DO THE RIGHT THING CONDENSED FACT SHEET
Director – Spike Lee
Release Date – 1989
CREDIT/OPENING SEQUENCE
- Tina dances aggressively to Public Enemy ‘Fight the Power’, a repeating aural motif in
the film. It symbolises resistance, defiance, and the fight against systemic oppression
- The lighting is stylised and dramatic, with red hues dominating the background,
creating an intense feeling
- The constant change of environment emphasises a theatrical and confrontational mood
- The hard-hitting beats and aggressive lyrics of the film immediately create a charged
atmosphere, mirroring the film’s underlying themes of social injustice and activism
- The camera remains mostly static – allowing Tina’s movements to dominate the frame.
This emphasises the intensity and physicality of her performance
- The alternation between extreme close-ups and medium shots feels chaotic but it
highlights her expressions of anger, defiance, and determination
- The red lighting symbolises anger, heat, and danger, mirroring the rising racial tensions
in the film. Occasionally, blue lighting cuts through the red, creating a visually striking
effect that suggests conflict and contrast.
- The shadows and chiaroscuro add a sense of drama and urgency to the performance
- The lack of dialogue ensures that the focus is entirely on the music and movement
- The quick cuts between different angles and movements make the scene feel energetic
and confrontational
- Some of the movements are repeated from different angles, reinforcing the sense of
defiance and persistence
- Fast zoom-in shot highlighting the pressure and intensity of the film
- Match-cuts between Tina doing the same move in different locations keeps our focus
- Crash cut from hymn playing with a quote on the screen to Fight the Power. This
highlights a contrast between old and new and the development of black music
RADIO RAHEEM’S MURDER SCENE
- Low angle shots of the police officers make them appear dominant and oppressive
- Zoom in on Radio Raheem’s face captures his struggles, pain and fading life
- Close-ups of the crowd’s horrified expressions emphasise their powerlessness and
collective trauma
- Close-up of Radio Raheem’s feet stopping moving signals his death in a brutal,
inhumane manner
- The shaky, handheld camera makes the scene feel chaotic, raw, and realistic
- The camera pulling back as the police car drives away presents it as a cold, impersonal
force and represents Raheem as just another casualty
- The harsh, artificial lighting from streetlights and police car sirens add to the unsettling
and oppressive atmosphere
- The flashing red and blue police lights create a clashing effect. Those lights are
supposed to symbolise help and yet they were the culprits for the murder
- The contrast between the dark background and brightly lit characters makes the
violence feel even more stark and unavoidable
- Raheem’s heavy breathing and chocking sounds are amplified, making his struggle
impossible to ignore
- The diegetic sound of the crowd’s shouting and pleas create a sense of urgency and
helplessness, compared to the eerily silent nature of the police, making their violence
feel systematic and detached
- The lack of background music forces the audience to focus entirely on the realism of
the moment, making it more distressing and impactful
- There is a sudden silence when Raheem dies, emphasising the weight of what just
happened
- There are many cuts to different angles, mirroring the chaos and panic
- When Raheem stops moving, the camera lingers on his lifeless body, forcing the
audience to confront the finality and brutality of the act
- Raheem’s boombox being crushed and silenced is a symbol of the erasure of Black
voices and resistance. ‘Fight the Power’ is abruptly cut off, signifying the suppression of
the fight for justice
, - When Raheem is dead, the police officer looms over him, reinforcing power imbalance
and oppression
- The zoom in on his ‘LOVE’ ring calls back to his monologue about the eternal struggle
between love and hate and highlights the tragic contrast
- Canted angles when they start shouting in the pizzeria feels distorted and highlights
how quickly violence erupts
- After the police car drives away, Smiley is alone in the frame. We can see the long road
behind him, fully empty. This highlights the impact of the events
- Tracking shot as everyone makes comments about the rioting, voicing the impact of
what happened. The camera tracks Mookie as he takes the bin to the window, making
us feel as though we are immersed in the action
- ‘They didn’t have to kill the boy’ – Until this point Raheem is a character that we are
supposed to fear as he is presented as very powerful. The reinforcement that he was
just a boy highlights the injustice of what happened.
