Race Representation & Naturalism in Do the Right Thing (1989)

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Do the Right Thing (1989); written, directed and produced by Spike Lee, is a film in which inner city racism is shed light upon, as the film, after all, is dedicated in memory to an actual event (what a surprise) that took place in New York at the time. There are various types of cinematography displayed in the film, and they are representation and naturalism. The film’s organizational structure is race representation in particular. Corrigan & White (2009) speaks about this representation in the text in the quote below.

“[...] the aesthetic sense, whereby we may speak of representation of African-Americans in the films of Spike Lee versus those of Gone with the Wind [...]” (). Unlike many other films of its time, this movie proudly and controversially represented African-American characters. Martin Lawrence’s crew was one of the groups represented in the film, which they represents the loud-mouthed, obnoxious, “hip-hop” type of the new school kids of these days; Spike Lee, who is a part of the typically unmotivated, non-ambitious, irresponsible, young black father image of these days; and the old school crew of yesteryear, which Mother-sister and the Da Mayor represent. Mother-sister is old and sits in her window all day moaning about the clowns of the neighborhood, in particular, the Da Mayor who reminds her of her ex husband ironically enough.  Da Major, who still wears suits like it was the 1950s, walks around drunk, but holds moral standards of the old days and demands respect from the kids living there, being that he is the old man. 

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The film represents the sad, disgusting history and present issues in this country: racism. Many people do not want to hear about it, but it is there, and the movie portrays it realistically, which brings us to our next element of cinematography in the film: Mise-en-Scene. Naturalism is a part of the Mise-en-Scene concept, and the term is used in the film. What’s realistic about the movie is the discrimination, violence, hatred and racism the film depicts. The course text defines Naturalism. “If mise-en-scene is about the arrangement of space and the objects in it, as we have suggested, the naturalism in the mise-en-scene means that how a place looks is the way it is supposed to look” (86).

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The Italian white guys hate the blacks, they spit disgusting racial slurs and a black man was killed in the end of the film, causing a riot. Just prior to the typically racial-charged death of a black man, there was a protest in formation. All of this is real as it has happened in this country, and it is because of these events that I am able to rightfully write about them today. African-Americans were wrongfully beaten, attacked, killed and stripped of their RIGHTS all because of the color of their skin, and even though this film is comedic, it is a darn shame and a blasphemy. Anyone who says the cops were the only "bad guys" in the film are just as blind as those who say "Racism is over, I mean look, we have a black president. Get over it."

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Yes, the heat made everyone irritable, but racism is deeply rooted in one, and no heat can make a person so disgustingly hateful; one is taught that from one's surroundings, being weak-minded. Radio Raheem walked around the city carrying a radio with Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power” on repeat; if anyone has ever listened to the song they would know the song deals with Civil Rights, unjust racism, discrimination and violence in the black community. The message of the song was about rising above it all and becoming one as people, equal as so-called “citizens” of the U.S. of White Supremacists’ A. 

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Some people complained and thought what Radio Raheem did was disrespectful and thus he was warranted a racial attack for it (i.e., an “N-word” tirade from Sal). Did Raheem spreading the message warrant his death? Did that warrant Raheem’s beating prior? Can we say Rodney King, Emmett Till, Martin Luther King, Jr., Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (who interviewed Spike Lee about the film ironically), and Chicago Torture Squad in the 1970s-1990s? Raheem had every right to walk into that racism-slurred-filled restaurant and blast his message, as “I hate [insert N-word here]” was NOT any better of a tune. Oh, or was it? “Show some respect for our restaurant” my foot. Show some respect for African-Americans is more like it.

Works Cited:

Corrigan, Timothy, and Patricia White. Film Experience: an Introduction. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Bedford/St. Martins, 2009. Print.

Lee, Spike, perf. Do the Right Thing. Narr. Samuel L. Jackson. 1989. Universal Pictures, 1989. DVD.

Elements of Cinematography in War of the Worlds (2005)

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War of the Worlds (2005), originally done in 1953, depicts Tom Cruise as a divorced father of two who, in the middle of being invaded by Martians, attempts to get back in his children's' lives. There are many elements of cinematography in the film, such as props, plot, narration, editing and characters, etc. The prop is defined in Corrigan & White (2009) in the following quote. “The prop, (short for property) is an object that functions as a part of the set or is a tool used by the actors” (69). 

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A prop(s) in War of the Worlds (2005) in one scene, for example, would be the laundry hanging from the clothesline outside. In the scene where a storm, or lightening, attacks the city, violent winds moves the laundry wildly about, and the camera is looking at a mother standing there holding her frightened child. While the laundry would normally signify comfort and contentment, this scene shows the laundry moving frantically out of place to show discomfort, as if to show something is out of place, that something out of the ordinary is about to happen.

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Narration occurs in the beginning of the film when Morgan Freeman is introducing the film by giving insight about how people are so comfortable in their own stagnancy, and are afraid of change, closed to think outside the box and live and think differently than how they do. The course text defines Narration as follows. “Narration refers to the emotional, physical, or intellectual perspective through which the characters, events, and action of the plot appear” (235).

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In the film, the focus is on a man who, like many of the people in the film, is stuck in his own world of not taking events or people in his life as seriously as he should; or in his particular case, not taking his responsibilities as a father and former husband, to heart. Now he is living his own life with no responsibilities (no food in his refrigerator) even though he knows his kids are coming over; he does not help his daughter Rachel when she is getting her luggage from the van, and he is not as emotional or sensitive to his kids' feelings like he should be, being a father and all...

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In conclusion, in the film we also see many instances of graphic editing involved. Considering the fact that Steven Spielberg directed this movie, many circular shapes are depicted throughout the film, as it has been said that he favors them very much. Corrigan & White (2009) defines graphic editing in the quote, “[...] are such formal patterns as shapes, masses, colors, lines and lighting patterns within images” (158). 

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For example, in the beginning of the film, a microscopic, circular image of a rain drop is shown, as well as the world in its entirety. Also showing these circular images are scenes including trucks, where their wheels are shown up close; and most remembered by me particularly is the scene where Ray and his son, Robbie, are playing catch out in the front yard. In the middle of an argument, Robbie ducks on Ray's hard fast ball into his own window, creating a small circular hole that blended in nicely with Ray's cluttered kitchen and malnourished yard.

Works Cited:

 Corrigan, Timothy, and Patricia White. Film Experience: an Introduction. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Bedford/St. Martins, 2009. Print.

Cruise, Tom, Dakota Fanning, and Tim Robbins, perf. War of the Worlds. Dir. Steven Spielberg. 2005. Paramount Pictures, 2005. DVD.