Do The Right Thing

Mark O’Brien
Do the Right Thing
● This film addresses police brutality. What images, music, colors, metaphors
appear right from the start of the film and thread through the film to bring the
viewer to the penultimate scene?
○ The nondiagetic sounds do a fantastic job of showing this. In the first
scene it starts with fighting the power by Public enemy. This song depicts
the hardship and fight of the racial discrimagation happening in America,
but more specifically New york City. Also The scene where the two police
officer have a staring contest with with afican AMerican man on the
sidewalk. The way Spike Lee used the camera showed the complete
distrust in one another
● In addition to the mise-en-scene, Spike Lee uses camera angles and movement
to shape the experience. Pinpoint 2-3 places where camera movement shapes
your experience of the scene.
○ When Da Mayor talks to mother sister in the window, the camera is kept
on a diagonal angle giving the viewer a different perspective.
○ When Da Mayor appears walking toward the new korean shop on the
corner. The camera starts in the back of Sal’s Pizzeria and slowly starts to
pan and focuses on him looking at the fruit.

○ My favorite filming transition act was when Mookie just left Sals to take a
delivery out. The Next scene opens with a birds eye view of chalk drawing
on the asphalt. The camera slowly zooms in on the chalk drawing, when
the viewer sees Mookie walking with the pizza across the street on his
way to the delivery.
○ Also, when the two officers are driving down the road and they have a
staring contest with an Afircan American on the sidewalks. The camera
took long moving takes cutting to each aftera few seconds, you could see
the animosity between the two sides.
● The film includes a large cast of characters that support the narrative. Choose
one character to focalize your comments for this question. Pinpoint
his/her/their interactions with 2-3 other characters on this list. If there are
other characters that I have not listed that you would focus on, please include
them
○ For this question I wanted to look at pino and his relationships with other
characters. I decided to write about pino because he had every different
relationship with mookie then anyones else in the film. Pino had the right
morals and knew that mookie was a good person, along with everyone
else in the neighborhood. Mookie understands that vito bullies pino when
he stands for those that are oppressed. Pino is beginning to pull in both
directions, one being mookie and the other being Vito's delusional morals.
Sal, Pinos dad, plays the role of the middle man just trying to keep peace
throughout the film, little does sal know he is just making the problem
worse. Both sal and Vito can learn from Pino and understand that change
must happen. Mookie backs Pino up when someone gives him trouble,
this shows that Mookie knows that Pino is on the right side of history.
● After the two quotes from MLK and Malcolm X, the film ends with a dedication.
Who are the people named? Explain the story of one of these persons. Use
google or another method to learn their story, if you are not familiar with the
story.
○ After MLK and Malcolm X quotes came across the screen, they talk about
those killed enduring police brutality. Spike lee used this time to shine light
on those treated similar to Raheem. Spike Lee wanted to based the
fictional death of Raheem to shed light on the death of real people who
died in the hands of police
● In an interview with Spike Lee, Jesse Washington questioned that, “One of the
biggest criticisms about ‘Do The Right Thing’ is, ‘Spike Lee didn’t provide the
answer to end racism and prejudice.’” Spike Lee has responded, “That’s not my
job, I don’t have the answer for that. The film was to show what I felt at the time
were issues that needed to be dealt with.” How does this film capture the
problems of racism and prejudice? Highlight scenes that stand out the most for
you.
○ The answer to this question is in the answer. Spike Lee, along with most
Americans do not know how to fix this problem. But what Spike Lee does
is spread awareness that there is a problem in America. When the police
come to sales and Raheem dies, shows police brutality in the scene that
most people don't see. The last scene shows reality the most, the camera
zooms out and it shows three kids playing basketball in the ruins of the
restaurant debris. Showing that this occurrence happens way too often.

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What camera techniques does Spike Lee use to shape the viewer's experience?

What camera techniques does Spike Lee use to shape the viewer's experience?

How does Pino relate to other characters in the film?

How does Pino relate to other characters in the film?

Mark O’Brien

Do the Right Thing

viewer to the penultimate scene?

○ The nondiagetic sounds do a fantastic job of showing this. In the first

the hardship and fight of the racial discrimagation happening in America,

distrust in one another

your experience of the scene.

on a diagonal angle giving the viewer a different perspective.

pan and focuses on him looking at the fruit.

way to the delivery.

staring contest with an Afircan American on the sidewalks. The camera

the animosity between the two sides.

one character to focalize your comments for this question. Pinpoint

characters. I decided to write about pino because he had every different

on those treated similar to Raheem. Spike Lee wanted to based the

died in the hands of police

is spread awareness that there is a problem in America. When the police

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