One of this is the mayor, who is an alcoholic elder. Which makes films like spike lees do the right thing all the more powerful. Spike lees third feature, do the right thing, returns to movie theatres this. Like it takes a nation, do the right things intention was to voice the frustrations of a myriad of marginalized people facing police brutality, gentrification, and racism in bensonhurst and howard beach, as well as concerns about thennew york mayor ed koch. The resulting theme, fight the power, was the perfect opener for the provocative. When this sort of picture is done skillfully, it can be exhilarating. Like most of spikes lees films, do the right thing challenges viewers. Spike lee as mookie, a young black man working in sals famous pizza, danny aiello as sal, a surly italian man who owns the pizzeria, steve park as sonny, a korean grocery store owner across the street from sals, ossie davis as da mayor, an older black man who some call the town drunk, ruby dee as. The 1989 movie do the right thing is the subject of the analysis and criticism.
Danny aiello, ossie davis, ruby dee, richard edson, giancarlo esposito, spike lee, bill nunn, john turturro, joie lee, rosie perez, samuel l. These scenes are familiar in the america of spike lees do the right thing 1989, in which a crowd, witnessing the death of radio raheem bill nunn, chants the names of the fallen as well as the sites of clashes between the police and civilians. Analysis of the movie do the right thing by spike lee the movie, do the right thing, by spike lee is a hard hitting drama that deals with violence and racism in todays society. Behind all the stories was the concern that the film would ignite the very kind of violence it was. A neighborhood local, buggin out giancarlo esposito, becomes upset when he sees that the pizzerias wall of fame exhibits only italian actors. Though the action is limited to one moreorless idealized block in bedstuy, the scope is panoramic. List of characters in do the right thing do the right thing. It focuses and takes place on one of the hottest days of the summer.
The film do the right thing, written, directed and produced by spike lee, focuses on a single day of the lives of racially diverse people who live and work in a. I chose to focus on the cinematography style used in spike lees film do the right thing 1989, as it overflows with camera techniques that contribute to the telling of the story and there is simply so much to talk about in the many scenes where this is portrayed. On the 30th anniversary of a film that candidly confronted racism in america, how much has really changed. And each term, they react similarly to the scene in which mookie spike lee throws a trash can, igniting a neighborhood riot by breaking the window of the pizzeria where he works. On the hottest day of the year on a street in the bedfordstuyvesant section of brooklyn, everyones hate and bigotry smolders and builds until it explodes into violence. But do the right thing is a movie made by filmmaker working in sync with his times an exciting, disturbing, provocative film. The purpose of the assignment was to analyze its cultural context.
Its an intimate portrait of a brooklyn neighborhood dealing with rising tensions on the hottest day of the year. Afterwards, the large crowd of onlookers are enraged about radio raheems death. This is the second shot following the climactic riot scene. The film ends with two quotations that demonstrate the dichotomy of the films theme. Do the right thing shows realistically what can happen when racial tensions intensify and blow up. Right in the center of this neighborhood stands a pizza parlor that is owned and operated by. Jun 17, 2011 the opening scene of spike lees, do the right thing, begins with a closeup of golden alarm clock with a microphone in the bottom of the shot. Instantly, do the right thing was a cause celebre, more breathlessly and fearfully awaited than any american film of its time. Do the right thing 1989 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. The film do the right thing, written, directed and produced by spike lee, focuses on a single day of the lives of racially diverse people who live and work in a lower class neighborhood in brooklyn new york. In spike lees do the right thing, the story follows members of the bed stuy neighborhood in brooklyn, new york. Do the right thing is rated r and contains nudity, strong. Like the precise predictions of a prophet, spike lees academy awardnominated screenplay for his 1989 riveting race analysis do the right thing appears like a verbatim adaptation of our current turbulent news headlines 26 years later.
Analysis of the movie do the right thing essay bartleby. Analysis of the spike lees movie do the right thing 123. The movie, do the right thing, by spike lee is a hard hitting drama that deals with violence and racism in todays society. Radios blare out into the sunblasted street, as mr.
Its truly an amazing achievement in film, and its a shame it was not recognized more for its obvious brilliance when it was released in 1989. On june 30, 1989, spike lees comedydrama do the right thing debuted in movie theaters all over america. This film highlights the dynamics of a modern urban neighborhood through a cast of distinct personalities. Following the denizens of a block in bedstuy on the hottest day of the summer, do. It zooms out to close up of his face, continues to zoom out more until we get a high angle shot of the studios window facing the street.
