thing is worthy of being on the AFI movie list because of its use of costumes depicting the race relationships of that time, its accurate portrayal of characters throughout the entire movie, and its enhancement through cinematography to show the tension among characters.
Do the Right Thing should be acknowledged as one of the top one hundred films in the AFI because Spike Lee was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for Do the Right Thing and Danny Aiello was nominated for Best Actor for Do the Right Thing. The readers of this essay should not have only learned about Do the Right Thing, but they should have also learned that you have to confront injustices. There are a lot of racial injustices in the world today. For example, the shootings of LaQuan McDonald and Michael Brown. And how racial injustices are in court cases where black men are guilty for murders they did not commit. This essay is not only about the movie, but also readers should confront injustices and say that its wrong. While there is no controversy for this essay, let’s “[after last night's riot] Hope the block is still standing” (Do the Right
Thing).
The documentary 13th, directed by Ava DuVernay, is centered around the argument that slavery did not end with the inclusion of the 13th Amendment in the United States Constitution. To enhance her argument, she includes interviews with well-educated authors, professors, activists, and politicians. She also tells the stories of African Americans who have been wrongfully prosecuted by the police and have not received the justice they deserve, including Trayvon Martin. This essay will analyze the Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman scene in the documentary and how DuVernay effectively uses ethos, pathos, and logos in the film. Duvernay includes the Trayvon Martin case to further her argument that slavery did not disappear with the 13th Amendment;
Do The Right Thing was Spike Lee’s first landmark film. Do The Right Thing is a movie that brings awareness to the racial tensions when people in a Brooklyn neighborhood of different racial and cultural backgrounds coexist, which ends in a tragedy. The film was a great success receiving many of awards and earned two Academy Award nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporti...
In Rushworth Kidder’s book “How Good People Make Tough Choices,” Kidder provides a series of different methods, codes and examples of what being an ethical journalist could mean. He gives examples of different situations where a person’s ethics are tested and what would be a good way to deal with these situations. He starts by explaining the difference between things that are right-versus-right dilemmas, and those that are right-versus-wrong dilemmas.
This week’s readings of the reviews of Spike Lee’s ‘Do the Right Thing’ and Marilyn Fabe’s “Political Cinema: Spike Lee’s ‘Do the Right Thing’, raised a number of questions regarding not only the moral issues the film addresses but also the intention of the artist. This dialectical opposition, which Pamela Reynolds suggests “challenges the audience to choose” (Reynolds, p.138) between the narrativized hostility shown between that of the hero and villain. More specifically Lee’s portrayal of violence vs passive opposition. This can be perceived through Lee’s technical employment of contradictory quotes from Martin Luther King, Jr and Malcom X at the conclusion of the film, which not only highlights this concern but also deluges further into themes of political opposition. Marylin Fabe discusses this where she states that Spike Lee’s film carries a “disturbing political message” (Fabe, p.191). Arguably, ‘Do the Right Thing’ acmes themes of racism (Black vs White); with underlining motifs of imperialism (colonisers’ vs colonised), psychoanalytic (power vs powerlessness) and even Marxist theory (ownership vs public space/consumption), with Clarence Page stating that Lee provides a “public service… (not trying) to provide all the answers, but raising the questions.” (Reid, P.144). In saying this we explore this concept of the role of the artist, with Georgopulos stating that the role of the artist is to create a consciousness within the audience by revealing a fraught set of truths about the human condition. Thusly, the reactions and responses to the films reveal Lee to be successful in conveying his intentions, which back in its zenith, explored this issue of racism in a way that had rarely been seen, and presented the ways in which t...
The beating of Rodney King from the Los Angeles Police Department on March 3, 1991 and the Los Angeles riots resulting from the verdict of the police officers on April 29 through May 5, 1992 are events that will never be forgotten. They both evolve around one incident, but there are two sides of ethical deviance: the LAPD and the citizens involved in the L.A. riots. The incident on March 3, 1991 is an event, which the public across the nation has never witnessed. If it weren’t for the random videotaping of the beating that night, society would never know what truly happened to Rodney King. What was even more disturbing is the mentality the LAPD displayed to the public and the details of how this mentality of policing led up to this particular incident. This type of ethical deviance is something the public has not seen since the civil rights era. Little did Chief Gates, the Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, and the LAPD know what the consequences of their actions would lead to. Moving forward in time to the verdict of those police officers being acquitted of the charges, the public sentiment spiraled into an outrage. The disbelief and shock of the citizens of Los Angeles sparked a mammoth rioting that lasted for six days. The riots led to 53 deaths and the destruction of many building. This is a true but disturbing story uncovering the ethical deviance from the LAPD and the L.A. riots. The two perspectives are from the Rodney King incident are the LAPD and the L.A. riots.
Racial tension and cultural barriers has been a constant within our county and the rest of the world for as long as time has been around. Being segregation, to racial riots and sometimes even worse events can occur which has been proven by history in the past. Director Spike Lee’s 1989 film “Do the Right Thing” is a movie set in New York City neighborhood that is filled with many different cultures and ethnic groups being an Italian pizza shop, an Asian general store, an African American housing and residents. Sociology places a main role within the film in which we see how every person goes about their day. Peace and conflict are at an ever increasing war with each other. Above this the film takes place on only one day which happens to be the hottest day of the summer. The observation that we the audience make out is the highest tension is between the Italians and the African Americans. Granted, there are some that get along but for the most part the conflict is there. Whereas the Asian family in the film is the side group in which they are not shown in many scenes throughout the film. Spike Lee does a phenomenal job in portraying the races the way he see it from his perspective. The neighborhood
The first social issue portrayed through the film is racial inequality. The audience witnesses the inequality in the film when justice is not properly served to the police officer who executed Oscar Grant. As shown through the film, the ind...
