In "Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing," Marilyn Fabe argues that Spike Lee adopts film theorist and director Sergei Eisenstein's dialectical montage - the juxtaposition of contrasting shots in order to bring the viewer to a new level of consciousness. Referring to Fabe's essay, describe two ways Lee creates dialectical conflict on the level of form, and two examples on the level of content. According to Fabe, what does Lee seek to achieve through his use of dialectical montage?
The two ways in which the film uses a dialectical conflict on the level of form is both the use of interesting camera angles and shots as well as good dialogue spoken by the characters of the film.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the two examples of content, this would include characters and their significance in the film and the other would be the themes that are prevalent throughout Spike Lee's "Do The Right Thing."
Two ways Spike Lee creates dialectical conflict in the way of form are his use of abrupt jump cuts in the film's opening montage in which Rosie Perez is seen wearing two different outfits from cut to cut and his use of color filters in this sequence.
ReplyDeleteLee also makes several striking dialectical conflicts in the way of content, two of them are: the constant battling between Mookie and Sal; Lee makes this conflict very complex, though. Another conflict would be another conflict of characters, however this being between Sal and Buggin' Out, again showing the clashing of opposites.
Lee said his goal was to "liberate his audience from fixed stereotypical images of the conflict between black and white Americans and to open up their minds to a more subtle awareness of racism in American society and the danger that racism poses to us all."
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ReplyDeleteThere are many ways that Spike Lee shows dialectical conflict through form in the movie “Do the Right Thing” I will discuss two of them. In the beginning dance scene dialectical conflict is shown in the conflicts between music/actor, dance styles, and even emotions. Conflicts are later even more directly spelled out for you like when Radio Raheem had brass knuckles depicting the words LOVE and HATE. Another example of form in this movie is the setting. Lee went directly to the source and shot on location in Bedford-Stuyvesant which adds a certain grittyness to the film
ReplyDeleteI think that dialectical conflict is also shown in this movie through content. I think a lot of the dialectical conflict can be found revolving around Sal’s Famous Pizzeria. For example the kind of under-the-radar conflict between Mookie and Sal then there’s also the much more open conflict between Sal and Buggin’ Out or Radio Raheem. There are also even more subtle conflicts about how the Korean family set up shop in the onld boarded up building while people who have lived in the neighborhood for years (like the corner of men) are still doing the same old thing, nothing.
Lee uses dialectical montages to represent that fact that there isn’t only racial conflict between whites and blacks. He uses it to show that there is conflict between all the races when it comes to matters of race.
Spike Lee's 'Do the Right Thing" uses dialectucal form in the beginning title scene. The scene uses fast editing cuts focusing on diffrent parts of Rosie Perez character. She also has many diffrent types of clothes everything form a miniskirt to a workout spandecs thing to a boxing outfit. This fast pace change of camera angles and costumes gives us the felling of confusion and chaos. This is a example of form. Anohter example would be the music used for the begining scene. The rap is called "Fight the Power" by Public Enemy. This song make the open title sequence even more powerfull because of the strong lyrics such as "Got to give us what we want! Got to give us what we need!/ Our freedom of speech is freedom of death/We got to fight the power that be". These lyrics make a strong message of conflict according to Fabe because it conflicts with the dancing creating more confusion. One example of dialectucal content is that lee sets up situations in the film that create "clashes between characters and conflicts within individual characters"(Fabe 200) For example the conflict between Mookie and Sals sons Vito and Pino. Another exammple of dialectual content is the way Mookie keeps the peace through most of the film and seems to protect the Pizzaria but then he instagats the destruction of it in the end. Spike Lee is trying to make a statment that Racism is still very prevalent in the USA and that if it is not stoped it will keep destroying mankind.
ReplyDeleteIn order to respond to this blog post I believe it is important to know what dialectical conflict means. Dialectical conflict is the processes of two opposing sides are pitted against each other. There are many ways that Spike Lee generates dialectical conflict in his film “Do the Right Thing.” According to Marilyn Fabe’s essay one of the finest examples of dialectical conflict is created via montage in the opening credits for the film. As stated by Fabe the beginning dance sequence featuring the character Rosie Perez dancing switches quickly between unforeseen shots of Rosie dancing in different costumes, first in an orange mini-dress in front of a urban house switching to a shot of her in blue spandex work out suit dancing in front of a run-down building. Then shortly after that shot switching to a shot of her dressed in a black and white boxing outfit with bright orange boxing gloves. At one point Lee has her one side of the screen punching and then he inserts a shot of her punching on the other side of the screen to make her look like she is fighting against herself. By doing this via montage according to Fabe, Lee shows that the characters in this film are not only dealing with a race war but a war against themselves also.