Jul 30, 2014 on june 30, 1989, spike lees comedydrama do the right thing debuted in movie theaters all over america. Do the right thing 1989 united states 120 minutes prod co. Do the right thing is a 1989 american comedydrama film produced, written, and directed by spike lee. Nonetheless, the spike lee directed film do the right thing, released in 1989, explores the theme of racism in a masterfully juxtaposed and politically driven story about tensions between an italian family and local bedfordstuyvesant residents on a hot summer day. The second, from malcolm x, argues that violence is not violence, but intelligence when it is used in selfdefense. Do the right thing analysis and reflection black history at usd. Do the right thing spike lee film analysis senses of cinema.
Do the right things allusion to thenrecent racerelated violence served to keep the reallife racial tensions of new york city in the consciousness of moviegoers, causing some scholars to suggest that the film was largely responsible for mayor ed kochs loss in his november 1989 reelection campaign to david dinkins, who would become new. The enduring urgency of spike lees do the right thing at thirty. Mainstream american films dont often tackle race and racism headon, and when they do, they often end up trying to find easy answers. Do the right thing analysis of scenes the first selected scene begins with a record being played that brings in the sound of conga drums while the camera fades to the next scene where we find a group of puerto rican men who fit a perceived ethnic puerto rican image while the salsa music of ruben blades is heard loud. A commercial success that has received a number of accolades such as an academy award for best original screenplay, do the right thing tells the story of the growing racial tension between a bedford stuyvesant neighborhoods. In do the right thing, the subject is not simply a race riot, but the tragic dynamic of racism, racial tension, and miscommunication, seen in microcosm. Feb 06, 2015 like the precise predictions of a prophet, spike lees academy awardnominated screenplay for his 1989 riveting race analysis do the right thing appears like a verbatim adaptation of our current turbulent news headlines 26 years later. Do the right thing 1989 produced, written, and directed by spike lee is a day in the life of a brooklyn neighborhood and the racial tensions contained within. Forming a critical sense of race with spike lees do the. Spike lee did a good job incorporating so many different ideas into the movie, each character represented something important and not one person was a waste to the movie. A tense moment ensues when the crowd contemplates violence against sal, vito, and pino.
Smart, vibrant, and urgent without being didactic, do the right thing is one of spike lees most fully realized efforts and one of the most important films of the 1980s. Director spike lee appeared on the cover of newsweek, and oprah and nightline each devoted an entire show to the film. What is the meaning of the ending of do the right thing. Mother sister, who always sits in her window whole day and watches outside. Spike lee and do the right thing analysis essay 1508. In form, do the right thing is a multicharacter, portraitofacommunity movie. The film do the right thing by spike lee is a hardhitting drama that deals with violence and racism in todays society. Salvatore sal fragione danny aiello is the italian owner of a pizzeria in brooklyn.
Film and music submitted by paneeks40 words 7201 pages 29. In this essay, i shall provide an overview of the movie and personal analysis of its meaning. The racially charged atmosphere of the town is evident from the start of the plot, with tensions rapidly increasing as disputes between different racial groups emerge. Film notes do the right thing university at albany. Suddenly, mookie grabs a trash can and throws it through the window of sals restaurant, which turns the collective anger towards the property and away from the owners. Also sign me up for fanmail to get updates on all things movies. Analysis of spike lees do the right thing essay 1420 words. Did any of the characters in do the right thing actually. The movie is available on youtube, dvd, and on demand. Do the right thing the current the criterion collection.
Symbolism in spike lees do the right thing 1508 words. Do the right thing analysis magnificat marymount commons. It stars lee, danny aiello, ossie davis, ruby dee, richard edson, giancarlo esposito, bill nunn, john turturro, and samuel l. These scenes are familiar, too, nearly three decades later, after the death of michael brown in ferguson, missouri and walter scott in north charleston, south carolina. Radio raheem the film analysis assignment required that each student select a movie released in their respective year. Do the right thing is a film that shows how damaging racial tensions are to society, which is an issue still prevalent in todays world. Do the right thing is a film written and produced by the infamous director spike lee. Mar 12, 2019 do the right thing analysis and reflection. The film came a decade removed from the blaxploitation film cycle and two years before the black film explosion of 1991.
