Spike Lee and Do the Right Thing Analysis
analytical Essay
1509 words
The auteur theory is a view on filmmaking that consists of three equally important premises: technical competence, interior meaning, and personal signature of the director. Auteur is a French word for author. The auteur theory was developed by Andrew Sarris, a well-known American film critic. Technical competence of the Auteur deals with how the director films the movie in their own style. Personal signature includes recurring themes that are present within the director’s line of work with characteristics of style, which serve as a signature. The third and ultimate premise of the Auteur theory is the interior meaning which is basically the main theme behind the film.
Spike, born Sheldon Jackson Lee, is an American film director, producer, writer and actor known for his films that deal with controversial social and political issues. Though Lee has written small films prior, his first feature-length film was his 1986 She’s Gotta Have It and was a landmark independent film for American cinema. She’s Gotta Have It was shot in twelve days with a low budget but grossed in the box office at $7 million. This film helped Lee launch his career and create his own production company known as 40 Acres and A Mule Film works. The name of his production company came from the unfulfilled promise that many politicians made to freed slaves after the Civil War.
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...
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...ot where the camera follows a subject within a frame and motion of the subject or its surroundings is involved. In this movie Lee uses the double dolly shot which includes the camera dolly and the actor mounted on a second dolly so the actor is moving along with the camera. The double dolly shot signature move is one of Lee’s favorites and also plays into his technical competence for the movie. This shot stars Detective Keith Frazier and happens just seconds after a hostage is “allegedly” killed by the bank robbers. In this scene the camera tends to shake and Denzel facial expressions display feelings of sadness and anger. In addition, a small cameo of Sal’s Pizzeria pizza boxes are seen when the head bank robbers makes a deal with the officers to get food for the hostages. Lee has lots of these connections within his movies relating back to Do The Right Thing.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the auteur theory consists of three equally important premises: technical competence, interior meaning, and personal signature of the director.
- Explains that spike lee is an american film director, producer, writer, and actor known for his films that deal with controversial social and political issues.
- Explains that do the right thing was spike lee's first landmark film, which brought awareness to the racial tensions when people in a brooklyn neighborhood coexist.
- Explains that spike lee's personal signature in do the right thing is his leading role in the movie. he also frequently casts himself in his movies, including actor john turturro and joie lee.
- Analyzes how lee uses signs and symbols to display messages in his films, such as the opening sing of rosie perez dancing to "fight the power" by public enemy.
- Analyzes how spike uses more clothing symbolism with the characters of pino and vito, both sons of sal's pizzeria.
- Analyzes how lee's technical competence was increased compared to his first movies. the camera angle was used to create a feeling of uneasiness during the scene of the riot.
- Explains that lee's technical ability was the production of the song "fight the power" by public enemy. he used different music pieces to match the feelings of characters or the moods of scenes.
- Analyzes how spike lee used color in the opening scene of rosie perez dancing to "fight the power." the color technique is use of light and color increases visual power.
- Analyzes do the right thing's themes of racism, intolerance, and racial tension. the movie is written in a double-scene style of acceptance and alienation.
- Analyzes how lee created the racial slur montage scene in the movie to show how racism is destroying americans and the extremes racism can go to.
- Explains that spike lee's inside man is an american crime drama film. it stars denzel washington as detective keith frazier who is called in to get to the bottom of a bank robbery heist in manhattan new york.
- Analyzes how lee's signature move is the dolly shot, where the camera follows a subject and motion of the subject or its surroundings is involved.
Related
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- Spike Lee Film Analysisanalytical essayAfrican American representation in the film industry has always been a topic for discussion. Whether talking about character types and roles, the actors being cast or not cast, and the lack of diversity in front of and behind the camera. ‘The contemporary status of race in mainstream American culture is intimately bound to the process of representation within and through the mass media.’ (Rocchio, 2000, p. 4). Any role that was to be played by an African American kept in with the dominant stereotypes of the time of production; incompetent, child like, hyper-sexualised or criminal.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that african american representation in the film industry has always been a topic for discussion. the contemporary status of race in mainstream american culture is intimately bound to the process of representation within and through the mass media.
- Explains that african-american actors were always placed into one of the five stereotyped roles. they adapted the stereotypes that everyone was used to, often distorting them.
- Argues that hollywood is struggling to respond to the growing demand for films that reflect society as well as racial and cultural changes.
- Analyzes how lee has taken a classic cinema technique and altered it to suit the styling of his film. this contradicts the usual interpretation of high and low angles representing power and weakness respectively.
