Another look...Do the Right Thing

The presence of mise-en-scène within the settings found within this film adds to the illustration of the pervasiveness of racism in the day-to-day lives of the characters. More specifically, the theme of characters looking through windows and the window-like framing within the different settings symbolizes the different lenses that the characters look at racism through and how it creates tension and difference within the neighborhood.

For a good deal of the film, you see Mother Sister looking out onto the interactions of the neighborhood through her window. To me, it seemed like this character placement and setting was portraying her as the grandmother of the neighborhood: she's a bit cynical because she's seen a lot during her time living there, but she just wants everyone to get along and to live in peace. Her window is a few floors above the street, which vaguely symbolizes her detachment from the neighborhood. She looks out onto everything and everyone, judges and makes comments, but only a few times in the film do we actually see her out of the context of her window.

Another example of the significance of windows in the film is DJ Mister Senor Love Daddy looking through his window all day, everyday while doing his radio show. The window in this context serves as a barrier between him and the neighborhood, much like Mother Sister and her window. He comments on everything that is going on in the neighborhood, because he knows all and sees all. He is the mouthpiece of the neighborhood. He knows what is going on in the neighborhood, the racist and hurtful actions that take place everyday. He serves as a peacemaker and a facilitator for equality in the neighborhood, but the presence of the window symbolizes the anger and resentful feelings within the neighborhood that restricts any real progrss.

Another representation of windows in this film is the window of the pizzeria that is broken after Radio Raheem's murder to symbolize the breakdown of the racial barriers within the neighborhood.

Another thing that I noticed within the various settings in this film was the framing that caused walls, in my interpretation, to resemble windows looking into the feelings of racism within the neighborhood. Specifically, I am referring to the various shots that focus on the "wall of fame" found in Sal's pizzeria. All of the pictures hanging on that wall were of famous Italian Americans, none of whom were black. This is a source of contention within the neighborhood, especially with Buggin' Out, because he feels that because this is a black neighborhood there should be pictues of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X on the wall as well. He sees this wall as a display of racism, because it is so prominently displayed and because Sal has refused to put anything black up on the wall.

Overall, even though I didn't particularly like this movie, the presence of mise-en-scène contributed to my understanding of the plot and what Spike Lee created Do the Right Thing to mean to our racially charged society.