ReplyDeleteAnother example of Lee’s use of dialectical conflict is the narrative relationship between Sal and Mookie. Sal and Mookie fall exactly into the definition of dialectical conflict, two forces pitted against each other. Though Lee makes the conflict very complex according to Bordwell and Thomson because Lee doesn’t really introduce the goals of each character until later in the film and if he does many of the goals are vague. Though it is obvious that there is conflict between Sal and Buggin’ Out with the use of strong dialogue and polar opposite conflicting personalities.
In the end according to Fabe, Lee was seeking to achieve via dialectical conflict was that unfortunately racism is still a terrible epidemic in today’s society and how it only results in danger or tragedy for us all.
Spike Lee uses many ways to create dialectical conflict in his film "Do the Right Thing." One way he does this on the level of form is by using conflicting images and perspectives in order to confront the viewer. An example from the film is when Rosie Perez is performing a dance that is both parts aerobic and threatening. It is threatening in the fact that she punches the air, while sometimes wearing boxing gloves while looking angry, but then it changes back to aerobic choreography. Another way that Lee creates conflict on the level of form is through his use of color filters. An example from the film is when he mixes red and blue together, creating a conflict between their hot and cold attributes.
ReplyDeleteSpike Lee also creates conflict on the level of content. One way that he does this is by creating rifts between characters. An example of this form is the relationship between Sal and Mookie. Sal and Mookie's conflict is a complex one though because Mookie was a peacemaker at Sal's pizzeria, but Mookie slowly starts to turn against Sal and we begin to see the tension. Much of the tension comes from the fact that Sal, while sympathetic to Mookie, is a racist. Another way that Lee creates conflict on the level of content is with the conflict that is within a character. This is shown in the film with Mookie because Mookie was the peacemaker and wasn't for violence but in the end he leads the destruction of the pizzeria and is the instigator of the race riot.
According to Fabe, Lee hopes to free the audience from the usual stereotypes and conflicts between blacks and whites and to make them open their minds to the awareness that racism is playing in America today and that in the end it is dangerous to everyone, no matter the race.
Marilyn Fabe’s essay discusses how the film antagonizes different emotions and opinions about race. He uses many dialectical montage methods. This film is edited in different ways than normal.With the thought of form in mind, early in the film, we see an image of a dancer that appears to be innocent.In the background there is rap music that sends a message that racism is bad. There is juxtaposition here because it you see an innocent dancer and then hardcore rap music. This shows that the conflict of race overpowers the peace. A second example of form is the setting and cinematography of the shot.The setting isn't shown as a cruel setting like one would expect from a theme of racism. There is a mixture of red and blue colors that shows conflict. One of the dialectical things of content of the film is in the character of Mookie. He finds it hard to keep things peaceful between the two races. He eventually loses the struggle and lets frustration get the best of him. The audience then is given the option to decide if he has done right. This is found to be another big example of content. The title is left to be named. People usually think of "the right thing" as walking away from violence and being the "bigger" person. The main character though, did not do this so I think the purpose or the goal of the film was to leave it for the audience to decide. The audience is left to decide based on their own opinions and on what they think is right.
ReplyDeleteIn Lee's film, he constantly plays off of opposites contrasting each other, also known as dialectical conflict. For example, he uses dialectical form during the montage sequence with Rosie Perez's character Tina. When Tina is seen dancing in her room, trying on various outfits. This scene is treated very much like a scene in a musical, where the tone and attitude is very light-hearted and spirited, but in contrast, the music is very heavy and militant. Lee chooses to play the rap group Public Enemy in comparison to attempt to show the raw, gritty world they live in. He also uses contrast in form by his choices in color filters. In this same scene, he'll change the lighting to say, a red filter, which gives off a very angry, visceral mood, even though the scene is far from that. He'll also contrast colors by mixing filters, like blue and red. Lee also uses dialectic content in his film as well. "The central clash of opposites in the film is between Mookie and Sal, which culminates in Mookie's instigation of the destruction of the pizzeria" (Fabe 200). During the film, Lee makes Mookie seem like the pizzeria's protector, not it's aggressor. So the strained relationship between Mookie, and it's owner, Sal. Mookie and Sal also but heads over racial issues, which also creates conflict. The fact the the two are different races creates a natural tension in itself.
