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In Spike Lee’s 1989 film, ‘Do the Right Thing’, small details in the film’s setting come together to create an overall deeper meaning to the film. This controversial film is set in Brooklyn, New York on the hottest day of the year. Throughout this day, racial conflicts between an Italian- American family and the neighborhood locals, who were majority Blacks and Hispanics, are seen. Every character has some sort of racist anger within them even after the long struggle for equality - the civil rights movement. This paper will analyze the film using mise-en-scene, more specifically the setting, the film was conducted in.
The first setting that will be analyzed in this paper is in the scene where three unemployed black men, Sweet Dick Willie, ML, and Coconut Sid are sitting on chairs, in front of a red wall under a beach umbrella. ML is talking about how the Koreans started a grocery store in ‘his’ neighborhood. In this setting, the red colored wall behind them represents the heat and their emotions of anger about the injustices that are taking place. That is African Americans are not doing much to be productive where other races are seen as the ones who are successful with their own businesses. This can not only be seen when ML, Coconut Sid, as well as Sweet Dick Willie are sitting on the street but also throughout the movie where other African Americans are playing outside, walking around, talking, etc. The only one who seems to be different would have to be Mookie because he is the only one that seems to have a job. This is important because it signifies the bias that African Americans are undedicated when it comes to the workforce. Even the smallest details, with the white people owning the stores rather than the African Americans in the film, shows that racism still exists.
The second setting that will be analyzed in this paper is a shot of Mookie walking passed a brick wall bearing the graffiti message ‘Tawana told the truth’ on his way to Sal’s Pizzeria. This graffiti is shown in the background of a couple of scenes in the film. Tawana Brawley was a black teenager who claimed she had been kidnapped and sexually abused by several white men. The grand jury believed that she falsified the incident but regardless the African American community believed her and were by her side, hence Tawana told the truth. This setting symbolizes racial tension because this wall, like the color of the wall that ML, Coconut Sid, and Sweet Dick Willie were sitting in front of, is also red. The color red in this setting represents the anger that not only Tawana had but also the African American community had for the court. Again, the white people were able to get away with an unrighteousness act.
The last setting that will be analyzed occurs towards the end of the film when Mookie goes to Sal for his paycheck of the week. There, the audience can see the destroyed restaurant. The destruction of the restaurant represents the result when hate defeats love. The audience is able to see the outcome, in the last two setting discussed, of the theme, love and hate, when hate is in the lead just a bit. The outcome being no violence is seen but nor is there peace along the people. Once hate defeats love, violence occurs.
Overall, the racial divide is clearly seen between African Americans and whites in the movie. African Americans are not seen as successful, powerful, or respectable but rather people who do not own their own businesses and simply cause trouble.
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