- Analyzes how spike lee's film, do the right thing, challenges the audience by giving conflicting opinions on violence. the film does not inform the viewer which choice is better.
- Analyzes how spike lee exaggerates stereotypes of all the races in his film to show the audience just how ridiculous stereotyping is.
- Argues that the film industry, especially hollywood, still manages to place unrealistic stereotypes upon african americans and continues to fall short of representing the cultural diversity of america.
1948 wordsRead More - Film Analysis Of Spike Lee's Film Do The Right Thinganalytical essayAnalysis of Spike Lee’s Film Do the Right Thing The film “Do the Right Thing”, which was written by Spike Lee, explores life in the urban. The movie is set in a neighborhood within Brooklyn. Racial misunderstandings are common in the movie.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how spike lee's film "do the right thing" explores life in the urban. racial misunderstandings are common and the movie utilizes various issues of planning.
- Analyzes the contribution of the pizza shop to racial tensions in the movie. the koreans contributed to the store's burning because they suspect that the gang that burned it is the same.
- Analyzes how "do the right thing" depicts a good picture of human situation in urban areas. when the racial differences between the characters surface, they assault each other physically and verbally.
- Explains that the melting pot is a place where the struggles for power between white and black americans occur. it is metaphorical of the rise of racial differences to the highest point.
- Analyzes how lee's song "fight the power" and "mister senor love daddy" portray the isolation of the community in the film.
- Analyzes how mookie, a white-italian by race, represents the stereotypical social order in which non-whites take inferior positions in public service.
- Analyzes how lee presents urban density and elements of physical design in the film by setting it in a small urban center that is divided into races and social classes.
905 wordsRead More - Racism In Do The Right Thinganalytical essayDuring the 20th century, racism was a prevalent issue throughout the country. It often caused social tensions between people of different races living in the same community, resulting in violence and disruptions. In the film Do the Right Thing, the director, Spike Lee, portrayed racism accurately by addressing the discrimination against black people. Throughout the film, characters were transformed, stereotypes were broken, and the audience knew more information than the characters in the movie. Lee’s theme was to show people that blacks should “fight the power,” or superiority, caused by racial supremacy of white people by establishing a balance of power, fighting the stereotypes, and uniting together against the white people.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how spike lee's film, do the right thing, portrayed racism accurately by addressing the discrimination against black people.
- Analyzes how the film portrayed white supremacy over blacks by not acknowledging what is said by people of other races, and by provoking violence.
- Analyzes how white people show their assumed superiority to black people by the stereotypes they make of all blacks. in the fire hydrant scene, the police stopped to cease the water flow.
- Analyzes how the movie shows that blacks are willing to respond differently when people indicate that they identify with the issues of the black people.
- Explains that white people show racial superiority over blacks by not acknowledging their words and accusing them of stereotypes. blacks respond by uniting and reacting in violence.
795 wordsRead More - The Cockroach Peopleanalytical essayFirst, in the texts "The Revolt of the Cockroach People" and "Do The Right Thing", they portray social change in their community with the use of violence. In “Do The Right Thing”, Spike Lee attempts to inform viewers with a message about the menace that hate and violence can bring to a society. For example, in the final scenes of the film Buggin Out, Radio Raheem, and Smiley walk into Sal's restaurant and request that Sal change the Wall of Fame to popular African American’s to show his appreciation for the African American’s in the neighborhood. While Raheem's radio is blasting
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how spike lee's "the revolt of the cockroach people" and "do the right thing" portray social change with the use of violence, protest, and racism.
- Analyzes how zeta brown changes into the genuine chicano militant that he needs to be in the book.
- Analyzes how "the revolt of the cockroach people" and "do the right thing" portray social change in their community with the use of protest.
- Analyzes how racism is used to portray social change in the texts "do the right thing" and "the revolt of the cockroach people."
1031 wordsRead More - Do the Right Thing Scene Analysisanalytical essayDo 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)
In this essay, the author
- Explains that spike lee directed do the right thing, which was released in 1989. lee garnered notable actors and actresses, including ruby dee, ossie davis, rosie perez, samuel l. jackson, john tuturro and martin lawrence.
- Analyzes the scene in which racial tensions erupted like a volcano and spewed out. it takes place at the end of the day after sal's famous pizzeria has closed.
- Analyzes how director lee utilizes various camera angles and shots to capture the visual dominance that radio raheem has over sal.
