Film: Do the Right Thing
Name: Karis (Wenting Ye )
Student ID: 2715
Date: 2010-04-11
“Fight the power” is the Right Thing to Do
----------Analysis of “Do the Right Thing”
The movie Do the Right Thing is a 1989 movie directed by Spike Lee, and which is one of the best and most well-known works of Spike Lee.
The film was deemed "culturally significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry at 1999. In 2007, the American Film Institute listed the film as the ninety-sixth greatest American Movie in Film History. (Reference: Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do_the_Right_Thing)
This movie is described a life of a black community in New York. This movie is around a black delivery boy Mookie who work at the only pizzeria at this neighbourhood and the Pizzeria owner Sal who is an Italian-American. It happens at a hot summer day. This day like another narrow day as usual but someone take out his emotions probably because the hot weather. It brings out a fight between black man and white man.
There is a rap song playing again and again, and that is “Fight the power”. “Fight the power” is used as a theme song for “Do the right thing” by Spike Lee.
Here are the lyrics of “Fight the power”:
1989 the number another summer (get down)
Sound of the funky drummer
Music hittin' your heart cause I know you got sould
(Brothers and sisters, hey)
Listen if you're missin' y'all
Swingin' while I'm singin'
Givin' whatcha gettin'
Knowin' what I know
While the Black bands sweatin'
And the rhythm rhymes rollin'
Got to give us what we want
Gotta give us what we need
Our freedom of speech is freedom or death
We got to fight the powers that be
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power
Chorus
As the rhythm designed to bounce
What counts is that the rhymes
Designed to fill your mind
Now that you've realized the prides arrived
We got to pump the stuff to make us tough
from the heart
It's a start, a work of art
To revolutionize make a change nothin's strange
People, people we are the same
No we're not the same
Cause we don't know the game
What we need is awareness, we can't get careless
You say what is this?
My beloved lets get down to business
Mental self defensive fitness
(Yo) bum rush the show
You gotta go for what you know
Make everybody see, in order to fight the powers that be
Lemme hear you say...
Fight the Power
Chorus
Elvis was a hero to most
But he never meant shit to me you see
Straight up racist that sucker was
Simple and plain
Mother fuck him and John Wayne
Cause I'm Black and I'm proud
I'm ready and hyped plus I'm amped
Most of my heroes don't appear on no stamps
Sample a look back you look and find
Nothing but rednecks for 400 years if you check
Don't worry be happy
Was a number one jam
Damn if I say it you can slap me right here
(Get it) lets get this party started right
Right on, c'mon
What we got to say
Power to the people no delay
To make everybody see
In order to fight the powers that be
(Fight the Power)
(Reference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PaoLy7PHwk)
From the lyrics, it is not difficult to see black people fight for freedom and respect to the government. From the tempo of the songs, the singer rap out the anger of black people. This song likes a political statement to sing out the voice of black people. For a long time, black people played slaves on western history. Even now, some parts of white people still hate the black. The black people still are kept under by white. The new immigrant-African-American, still meets these problems. Racial discrimination is still happening in Unite States. What thing can solve this racial discrimination issue? Spike Lee agrees with using violence. When Sal broke Raheem’s radio, this action triggered the conflict. The residents of this community did damage and set the pizzeria on fire. To Lee, “Fight the power” is the right thing to do.
“Fight the power” brings out the conflict of this story. “Fight the power” totally showed sixth times on this movie except on the sequence. It was played by something which connects with Radio Raheem. Every time, when “Fight the power” is playing, the shot is being shown on the screen, which always the angry emotion. What’s more, they are different levels anger along with “Fight the power”.
The beginning of the movie, there is a vigorous and aggressive girl dancing with a rap song “Fight the Power”. The girl always shows the angry face whether she changes different clothes, sometimes she wear a blue leotard outfit as a boxing outfit, sometimes she wear a red dress . There is a typical New York apartment building as background, which tells us the story is happening at New York. The girl dances and moves around to the music, mirroring the energy of the song. The director use medium and long shot to capture the energy of the girl dancing with the powerful music. The dancing shows a sense of strength and independence.(0-1) This scene takes over four minute at the beginning of the movie. This brief sequence, likes a music videos, which style is familiar with MTV. This kinds of shooting was using in some modern Hollywood films at that time. 