- The next day when Mookie confronts Sal, slow jazz music is played, highlighting the
power of music
THE RIOT SCENE
- It’s the emotional and thematic climax of the film
- Canted angles make the world feel unstable and chaotic. It reinforces the breakdown of
order and peace and the spiralling violence
- Shaky, handheld camera puts the audience in the middle of the actions and in turn
builds up the intensity. It creates a documentary-like realism and makes the violence
feel immediate and raw
- Extreme close-ups of the characters’ faces, sweat, and rage-filled expressions heighten
the emotional intensity. When Mookie throws the trash can, his face is framed tightly,
emphasising his anger and frustration
- POV shots immerse the audience in the mob mentality and emotional turmoil
- Even though it takes place at night, the scene is lit with bright, artificial light from
streetlamps and fires. This creates sharp contrasts between shadows and flames,
mirroring the moral ambiguity of the situation
- The glow of the fire creates red and orange hues, symbolising rage, destruction and
uncontainable anger. This visually connects to the opening scene, where red lighting
also played a significant role
- The soundscape is chaotic, filled with shouting, breaking glass, sirens, and the flames.
This makes it feel immersive. There is no background score, making it feel more real
and unsettling
- There is a moment of quiet tension before Mookie throws the trash can, making the
violence feel sudden and shocking
- The use of ‘Fight the Power’ shows how the characters have realised the message of
the song and have fought back against oppression
- The rapid cuts between Sal, Mookie, the rioters, and the police creates a disorientating,
chaotic feeling
- The slow motion used on Mookie throwing the trash can emphasises it as the breaking
point. The destruction of the pizzeria is also shot in dramatic slow motion, highlighting
its symbolic weight
- The riot escalates quickly and ends suddenly with the arrival of the police, reflecting
how violence erupts without warning but also ends without resolution
- The trash can is a powerful visual symbol – a statement of frustration and resistance
- The burning pizzeria represents the destruction of a long-standing institution but also
serves as a metaphor for deeper racial and economic tensions
- Mookie stands in the middle between Sal and the crowd, showing his role as a bridge
between the two sides
- The rioters are all dressed in red – a visual representation of the heat. The Korean
family are in blue, creating a divide between the two groups. Sal and his family are
dressed in black
- Shot of the burning photos on the wall of fame shows how the heat has risen to a
breaking point. It has engulfed the most famous and admired of them all
- The increased saturation represents the heightened racial tensions
KEY THEMES
Director – Spike Lee
Release Date – 1989
CREDIT/OPENING SEQUENCE
- Tina dances aggressively to Public Enemy ‘Fight the Power’, a repeating aural motif in
the film. It symbolises resistance, defiance, and the fight against systemic oppression
- The lighting is stylised and dramatic, with red hues dominating the background,
creating an intense feeling
- The constant change of environment emphasises a theatrical and confrontational mood
- The hard-hitting beats and aggressive lyrics of the film immediately create a charged
atmosphere, mirroring the film’s underlying themes of social injustice and activism
- The camera remains mostly static – allowing Tina’s movements to dominate the frame.
This emphasises the intensity and physicality of her performance
- The alternation between extreme close-ups and medium shots feels chaotic but it
highlights her expressions of anger, defiance, and determination
- The red lighting symbolises anger, heat, and danger, mirroring the rising racial tensions
in the film. Occasionally, blue lighting cuts through the red, creating a visually striking
effect that suggests conflict and contrast.