- Analyzes how lee utilizes both types of camera movement in this scene. the camera tilts up to vino to capture his horrified expression and then to a shocked looking mookie.
- Analyzes how the scene takes place inside sal's famous pizzeria in bedford-stuyvesant, brooklyn. the temperature inside the restaurant is hot and makes the racial tensions more intense.
- Analyzes how the film editor barry brown used straight cuts rather than fades and dissolves for the editing of do the right thing.
- Analyzes how spike lee, danny aiello, john turturro, giancarlo esposito, martin lawrence, bill nunn, richard edson, roger guenveur smith, and stanley, robert h.
1315 wordsRead More - Do the Right Thing Film Analysisanalytical essayThe 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.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how spike lee's 1989 film do the right thing depicts racial tension in a predominantly african-american neighborhood. lee incorporated cinematic techniques that allowed his film to unlock controversial ideals for both caucasian and african american viewers.
- Analyzes how spike lee's do the right thing appealed to its audience through the constant utilization of camera direction and slow motion scenes.
- Analyzes how a low- and high-angle shot conveys the characters' emotions and point of view.
- Analyzes how lee uses low and high-angle shots to display perception, emotion and setting, and uses slow motion in multiple forms throughout do the right thing.
- Analyzes how spike lee incorporates close ups of characters and objects throughout his film do the right thing.
- Analyzes how spike lee used panning to convey the medial attention the weather was getting through the newspaper. it was also used to show a conversation between two people.
- Opines that do the right thing was titled with that name to reflect one of the ending scenes.
- Analyzes how spike lee's 1989 film do the right thing explored the conflict of racial tension and unique camera elements.
1521 wordsRead More - Spike Lee Kevin Smith and Alfred Hitchcock as Film Auteursanalytical essayIn the film industry, there are directors who merely take someone else’s vision and express it in their own way on film, then there are those who take their own visions and use any means necessary to express their visions on film. The latter of these two types of directors are called auteurs. Not only do auteurs write the scripts from elements that they know and love in life, but they direct, produce, and sometimes act in their films as well. Three prime examples of these auteurs are: Kevin Smith, Spike Lee and Alfred Hitchcock.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that auteurs are directors who take someone else's vision and express it in their own way on film. they direct, produce, and sometimes act in films.
- Describes kevin smith's journey from an unknown, low-budget filmmaker to a well-known and respected filmmaker. his films are about normal, middle-class life adding elements of humor, drugs, and the daily struggle of blue-collar workers.
- Explains that kevin smith was born and raised in red bank, new jersey. he grew up going to the same quick-e mart in which his first widely received film, clerks, took place.
- Explains that smith plays the same character in all of kevin smith's films. jay and silent bob are based on characters smith made up in his comic book.
- Analyzes how smith's films deal with a few twenty-somethings trying to overcome the basic obstacle of avoiding boredom. in his last film, "dogma," he tried to vent his anger about his religion and how boring it is.
- Explains that smith has taken everyday occurrences, added humor and obscenity, and crafted them into scripts and produced full-length films in which he also acted. after the film was fully shot, smith edited all of his films.
- Explains that spike lee stirred up controversy with the content of his films within the film world and had to create them with little outside help.
- Explains that shelton jackson lee was born in 1956 as the son of a jazz musician and an art professor. he became interested in the arts after graduating from moorehouse college. his graduate film, "the bed-stuy barbershop: we cut heads," received an academy award.
- Analyzes how lee's next film, "she’s gotta have it," reversed the stereotype of black men cheating on their girlfriends with, sometimes, many, different women. it attacked black versus white racism by telling the tale of a school where the "haves" were the light-skinned blacks
- Analyzes how spike lee's next film, "do the right thing," gained a lot more respect in the film world than "school daze," but was almost not released because people were frightened that it might cause mass riots.
- Explains how spike lee introduced america to the african-american's perspective and culture by himself, using fellow black-rights activists like oprah winfrey, janet jackson, tracy chapman, and magic johnson.
- Explains that alfred hitchcock is very serious about his films. he has felt the need to protect himself from actors, producers, and technicians who might offset the meaning of his works.
- Analyzes how hitchcock uses his reputation of "the man with the master mind" to direct his films with sheer brilliancy.
- Explains that hitchcock added special effects to make a silent film more realistic. he used film-staining techniques, ordinary household items, and many other techniques to keep audiences amused.