(0-1) The girl is dancing with “fight the power”
A black girl and a powerful rap song are showing at sequence. The lyrics of the song and the raging look of the girl bring an idea about racial discrimination to audience. The attitude of wrath is showing there is going to have a war.
“Fight the power” shows at the first time, Radio Raheem played this song by the big radio walking on the street and then he met some the ground of kids around the neighbourhood. He was proud of showing the big radio and the music to the kids. He seemed like to remain black people who live in this neighbourhood all the time to standing with black. The director was panning the camera from down to up cutting the kids view to Radio Raheem view, and using the low show (1-1) to these characters. The POV (Point of view) of Radio Raheem (1-2) to the kids is parallel. Radio Raheem doesn’t want to scare them and just want to share the music to them.
(1-1) Wide-Angle Lens/Low show to Radio Raheem
(1-2) The POV of Radio Raheem - the kids
At the second time of playing this song, Radio Raheem played the music loudly to compete with the Spanish man who was playing Spanish song. Radio Raheem had a little bit angry with Spanish men because they did not like the song he played. For the Radio Raheem entrance, the director was using low show and panning the camera from down to up (2-1) again. The cut of Spanish man still keep parallelism with shooting Radio Raheem.(2-2) It shows Raheem respect for his opponent. The director also use ELS(Extreme Long Shot) to shooting after Radio Raheem won the competition.(2-3)
(2-1) Wide-Angle Lens/Low show to Radio Raheem
(2-2)The Spanish man is watching Radio Raheem. 
(2-3)Raido Raheem was walking away after he won the competition.
Radio Raheem always plays this song loudly walking around at this neighbourhood. One of the reasons is the location of this neighbourhood which belongs to black people. But the fact is not like that. This place not only has black people living but also has other white people or Asian people living and making their own business. For Radio Raheem, this neighbourhood is his home. Radio Raheem competed with Spanish man and Radio Raheem won this competition. In some sense, he protects his territory.
The third time, Radio Raheem played the song loudly at Sal’s pizzeria. He ordered a slice of pizza from Sal but Sal asked him to turn his radio off. Radio Raheem thought he had right to play music wherever he wants but Sal thought this rap song is junk. Black people create the new style of music. That is Rap song. These kinds of music always show the scornful and wrathful emotion. They always bring out a defiant feeling so that Sal doesn’t like these kinds of music. And the most important thing is this place owner is Sal. Sal just allows the Italian music and Italian culture was showing on this place.
The director use wide-angles lens to show Radio Raheem’s threatening demeanour. Radio Raheem show his rage to Sal. This kind of shot technique always is used at shooting music video. (3-1) Spike Lee did not use wide-angles lens only once. When Radio Raheem was telling the “love and hate” story to Mookie, the shot angle changed from middle shot to wide-angles lens and it was long take. (3-3)The director always uses extensive camera movements to change the angle. The POV (Point of View) of the Radio Raheem to Sal is looking down. It not only shows that Radio Raheem has a intimidatory attitude to Sal, but also shows that Sal has a pavid feeling to Radio Raheem. (3-2)
(3-1)Radio Raheem look at Sal when he orders a slice of pizza.
(3-2)Sal asked Radio Raheem to turn his radio off.
(3-3)Radio Raheem told “love and hate” story to Mookie.
Compare with the songs were played when Sal came out, they were quieter. Most of this background music was played by cello. The style of these songs likes European-style.
Sal is an Italian-American. He was proud of raising the black kids by his pizza at this neighbourhood. But on the other side, Sal’ family also were raised by the black people. Sal showed his attitude is kind to the black people but there was still having voice tell himself-he hate black people.
Sal always told his son Pino did not have argument with Mookie and told he be nice to black people. Every day, Sal gave money to Da Mayor to clean the windows of pizzeria. But on the other side, Sal was not allowing play any rap song in his pizzeria.
When Sal’s son Pino asked his father leave this neighbourhood to open a new pizzeria at another new place, Sal said no to him. For the real life, he had no choice to keep open pizzeria at this black people neighbourhood. It is another satire of the life. Spike Lee shoots this lengthy conversation in one long take. (3-3)
(3-3) Pino asked Sal open the pizzeria at another place.
