The first movie I remember seeing in a theater had a black hero. Lando Calrissian, played by Billy Dee Williams, didn’t have any superpowers, but he ran his own city. That movie, the Star We value excellent academic writing and strive to provide outstanding essay writing service each and every time you place an order. We write essays, research papers, term papers, course works, reviews, theses and more, so our primary mission is to help you succeed academically Sample qa resume with qtp experience spike lee do the right thing essays pitt dissertation. Free einstien essays analysis writers sites usa good will hunting movie essay custom academic essay writer site for phdHow to write amounts in euros me writing essays. top critical thinking editing services uk professional article review editor websites
Do the Right Thing - Wikipedia
The film Do the Right Thing, written, directed and produced by Spike Lee, do the right thing spike lee essay on a single day of the lives of racially diverse people who live and work in a lower class neighborhood in Brooklyn New York. However, this ordinary day takes place on one of the hottest days of the summer. The film centers on how social class, race and the moral decisions that the characters make have a direct effect on the way people interact with each other.
The film, although released inwith its social commentary on the effect that race has on police brutality is just as relevant today as when it was released 26 years ago. Though the movie ultimately shows how dangerous it is to react to others based on race, ironically, Lee portrays characters stereotypically in the movie through their language and aesthetics.
Spike Lee indulges in stereotypes by using iconography to represent the different racial groups in the film Etherington-Wright He does this in numerous ways such as having Italian American characters wear crosses and tank top shirts. He also does this in his portrayal of Radio Raheem wearing an African medallion necklace while carrying a large boom do the right thing spike lee essay playing loud rap music.
Even tertiary characters such as a group of Puerto Rican friends are shown listening to salsa while speaking Spanish and drinking beer on the stoop of their apartment building. Lee also points out that his characters recognize that their different ethnicities can lead to a power struggle by having them openly insult each other through ethnic slurs in both a comic and serious fashion.
Throughout the film, the characters not only point out the differences in their race, but also display the ideas found in Marxism through their social interactions. The film is set in a predominantly black neighborhood and the only two families seen that own businesses are either Italian American or Korean American.
Therefore, some of the black characters like them because they are business owners and others dislike them for the same reason.
Lee shows that, although there is conflict between Korean Americans and African Americans, the history between whites and blacks is much more conflicted. The movie also clearly shows how by denying the picture, Sal keeps control over the black patrons in his restaurant. The two films clips that will be discussed will be analyzed by using both a racial and Marxist perspective.
The first clip shows black and Hispanic characters in conflict over material possessions, but ultimately respecting each other, and the second clip shows Mookie coming to the realization that as much as he tries to moderate peaceful relations between white and black characters at some point he feels he has to fight for what he thinks is unfair, even if it means losing his job over it. 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.
The man in the center speaks in Spanish, referring to his beautiful land Puerto Rico, while his friend disagrees with its beauty by calling it a nightmare. The scene is successful in portraying that this corner of the majority black neighborhood is very different from the rest. While the two friends begin to argue the camera pans away to reveal that the loud salsa music actually comes from an old boom box which begins to blend with loud rap music cluing the viewer that Radio Raheem must be near.
While the camera focus on Raheem, the sound of the Puerto Ricans yelling that their salsa music is being drowned out is heard.
The camera rotates to the right again and passes green bushes that represent a tropical climate as the salsa music starts to be heard again. The man in the center recognizes that Radio Raheem is issuing a challenge of power by standing next to them blaring loud rap music that many black youth identify with. This challenge of power has both racial and economic symbolism because it is essentially seeing not only whose stereo plays louder music, but also whose culture is the more dominating one.
Raheem then turns up multiple knobs and drowns out the salsa yet again, letting the Puerto Rican man know that in this power struggle he has just lost. This two minute scene, although entertaining, in reality represents the whole movie in the way the different races want to feel acknowledged, powerful and respected by the other races in the film.
In this scene Raheem proves he is more powerful and it is a precursor for the many confrontations that he faces throughout the film. The second selected scene begins minutes after Radio Raheem has been killed by the do the right thing spike lee essay because of their response to a street fight between Radio Raheem and Sal. This scene represents how disbelief turns to outrage, as the characters shout the names of other victims of police violence. At this point the viewer begins to realize that this may not have been a freak accident and in fact that has been happening repeatedly in this neighborhood.
The residents of this lower do the right thing spike lee essay neighborhood are now all aware that it is the norm for them to be victimized by police. The way they stand is very important because Sal is standing in the center and his two sons are standing behind him. Mookie is also next to him, but his body is slightly away from them showing that he is reconsidering his position towards them. He looks to Sal, then back at the neighborhood and begins to walk away from Sal and his sons.