- Explains that hitchcock mastered the filmic language and used a great number of tools to make his films reach near-perfection. he trusted nobody besides himself in the process of filmmaking.
- Explains that kevin smith, spike lee, and alfred hitchcock are among the top filmmakers of history, the rank of film auteurs.
- Cites andrew, geoff, spike, and lisa jones. uplift the race: the construction of schooldaze.
2016 wordsRead More - Analysis of Spike Lee's Do the Right Thinganalytical essayDirector 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."
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how lee taught his audience that the stereotypes in his movie are all said in a habitual manner.
- Analyzes how radio raheem and mookie engage in a significant conversation of love and hate.
- Analyzes how violence captures the hearts of racists and tears them apart. mookie saved sal's life in the middle of the chaos.
- Analyzes how spike lee uses insulting diction and intense scenes to show how severe racism can lead to violence.
- Analyzes how spike lee's do the right thing depicts failed communication, stereotyping, absence of trust, and wrongful violence that reflects the existing concerns about racism in america.
1426 wordsRead More - The Film Analysis: Do The Right Thinganalytical essayDo the Right Thing Analysis: Will the Right Thing Ever be Done? The racial system is composed of three basic parts that divides people into different categories: the white on top, black on bottom, and brown in between. This system came to be as a result of three different population coming together with unequal terms resulting in one population having the most power. The film Do the Right Thing, directed by Spike Lee, does an excellent job at portraying how the racial system functions by showing the advantages of being at the top of the system and the disadvantages of being at the bottom of the system.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how spike lee's film do the right thing portrays the racial system by showing the advantages and disadvantages of being at the top of the system.
- Analyzes the subtle use of racism in the film, white out: the continuing significance of racism, by eduardo bolivia-silva.
- Analyzes how the movie shows how being at the bottom of the system reaps its benefits when a fight erupts between sal and radio raheem and the police intervene.
- Analyzes how the racial system as a whole divides people into groups and puts them up against each other.
896 wordsRead More - Analysis of the Movie Do the Right Thing by Spike Leeanalytical essayAnalysis 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 today's society. This film is set in a primarily black neighborhood in close to the present time. Right in the center of this neighborhood stands a pizza parlor that is owned and operated by one of the most important characters in the movie, Sal. In the beginning of the movie, Sal is shown arriving to work with his two sons Pino and Vito. This gives an appeal to Sal as a family man.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes the movie, do the right thing, by spike lee, which deals with violence and racism in today's society.
- Analyzes how sal is portrayed as a hard-working, kind, and devoted individual. his pizzeria was built by himself from the ground up.
- Explains that sal's pizzeria is open for the day after finishing his pre-opening preparations. shortly after this, the main character of the movie, mookie, comes strolling into the restaurant.
- Analyzes how mookie acts as a mediator between the two races. sal relies on him not only to get the pizzas delivered, but also to keep his fellowblack folks happy with him.
- Analyzes how sal turns into a bigot, hating most black people and talking behind their back while they are not around. sal seems to have this father-son bond between him and mookie.
- Analyzes how sal's affection for jade shows anotherawkward side of sal. is sal considering some sort of interracial relationship?
- Analyzes how sal's restaurant in a black neighborhood is purely business, and he must travel to someone else’s turf to compete.
- Analyzes how a scary, conservative idea voiced over and over again in the film is that everybody is safest in their"own" neighborhood and that it is best if we remain withpeople like ourselves.
- Opines that sal's main problem is that he isn't in the business for the love of it anymore. he has lost some of the fire that always got him going.
- Analyzes how sal builds up a grudge or hatred against black people and at the end of the movie, he reaches his limit of tolerance and blows his top.
- Analyzes how buggin out notices no black people on the wall and asks sal to put them up. he doesn't even open his mind to new ideas.
- Analyzes how sal's fear of change leads him into a shouting match with buggin out, who insists that he will form boycotts against sal.
- Analyzes how sal shows his nice side and lets four kids in buggin out and raheem storm into sal's pizzeria with the radio blaring.
- Analyzes how raheem and buggin out refuse to turn the music down, so they stand there and shout at each other.
- Analyzes how sal says something that makes every blackperson irate and every white person cringe because theyknow that something bad is going to happen. the character played by martinlawrence then stands up and says "oh so we're niggersnow?"
- Opines that sal, although he might not admit,thinks that mookie did the right thing as far as from sal's aspect.
- Concludes that the essay written by bell hooks brings up a good point that they believe pretty.
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