Spike Lee was the director and producer of the 1989 movie “Do the right thing”. Do the right thing is a movie about a boy name Mookie (Spike Lee) that lives in a black and Puerto Rican neighborhood in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn with his sister name Jade. He works at Sal’s Famous Pizzeria, which is owned by an Italian-American owner who has owned it for 25 years, name Salvatore “Sal” Frangione. Sal has two son, Pino and Vito, and his oldest son known as Pino is a racist and detests the place likes a sickness” and holds many racial scorn for all the blacks in that community. Do the right thing is an ordinary film that pro different cultural meaning behind it and deals with mostly with racism between Blacks and other groups;
Being one of the few black students to attend Tisch School of the Arts, the aspiring filmmaker’s first year at New York University was a particularly difficult one. Lee’s experiences, race, and upbringing have all led him to create controversial films to provide audiences with an insight into racial issues. Spike Lee’s first student production, The Answer, was a short ten minute film which told of a young black screenwriter who rewrote D.W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation. The film was not well accepted among the faculty at New York University, stating Lee had not yet mastered “film grammar.” Lee went on to believe the faculty took offense to his criticisms towards the respected director’s stereotypical portrayals of black characters (1).
Director and actor Spike Lee presents his "truth" about race relations in his movie Do the Right Thing. The film exhibits the spectacle of black discrimination and racial altercations. Through serious, angry, and loud sounds, Lee stays true to the ethnicity of his characters, all of which reflect their own individualism. Lee uses insulting diction and intense scenes to show how severe racism can lead to violence. The biases reflected through Do the Right Thing model those of today which has kept society in a constant feud for so long. In Oprah Winfrey's dynamic episode, "The Color of Fear", Mr. Mun Wah projects his strong opinion when he states, " . . . that racism is still going on today, that we've got to stop to hear the anguish and the pain that goes with that and then we'll survive." (3) People do not realize the severity of their own words. In the scenes of the movie that emphasize the shocking reality of failed interracial communication, racial stereotyping, trust or lack of trust, and acrimonious violence mirror the current concerns about race in America as reflected in "The Color Of Fear."
The 1989 film Do the Right Thing explored the conflict of racial tension and unique camera elements. Directed and produced by Spike Lee, Do the Right Thing combined a series of low and high-angle shots while also incorporating close ups and slow motion. Through the use of panning, the audience was able to get a break from the action and reflect on the events of the film. Spike Lee’s collaboration of film components added humor and realistic emotions to the story. While the controversy of whether Mookie “did the right thing” will always be in favor of the viewer. Depending on how an audience member connects with the film will spark a variety of different emotions for that person. Do the Right Thing is a film that reflects both controversial ideals and unique film elements.
Do the Right Thing. Dir. Spike Lee. Perf. Danny Aiello, John Turturro, Giancarlo Esposito, Martin Lawrence, Bill Nunn, Richard Edson, Roger Guenveur Smith and Spike Lee. Forty Acres and a Mule Filmworks.1989. Streaming (Netflix)
Spike Lee is brand name when it comes to the film industry. When you try to ask any group of people their opinion about this man, you will probably receive numerous positive responses from the film community as well as the African American community. Do the Right Thing (Spike Lee, 1989) is a film that illustrates how racial conflict can become a reality while showing the repercussions that come with racial segregation. Spike Lee uses a number of tools to write and produce the film in order to ensure the message reaches his intended audience in the best way possible. The use of location, soundtrack, and dialogue is abundant in this film. Therefore, this film analysis paper is for Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing (1989). It is a film in which racial segregation ignites riots in a neighborhood dominated by the black population. The heightened scene of this film analysis is where Spike Lee throws a trash can and it is from this that hell breaks loose and riots begin.
In the film Do the Right Thing by Spike Lee he is able to exactly unfold the problem of racial problems in America by playing with cinematic devices such as Mis-En-Scene, narrative and sound. The centering and focusing of certain physical aspects with the use of camera angles and camera framing and movement ,the quick style editing s and transformation of sound all contribute to film's overall meaning. In analysing the sequence starting with a young child drawing a chalk portrait in the middle of the street and finishing with Sal, the pizza guy, making Radio Raheem look like a hoodlum straight out the gutters that does not know any better. These symbols are seen to create the hatred shared with African Americans and white working class Americans.
“We fight each other for territory; we kill each other over race, pride, and respect. We fight for what is ours. They think they’re winning by jumping me now, but soon they’re all going down, war has been declared.” Abuse, Pain, Violence, Racism and Hate fill the streets of Long Beach, California. Asians, Blacks, Whites and Hispanics filled Wilson High School; these students from different ethnic backgrounds faced gang problems from day to night. This movie contains five messages: people shouldn’t be judgmental because being open-minded allows people to know others, having compassion for a person can help people change their views in life, being a racist can only create hate, having the power of the human will/goodness to benefit humanity will cause a person to succeed at any cost and becoming educated helps bring out the intelligence of people.