“8:11” in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeSxk4Ky1-Y&feature=related show this long take.
When Buggin came to discuss to destroy Sal’s pizzeria, Radio Raheem agreed with him. At this moment, “Fight the power was played at the fourth time. Radio Raheem and Buggin had the same goal-let the white people know they are in the black neighbourhood, and they should give respect to the black people. At this time, Radio Raheem and Buggin ‘Out fond “power” together by Boycott the pizzeria. Lee use wide-angles lens again to shoot this conversation. (4-1) He cut the shot from medium shop to top shot and zoom in the camera shooting Smiley, Buggin and Radio Raheem.(4-2)
(4-1)Buggin came to have a discussion to Radio Raheem.
(4-2)Smiley, Buggin and Radio Raheem are looking up.
When Radio Raheem and Buggin were talking to Sal at the pizzeria, Radio Raheem played the song loudly. Even Sal asked him to make the volume down because Sal hated these kinds of noise music, Radio Raheem still did not stop. “Fight the power” was played at the fifth time, and it broke out the conflict. For Raheem’s ignore, Sal was furious so he broke Raheem’s radio. Radio Raheem fought to Sal marked his wrath.
With the characters were fighting, the camera angle was changing from long shot to medium shot. The POV of Radio Raheem and Buggin is looking down to Sal, (5-1) contrarily, the POV of Sal is looking up to Raheem and Buggin. It is showing a fear. (5-2)
(5-1)Sal asked to turn off the radio
(5-2)Buggin asked Sal to put some black man picture on pizzeria wall.
The last time “Fight the power” was played when Smiley put the Martin Luther King Jr.and Malcolm X picture on pizzeria wall. The pizzeria was burning but Smiley was smiling. (6-1)(6-2)
(6-1)The picture of Martin Luther King Jr.and Malcolm X
(6-2)Smiley was smiling.
This smile can mean Buggin makes his wish come true, which is putting the black man picture on pizzeria wall. Or it can mean the black man defeat the white man at this time. Buggin just strive for putting the black people photos on white people’s place. He want black people can have the same status with white people. This time, the song is not standing for anger. That is kinds of victory.
Martin Scorese said “sound can tell the whole story”. “Fight the power” as a theme song shows sever time in this movie. Evert time it comes, it shows the characters emotion. It likes a fight song and it likes representing black people’s voice.
Radio Raheem burn the pizzeria to show his defiance. He is using violence to solve the problem. Contrasting with Radio Raheem, Da Mayor always does the right thing. He told Mooike do the right thing after Mookie had a row with Sal. He told a lie to the police to cover the black kids’ behaviour. He saved a little boy who almost knocked down by a car. He sent flower to Mother Sister to change relationship with Mother Sister. And he tried his best to stop the fight between Radio Raheem and Sal. Da Mayor is not agreeing with violence. He doesn’t think violence can solve the problem. For Da Mayor’s background music, it is always the gentle and casual music. By throwing in these two different kinds of music, it stands out the raging emotion of “Fight the power”.
The men in the photo which sell from Smiley are Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. These two men hold different opinions. Martin Luther King , Jr. think violence is immoral, contrarily Malcolm X is agreeing using violence in self-defence. Da Mayor keeps Martin Luther King, Jr. idea to do the right thing and avoiding violence. Obviously, Spike Lee agrees with Malcolm X because he let the fight happen but there is someone dies in the end. So is it violence really can solve anything?
New York is the most populous city in the United States, which consist of different people from different place. United States represent freedom, which advocates accommodating different race. Is it the truth? Spike Lee shotting a normal day at a black neighbourhood as a theme for this movie, which also reflect the underlying problems in the community.
The director use different types of music which were listened by different ethnic groups of characters to show different culture. The songs help characterize the community for audiences. But he use one main song to connect the whole movie to give expression for his idea “Sometimes the violence can solve the problems. You have no choice to rely on violence to meet the fact.”
“Are we going to live together? Together we are going to live?” Mister Senor Love Daddy leaves this question at the end of the movie. That is also Spike Lee leaves this question to the audiences.
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