Film Techniques In Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing

The Impact of Film Techniques in a Spike Lee Directed Film
Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing, released in 1989, takes place in a predominately African American neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant, located in Brooklyn, New York. Lee, who wrote, produced, directed, and acted in this film, tells the story of an African American community that is filled with racial tension on a hot summer day. The heat takes a toll on the members of the community and tragedy strikes with the death of an African American man named Radio Raheem. Lee uses many techniques in the film, allowing the audience to explore central themes and provoking them to react a certain way. Through the use of mise-en-scene, montage, and camera angles Spike Lee is able to highlight the message of racial intolerance in the film.
Spike Lee makes effective use of mise-en-scene through the use of sound, setting,

For instance, the opening credits starts off in a darkened area on the streets with the focus on Tina, who is dancing to the song titled, “Fight the Power.” She is dancing and punching the air. Her demeanor, along with the message of the song, sets a negative tone. The “Fight the Power” was used in both a diegetic and non-diegetic manner. This song not only incorporates various snapshots into African-American culture, including a message about civil rights, but also symbolically relates to the message of the film, encouraging the viewer to embrace courage and do the right thing. This song was played numerous times throughout the film, including in opening and ending credits, as well as many times on Radio Raheem’s boom box. Ironically, this song was played at the end as the picture of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X is shown on the wall of a burning down Sal’s Pizza. The two civil rights leaders represent two different sides; King advocates against violence and promotes love, while Malcolm X promotes violence and