Month: November 2022

Film Analysis: Do The Right Thing

samanthaseal22
'Do the Right Thing'
“‘Do the Right Thing’” by moviesinla is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.

Summary

  • IN ONE TO TWO SENTENCES, DESCRIBE WHAT FILM YOU ANALYZED FOR THIS PROJECT AND WHY YOU CHOSE IT
  • DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s ALL UPPERCASE INSTRUCTIONS ABOVE

Film Analysis

Film TitlePLACE YOUR RESPONSES IN THIS COLUMN (DELETE THIS MESSAGE BEFORE YOU WRITE)
Year1989
DirectorSpike Lee
CountryUSA
GenreComedy/Drama
If you could work on this film (change it), what would you change and why?

Film information can be found at imdb.com

As you view films, consider how the cuts, camera angles, shots, and movement work to create particular meanings. Think about how they establish space, privilege certain characters, suggest relationships, and emphasize themes. In addition to shot distances, angles, editing, and camera movement, note details of the narrative, setting, characters, lighting, props, costume, tone, and sound.

Ask yourself the following questions:

TOPICYOUR NOTES
1. Who is the protagonist?Mookie
2. Who is the antagonist?Sal and police?
3. What is the conflict?Radio Raheem goes to Sal’s pizza shop to get pizza and walks in with his music playing. Sal tells him to turn it down or no pizza but he doesn’t listen. This results in Sal smashing the boombox and then Sal and Radio Raheem get into a fight. The cops get called and break up the fight but also take Radio Raheem and choke him to death.
4. What is the theme or central, unifying concept? (summarize in one or two words)Racism
5. How is the story told (linear, non-linear, with flashbacks, flash-forwards, at regular intervals)linear? regular intervals?
6. What “happens” in the plot (Brief description)?
7. How does the film influence particular reactions on the part of viewers (sound, editing,
characterization, camera movement, etc.)? Why does the film encourage such
reactions?
8. Is the setting realistic or stylized? What atmosphere does the setting suggest? Do particular objects or settings serve symbolic functions?
9. How are the characters costumed and made up? What does their clothing or makeup reveal about their social standing, ethnicity, nationality, gender, or age? How do costume and makeup convey character?
10. How does the lighting design shape our perception of character, space, or mood?
11. How do camera angles and camera movements shape our view of characters or spaces? What do you see cinematically?
12. What is the music’s purpose in the film? How does it direct our attention within the image? How does it shape our interpretation of the image? What stands out about the music?
13. How might industrial, social, and economic factors have influenced the film? Describe how this film influences or connects to a culture?
14. Give an example of what a film critic had to say about this film. Use credible sources and cite sources.Example: “The Shawshank Redemption Movie Review (1994) | Roger Ebert.” All Content. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 June 2015.
15. Select one scene no longer than 5 minutes that represents well the whole film and shows relevant cinematic elements. Write a one-sentence description of the scene and record the time of the scene.Example: from 1:05:00 to 1:10:00.Explain why you chose this scene.PLACE THE TIME STAMP FROM THE SCENE HERE… Example: 01:48:50 – 01:54:00 ish (last 5 minutes of film)
16. In the selected scene: write a sentence for each of the elements below to justify why this scene best represents the film:
a. Screenwriting:aggressive-loud and cursing, funny, bickering between Mookie and Sal, calm, radio station saying election coming up and to vote, quotes at the end of the film from Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X talking about how violence isn’t part of the solution vs. violence could be used as part of the solution (juxtaposition).
b. Sound Design:cans being stepped on in beginning, people talking in the background calling for Mookie as he walks away
c. Camera Movements/Angles:Mookie is on the left side looking right, and Sal is on the right side looking left. Both are in the center of the shot though. eye level single shots with characters, then low angle 2-shot looking up when Mookie gives money back as they are resolving conflict, back to eye level again, close up of picking up money, camera following Mookie from the front walking and panning out. Behind Mookie is the neighborhood and behind Sal is the mural of multiple cultures.
d. Light Setup:shining on the characters faces-representing mid to late daytime. in 2-shot Mookie has bright direct light on his whole body, whereas Sal doesn’t have much light on him at all. At the end of the clip, as Mookie is walking away, Sal and his shop are in a shadow and Mookie was in bright daylight.
e. Soundtrack/Score:calm classical jazz (saxophone) during the argument, and calm classical (harps/violins) after the argument.
18. What’s the socio-cultural context of this film?

This worksheet was developed with ideas from many IB Film teachers, thus should remain in the Creative Commons

Mr. Le Duc’s Film Analysis Resources

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