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ReplyDeleteDuring the opening credits of the film the viewer is presented with a young women dancing to the clashing lyrical voices of Public Enemy. Her choreography is formed in a way to represent both sensual entertainment and political anger. Lee represents this idea similarly to Eisenstein’s use of montage to create optical shocks. Lee uses smooth matches of her dancing into different backgrounds and costume. While in the first scene she is shown dancing wearing a orange mini dress and then through the smooth movement cut she suddenly appears to be dancing in the same fashion, yet this time in black and white fighting gear wearing orange boxing gloves. Yet another aspect of Eisenstein is to “intraframe” optical conflict. Spike lee also uses this concept by using contrasting colors of red and blue. The red connoting the heat from the music and the blue connoting the coolness in certain shots, and also in often cases he mixes these colors to create a bigger contrast. When spike Lee talked about making his film in the year 1987 of December he suggested the idea of using a re appearing image. He ultimately ends up using the message of the dance sequence to be represented later in a characters “LOVE” “HATE” brass knuckles. Finally, Spike Lees overall purpose of this film was to depict a hot summer where drama disputes from the life faced by Black Americans. Lee took the idea of stereo typical images for Black Americans and replaced it with a miss-en-scene that clashed with people’s pre conceived ideas. Going back to the idea of optical shocks Lees representation of the colorful Black American atmosphere later shocks the audience when all the drama ultimately breaks through.
ReplyDeleteLee’s dialectal conflict can also be observed in the characters he sets up. Sal, Mookie’s boss, is perceived as affectionate towards him, but when taking a closer look to their relationship, Sal does not treat Mookie with the utmost respect. Also when Sal refers to the Black people in his pizzeria he says “dese people,” which in turn shows the underlying racism in his character. This idea of underlying racism is also shown in Radio Raheem. His character is supposed to portray an individual who looks out for the Black community, but in one scene he is shown going off on a tangent about the Koreans in their neighborhood. Lee ultimately evokes all the misunderstandings, wounds, and recent hurts to contribute to the fact that there is no communication between races in America.
Overall, Fabe thinks that Lee is trying to raise the viewers consciousness through dialectal montage. Lee uses several ideas and images for the viewer to take these images and associations and to connect with them personally. Also to grasp the idea that not only is racism prominent in Black and White relationships, but in all races around the world.
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ReplyDeleteJames Lytle
ReplyDeleteSection #807
In Fabe’s article, Seregei Eisenstein’s essay “A Dialectical Approach to Film Form” is cited, in which two approaches are used to display Dialectical Form. Both practices of which are deployed in Spike Lee’s film through cinematography. The first way is to create “Conflict between the matter and viewpoint”. In Do the Right Thing this is achieved through the perspectives in which we view characters, specifically De Mayor and Mother Sister. Although these characters do interact with a few others throughout the narrative, the core relationship is between these two characters and is expressed through the camera angle. For example, Mother Sister is captured from a low angle to show dynamism while De Mayor is featured from a high angle to show impotence. This perspective goes to suggest their underlying psychological relationship. The other approach to Dialectical Form is to create “conflict between matter and its spatial nature”, which is achieved through optical distortion. For example, a handful of shots feature Radio Raheem through that of a wide-angle lens that enlarges and deforms the ‘normal’ perspective that we would view this character through. In doing so, he is presented with an overbearing sense of power.
The other area in which the contrasting nature of Sergei Eisenstein’s dialectical montage is displayed is through Dialectical Content. This is best shown in Do the Right Thing through Lee’s unbiased and conflicting character creations. The indirect issue that causes the race riot at the end of the film is established between Sal and Buggin’ Out. Yet, this is not done as the result of one succeeding over another, but rather the effect of two equally destructive forces. As mentioned in the reading, Sal is drawn up to be an exploitive but affectionate business owner. Likewise, Buggin’ Out is shown to be politically minded, but easily turned indifferent.