The act is very significant because Mookie felt a loyalty to Sal through employment, but now a line in the sand is drawn. Seeing that tensions may escalate, the character Mayor tries to pacify the crowd, but they do not take him seriously due to his alcoholism and the fact that he is dressed poorly. At this point the crowd is upset, but have not decided to commit any acts of violence yet.
The camera panning from a largely black crowd to three white men staring at them shows that Sal and his sons may have more economic status, but they do not have the numbers. This scene is very fascinating because at this point Sal and his do the right thing spike lee essay are not just a symbol of wealth, but are now a symbol of any injustice committed against the people of the neighborhood by someone who is white or economically more powerful than they are.
It is ironic because Raheem was actually choking Sal before the police came, but the residents do not acknowledge that. As the residents loot the store it shows that they are tired of being made to feel powerless by the police and by all those who are economically better off. While some destroy the store, do the right thing spike lee essay, others go for the money showing that they are desperate to regain the power that they felt that they never had. While the neighborhood residents destroys the pizzeria, Sal is taken to the other side of the street where he is forced to watch in disbelief as not only his store is being destroyed, but also his economic superiority over them becomes destroyed as well, thus proving to be a remarkable scene.
Director Spike Lee chose to create a film that is able to both entertain and emotionally resonate with an audience by pointing out that when racial and social disparities are not properly addressed by those in power, they can ultimately lead to acts of extreme violence by those who feel powerless. Lee knew that in order to make a film about social issues he needed to embrace the stereotypes in order to criticize them.
The residents outside at the moment were not committing any acts of violence, but in a brief instant it do the right thing spike lee essay that the officers whose job it is to protect the community do not respect the residents they serve, and also hints at what is to come later in the movie, do the right thing spike lee essay. The film expertly lets the conflict build slowly instead focusing on the ridiculousness of stereotypes such as the Asian store owner with a thick accent, or the overly agitated and hyper active young man who can be seen as very pro black.
The film shows the viewer that these issues concerning race exist, do the right thing spike lee essay, but the characters do not directly confront them until the very end of the film. It is important to emphasize that these issues are not solely with race, but also who is in control. It is the combination of the two that takes things to a boiling point. Do The Right Thing is more than just a film on police brutality or racial identity, it is about the beauty and ugliness that exist, not only in a low income community, but do the right thing spike lee essay our selves.
Do The Right Thing. Spike Lee. Spike Lee, Danny Aiello. Universal, Etherington-Wright, Christine, and Ruth Doughty. Understanding Film Theory. Houndmills, Basingstoke, do the right thing spike lee essay, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, Previous Article Next Article Table of Contents. Magnificat a journal of undergraduate nonfiction.
Where to? Home Current Issue Past Issues May April April April April April April April April April April April April April Submission Guidelines High School Essay Contest Editorial Board Contact.
Do the Right Thing Analysis. by Walker Valdez April Introduction 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. 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.
Conclusion Director Spike Lee chose to create a film that is able to both entertain and emotionally resonate with an audience by pointing out that when racial and social disparities are not properly addressed by those in power, they can ultimately lead to acts of extreme violence by those who feel powerless, do the right thing spike lee essay.
Works Cited Do The Right Thing. Search for:. Welcome Magnificat is an annual journal of undergraduate nonfiction writing, published by Marymount Unversity's School of Humanities. Please enjoy our most recent issue, and visit our archives for past issues, do the right thing spike lee essay.
Magnificat is published annually in the spring. Submit your work to our next issue! Skip to toolbar About Marymount Commons About Marymount Commons Marymount Commons. org Documentation Support Forums Feedback.
Do the Right Thing: Crash Course Film Criticism #6
, time: 11:27Essay Writing Service - blogger.com
Oct 25, · Misc.: I remember reading FRANKENSTEIN for the first time in my 11th grade English class and being very surprised by the fact that Frankenstein is the name of the doctor — not the name of the monster.; OREO s (16A: Treat with a 71%-to% cookie-to-cream ratio) are pretty good, but the Double Stuf OREO s — even though they apparently only have times the cream of a regular Do the Right Thing is a American comedy-drama film produced, written, and directed by Spike blogger.com stars Lee, Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson, Giancarlo Esposito, Bill Nunn, John Turturro, and Samuel L. Jackson, and is the feature film debut of Martin Lawrence and Rosie blogger.com story explores a Brooklyn neighborhood's simmering racial tension between its African Do The Right Thing Ethics Words | 6 Pages. The film Do the Right Thing, composed, coordinated and delivered by Spike Lee, concentrates on a solitary day of the lives of racially different individuals who live and work in a lower class neighborhood in Brooklyn New York
No comments:
Post a Comment