Do the Right Thing is one of those films that has to rely heavily on the setting of the film because there is not a whole lot of action throughout the entirety of the film. The Mise-en-scene in this film is very important, symbolic, and instrumental to the outcome of the film. The props in this film pay a very important role in how the film plays out and work into the story of every single character we encounter in this film as well.
Some of the most important props in this film are the portraits that are hanging on the wall in Sal's Pizzeria that are of famous people such as Frank Sinatra, Joe DiMaggio, Liza Minella, Al Pocino and a number of other caucasian actors, actresses, and musicians, but there are no portraits of African Americans on the wall and on this particular day that really seemed to bother the one character Buggin' Out. When Buggin' Out brings this up at Sal's, Mookie trys to reason with him and calm him down, but he is unable to do so. Also when he brings it up to Sal, Sal of course defends himself by saying that it is his shop so he is allowed to put portraits of whoever he wants on his own walls, this then really ticks of Buggin' Out and he storms out in a huff with the determination to protest Sal's and get as many people on the block to protest with him. These portraits play a role in everything that goes on throughout the rest of the movie. Everything that Buggin' Out does throughout the rest of the movie has to do with the photos as well because he is so upset about them.
Throughout the whole movie everything that went one seemed to always come back to these photos that Sal had on his wall, and also the photos that another character carried around and tried to sell that were of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King and his name is Smiley. Because of these photos that underlying meaning of racism is apparent through the significance of the photos. I could tell that even when Mookie was trying to calm down Buggin' Out to get him out of Sal's, that even Mookie understood where he was coming from, but he couldn't really say anything because he works as the delivery guy for Sal.
When Buggin' Out gets some of the other people to follow him in his protest of Sal's Pizzeria and when he brings the group with him to Sal's all hell breaks loose and terrible things start to
happen. When I thought about this scene while watching it I was completely shocked about the
way that everyone reacted about a few photos on a wall in a pizza shop. But I also believe in fighting for what you believe in, and you should fight for it with great passion, and that is what Buggin' Out is doing, it seemed a little harsh because of the ultimate turn out of the film. But while I was watching it I was a little disturbed
by everything that was going on because of the intensity. I guess when though when you really care about something that is that important to you, you will do whatever you need to do to fight for what you believe in.
Throughout the entire film racial stereotypes and other controversial issues are brought up from everyone of the characters. Sal's eldest son was a very racist man in the movie and he was not afraid to show it. And one of the other characters in the film who plays a very prominent role is Radio Raheem who walks around with a big boom box on his should playing the same song over and over again ver
y loudly. The song that he plays over and over is called "Fight the Power" and everyone that he walks by either freaks out about the volume or they go right along with it. There is also a Korean couple on the corner of the block who have a grocery store and there are people who are racist towards them and they are racist towards the others as well. Each character in one or another has a racist remark at one time or another throughout the movie. And although racism is a very important and prevalent topic to address Spike Lee takes it to a whole new level in his film.
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