The film is a virtuoso act of creation, a movie at once realistic and symbolic, lighthearted and tragic, funny and savage. Feb 22, 2018 which makes films like spike lees do the right thing all the more powerful. Spike lee and do the right thing analysis essay 1508 words. Analysis of the movie do the right thing by spike lee 123. For my film analysis, i chose the 1989 movie do the right thing. For starters, lee consistently rams together the conflicting ideologies of malcolm x violence as selfdefense and when necessary and martin luther king, jr. In 1989, spike lee released the film do the right thing. It manages to be vastly entertaining and vastly powerful at the same time. Then using a handheld maybe a crane moves to extreme close up of senor love daddys mouth. Each term, my film students watch spike lees do the right thing 1989. This film is set in a primarily black neighborhood in close to the present time. In search of learning more about african american history during the african american history month, i attended the showing of the movie do the right thing. Do the right thing 1989 do the right thing 1989 user.
Do the right thing was spike lees third feature film following school daze 1988 and shes gotta have it 1986. The first time we saw each other after seeing spike lees movie do the right thing, my sister and i had a fight over lunch. Symbolism in spike lees do the right thing 1508 words cram. Under the influence of spike lees film do the right thing. Analysis of the spike lees movie do the right thing for my shot analysis i chose a shot from the spike lee movie do the right thing. In the film do the right thing by spike lee, cinematography and sound serve as critical components to emphasize the racial tensions between the various characters. For a school assignment, i was required to look at the different techniques of camera movement within a particular film. Apr 15, 2016 the making of do the right thing 1989 aladdin 1992 taken 2008 a cinderella story 2004 wild wild west 1999 fantastic four 2005 titanic 1997 princess mononoke 1997 spirited away. Lees film conveys two contradictorily ideas of two powerful civil rights leaders.
Small details within the film, such as the hot, sticky, suffocating heat of a summer day, are visually stunning aiding to the main idea of the film. Apr 01, 2012 do the right thing 1989 produced, written, and directed by spike lee is a day in the life of a brooklyn neighborhood and the racial tensions contained within. The first selected scene begins with a record being played that brings in the sound of conga drums while the camera fades to the next scene where we find a group of puerto rican men who fit a perceived ethnic puerto rican image while. This film was written, produced, and directed by spike lee. Do the right thing was an eye opening movie that brought across many controversial topics that are important to address. At the time, this movie was a huge surprise to many audience members because it showed the true racial tensions and racial issues that were happening in the united states. Nov 30, 2016 11 isolation movies that you can stream right now. Camera movement in do the right thing rhiana bonterre. It features da mayor and mother sister reacting to the hellacious events of the previous night. Love and hate in do the right thing introduction to film. The shock of the movie is that its core dramathe killing of black.
Radio raheem, a very big man who walks up and down on the street with his big sound system that look like. Today marks the 25th anniversary of do the right thing, spike lees third feature film and arguably his best. Spike tackled treacherous turmoil such as caucasian police officers killing african american males eric. The making of do the right thing 1989 aladdin 1992 taken 2008 a cinderella story 2004 wild wild west 1999 fantastic four 2005 titanic. Spike tackled treacherous turmoil such as caucasian police officers killing african american males eric garner, mike brown, race riots. Do the right thing analysis and reflection studies of. This is a list of the characters in the film do the right thing and the actors who play them. As a film, do the right thing is a study in how cinematography can effectively add to the plot and character development. This is shown in the movie by looking at the neighborhood at the end versus the beginning of the summer. However, this ordinary day takes place on one of the hottest days of the summer. Analysis of the movie do the right thing by spike lee. Evokes emotion spike lee, the director of do the right thing 1989, makes sure the audience understands how the heat is affecting the characters on the day the film takes place, and to do this he uses color. A single block, in a single new york neighborhood, on a broiling summer day, is the allegorical setting for do the right thing. It was one of those things you do with a lover, or sometimes with a close friend about politics, where the terms you disagree.
Analysis of the movie the right thing 97 words 6 pages. The following film notes were prepared for the new york state writers institute by kevin jack hagopian, senior lecturer in media studies at pennsylvania state. May 05, 2015 like most of spikes lees films, do the right thing challenges viewers. Do the right thing is a brilliant movie that never lags and never lets up. Although it is easy for brit critics to get overexcited about eerily prophetic references to donald trump in movies from the 80s and 90s, not quite. List of characters in do the right thing do the right. Analysis of do the right thing intro spike lees do the right thing opens with a loud, attentiondeserving, and actionfilled scene with rosie perez, one of the actresses in the movie, dancing. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing do the right thing near you. There are lots of important characters in the movie do the right things who made movie better. The film do the right thing lee, 1989 presents a day in the life of the inhabitants of a neighborhood in brooklyn, new york in 1989. Jackson, and is the feature film debut of martin lawrence and rosie perez. Analysis of spike lees do the right thing essay 1420. This film has a main theme of peace and conflict competing with each other.
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