- The shadows and chiaroscuro add a sense of drama and urgency to the performance
- The lack of dialogue ensures that the focus is entirely on the music and movement
- The quick cuts between different angles and movements make the scene feel energetic
and confrontational
- Some of the movements are repeated from different angles, reinforcing the sense of
defiance and persistence
- Fast zoom-in shot highlighting the pressure and intensity of the film
- Match-cuts between Tina doing the same move in different locations keeps our focus
- Crash cut from hymn playing with a quote on the screen to Fight the Power. This
highlights a contrast between old and new and the development of black music
RADIO RAHEEM’S MURDER SCENE
- Low angle shots of the police officers make them appear dominant and oppressive
- Zoom in on Radio Raheem’s face captures his struggles, pain and fading life
- Close-ups of the crowd’s horrified expressions emphasise their powerlessness and
collective trauma
- Close-up of Radio Raheem’s feet stopping moving signals his death in a brutal,
inhumane manner
- The shaky, handheld camera makes the scene feel chaotic, raw, and realistic
- The camera pulling back as the police car drives away presents it as a cold, impersonal
force and represents Raheem as just another casualty
- The harsh, artificial lighting from streetlights and police car sirens add to the unsettling
and oppressive atmosphere
- The flashing red and blue police lights create a clashing effect. Those lights are
supposed to symbolise help and yet they were the culprits for the murder
- The contrast between the dark background and brightly lit characters makes the
violence feel even more stark and unavoidable
- Raheem’s heavy breathing and chocking sounds are amplified, making his struggle
impossible to ignore
- The diegetic sound of the crowd’s shouting and pleas create a sense of urgency and
helplessness, compared to the eerily silent nature of the police, making their violence
feel systematic and detached
- The lack of background music forces the audience to focus entirely on the realism of
the moment, making it more distressing and impactful
- There is a sudden silence when Raheem dies, emphasising the weight of what just
happened
- There are many cuts to different angles, mirroring the chaos and panic
- When Raheem stops moving, the camera lingers on his lifeless body, forcing the
audience to confront the finality and brutality of the act
- Raheem’s boombox being crushed and silenced is a symbol of the erasure of Black
voices and resistance. ‘Fight the Power’ is abruptly cut off, signifying the suppression of
the fight for justice
, - When Raheem is dead, the police officer looms over him, reinforcing power imbalance
and oppression
- The zoom in on his ‘LOVE’ ring calls back to his monologue about the eternal struggle
between love and hate and highlights the tragic contrast
- Canted angles when they start shouting in the pizzeria feels distorted and highlights
how quickly violence erupts
- After the police car drives away, Smiley is alone in the frame. We can see the long road
behind him, fully empty. This highlights the impact of the events
- Tracking shot as everyone makes comments about the rioting, voicing the impact of
what happened. The camera tracks Mookie as he takes the bin to the window, making
us feel as though we are immersed in the action
- ‘They didn’t have to kill the boy’ – Until this point Raheem is a character that we are
supposed to fear as he is presented as very powerful. The reinforcement that he was
just a boy highlights the injustice of what happened.
- The next day when Mookie confronts Sal, slow jazz music is played, highlighting the
power of music
THE RIOT SCENE
- It’s the emotional and thematic climax of the film
- Canted angles make the world feel unstable and chaotic. It reinforces the breakdown of
order and peace and the spiralling violence
- Shaky, handheld camera puts the audience in the middle of the actions and in turn
builds up the intensity. It creates a documentary-like realism and makes the violence
feel immediate and raw
- Extreme close-ups of the characters’ faces, sweat, and rage-filled expressions heighten
the emotional intensity. When Mookie throws the trash can, his face is framed tightly,
emphasising his anger and frustration
- POV shots immerse the audience in the mob mentality and emotional turmoil
- Even though it takes place at night, the scene is lit with bright, artificial light from
streetlamps and fires. This creates sharp contrasts between shadows and flames,
mirroring the moral ambiguity of the situation
- The glow of the fire creates red and orange hues, symbolising rage, destruction and
uncontainable anger. This visually connects to the opening scene, where red lighting
also played a significant role
- The soundscape is chaotic, filled with shouting, breaking glass, sirens, and the flames.
This makes it feel immersive. There is no background score, making it feel more real
and unsettling
- There is a moment of quiet tension before Mookie throws the trash can, making the
violence feel sudden and shocking
- The use of ‘Fight the Power’ shows how the characters have realised the message of
the song and have fought back against oppression
- The rapid cuts between Sal, Mookie, the rioters, and the police creates a disorientating,
chaotic feeling
- The slow motion used on Mookie throwing the trash can emphasises it as the breaking
point. The destruction of the pizzeria is also shot in dramatic slow motion, highlighting
its symbolic weight
- The riot escalates quickly and ends suddenly with the arrival of the police, reflecting
how violence erupts without warning but also ends without resolution
- The trash can is a powerful visual symbol – a statement of frustration and resistance
- The burning pizzeria represents the destruction of a long-standing institution but also
serves as a metaphor for deeper racial and economic tensions
- Mookie stands in the middle between Sal and the crowd, showing his role as a bridge
between the two sides
- The rioters are all dressed in red – a visual representation of the heat. The Korean
family are in blue, creating a divide between the two groups. Sal and his family are
dressed in black
- Shot of the burning photos on the wall of fame shows how the heat has risen to a
breaking point. It has engulfed the most famous and admired of them all
- The increased saturation represents the heightened racial tensions
KEY THEMES
