Do the Right Thing

Obsessed with the visual aesthetic of this film, the usage of colour here completely submerges you into the hot, oppressive nature of Bedford Stuy, Samuel L Jacksons narration here punctuates each important moment in the film and provides some small aspect of comedic relief. Love the usage of dolly shots here and Spike Lee's character here really fascinated me, at the beginning his character seems uncaring and unbothered, he treats his job like free time to walk around the street with his friends, by the end of the film he switches over from inaction to action, choosing to make a stand on the racial injustice. The narrative structure here feels so much more different than most other films in the sense that the first hour and a half is mostly just dedicated to setting the groundwork for the conflict that happens in the final section, introducing us to the wide range of colourful characters and the power dynamics between the different racial groups which ultimately comes to ahead by the end of the film resulting in a chaotic riot emphasised by nauseating hand held camera movements which completely submerges you into the complete eruption of chaos The usage of music here emphasis the unrest and feelings of injustice experienced by African American's, Radio Raheem's leitmotif "Fight the Power" serves as a powerful anthem bringing to light the mounting feelings of frustration with powerful institutions in the 1980's as Reagans "War on drugs" resulted in mass incarceration of African Americans. I found the scene with Clifton incredibly interesting as he comes to represent a new movement of gentrification into working class African American neighbourhoods, the reaction from Buggin Out and his friends as he claims to have "lived in Brooklyn all my life" brings forth the growing power hierarchy's existing within America. Ultimately, Do the Right Thing stands as a powerful piece of cinema highlighting important issues surrounding racial injustice that continue to persist today, highlighting how film stands not just as a method to entertain but a medium that can hold a mirror up to society.