MYST #4: Do The Right Thing

After seeing clips of the film in class, I wanted to watch Do the Right Thing in full.

It is very evident that aesthetics play a huge part in enhancing the strain between characters of opposing races, therefore enhancing the message of the film in general. Dutch angles, tight close-ups, high angles, low angles, and parallelism are all features throughout Do the Right Thing. Severe camera angles made their way into a majority of the scenes, and were often utilized to establish a sense of hierarchy in one character over another, whether it be through the color of their skin or a decision they choose to make. This is evident when a biker, who had been followed and harassed by Buggin' Out and his friends, was shot at a lower angle as he chose to ignore their jabs and to enter his apartment without causing unnecessary ruckus. Contrasting, the entourage is shot from a higher angle to reflect the childish manner of their words and actions as they continue to needlessly bother the innocent passerby. A memorable dutch angle took place between Mother Sister and Da Mayor — not only did it emphasize the power differential Mother Sister believed was present between the two characters, but enhanced the disorientation as a result of Da Mayor's intoxication. Music is also very important throughout the film, not only adding to the significance of the events taking place within the film but individual characters as well. "Fight The Power", frequently played from Radio Raheem's boom box, is about the empowerment and sometimes frustrations surrounding black Americans. Often played when Radio Raheem was on camera, it emphasized the intimidation and strength surrounding his character. This song actually caused some conflict within my own mind by the end of the film; I felt that there may have been another reason behind the song choice. On the one hand, the song is one of empowerment — the idea of fighting authority, fighting those who are trying to oppress who people are and how they chose to think and act. As I thought more about it, though, that is making the idea of power out to be bad, because it is being applied to those which may be suppressing others. Yet, power is synonymous with potential and capability, characteristics that are essential to unity and progress. So, by having "Fight the Power" play throughout the film, it may be reflecting the idea that these many different races were constantly fueling (and fooling) themselves with the idea that distancing and fighting against difference is beneficial, while in fact that is what leads to the community's inability to integrate effectively.

One of my favorite parts of the film was the "racial rants" scene. I think what caught my eye was the comical way in which very real issues were presented. The monologues were overstated and drawn out, the close-ups were unusually tight, and the acting itself was not credible. The scene featured so much diversity, yet each representative individual of this diverse group was caught up in their desire for monoculture. The way that each of these characters is shot individually, yet the frames are cut so closely, creates an ironic blend of each character. Very cool scene.


I really had a lot of questions, both big and small, at the close of the film. Why did Mookie's character, one that was so central to providing some connection between people,  never appear to be well-developed or willing to take on responsibility? He seemed to be one of the few rational people within the neighborhood, yet never realized the necessity of properly caring for his own son. Why was Vito more actively accepting of others, while his brother was not? If Mother Sister and Da Mayor were portrayed to be the "parents" of the community, why were they so flawed? What was the point of Samuel L. Jackson's character's repetition of the phrase "That's the truth, Ruth" (which also changed as the movie progressed…"that's the truth…that's the double truth…that's the triple truth, that's the quintessential truth, Ruth"). I have a feeling a lot of these questions have multiple answers, all of which may or may not be valid, but the sense of incompleteness at the end of the film seems to reflect the fact that racial tensions had been far from resolved.