The sum of which, according to Fabe, creates an atmosphere that is not stereotypical but rather a well conceived mise-en-scene that challenges our preconceived expectations and evokes an elevated level of interpreting race relations in American society.
Mikayla Husting
ReplyDeleteIn Do the Right Thing, Spike Lee uses dialectical conflict in the structure of the film to allow the viewer to see both sides of many situations and present the scenes, which deal with issues like racism, in a fairly unbiased way. Marilyn Fabe writes that Lee’s goal in using dialectical conflict was “to liberate his audience from fixed stereotypical images of the conflict between black and white Americans and to open their minds to a more subtle awareness of racism...”
Dialectical form refers to the way in which the scenes are presented to us; how they were shot and edited. Spike Lee uses dialectical form to “confront the viewer with a constant stream of conflicting images and viewpoints.” (Fabe) In the beginning, Lee does this in the scene where Tina, Mookie’s girlfriend, is dancing to Public Enemy’s song “Fight the Power.” Fabe says that the image of the petite girl dancing and the angry male voices in the rap song clash. Lee creates a montage that gives the audience a visual shock by creating as much contrast between the shots as possible, while still having them flow seamlessly together. “Smooth matches on Perez’s movements join together shots in which both her costume and the background against which she is dancing abruptly change.” (Fabe) Another way in which Spike Lee uses dialectical form is with the use of color filters. He places a red filter over a black-and-white shot of Tina dancing to create “a sinister image connoting heat and blood.” (Fabe) In the next shot, blue filters contrast greatly with the previously used red filters, and gives the scenes a cooler and less angry feeling.
Dialectical content, clashes between characters and situations presented in the plot, are also used by Spike Lee. Fabe says that these clashes “bring the viewer to a heightened understanding of the racial tensions that explode into violence at the end of the film.” So not only does the use of dialectical content allow us to see both sides of the issues presented in the film, it also helps us to better understand the film as a whole. One example of Lee’s use of dialectical content is the conflict between Mookie and Sal. “Lee depicts the reasons for conflict between the two men with such nuanced complexity that Mookie’s act of violence against Sal seems simultaneously justified and a betrayal of Sal.” By allowing the viewer to understand both sides of the argument, we can sympathize with both Mookie and Sal, and in the end, we don’t know whether to feel that Mookie’s violence toward the pizza parlor was justified or whether he betrayed Sal, his boss. Another example on dialectical content is Sal’s character. He has many traits that conflict with the others. Fabe says that Sal “is affectionate and exploitative, tolerant and racist, a nurterer and a (symbolic) murderer.” His affection and tolerance is aimed towards his employee, Mookie, but towards the end of the movie, Sal yells racial slurs at Radio Raheem for playing his “jungle music” in his restaurant and destroys his boom box.
Two ways Spike Lee shows off Dialectical form, which is the way scenes are shot and cut to portray ideas and messages to the audience, in the ways of form are with Rosie Perez and his pizza place. The scene's open with cuts that jump around a lot, keeping the people confused, lost and seeing the new style of film in a different way. He shows both sides of the conflict of racism, Rosie wears a different set of clothes and colors, showing the use of color is not important for anything, such as racism. Lee said, "to liberate his audience from fixed stereotypical images of the conflict between black and white Americans and to open their minds to a more subtle awareness of racism..." He showed this all off also with his filtering entire scenes of color.
ReplyDeleteThe dialectical montage shows off in a shocking manner the drama involving racism in regards to African Americans' lives. He uses the ending race riot and his mise-en-scene to show the conflicting sides of equal forces of hatred in a non classical way, that challenged preconceived ideas of racism.
Chelsey Dequaine Film 114 11/09/09
ReplyDeleteMarliyn Fabe says that Spike Lee returns to the dialectal methods of Sergei Eisenstein in the 1920’s, who created a cinema that involves a constant clash of the opposites. In Lee’s Do the Right Thing, his method was to confront the viewer with a constant stream of conflicting images and viewpoints. Lee had a goal in mind to liberate his audience of the stereotypes depicted in today’s society about race relationships and awareness. In Fabe’s essay, Lee creates dialectical conflict on the level of form in two ways that stuck out in my mind.
First, the introduction was mentioned where Rosie Perez (Tina, Mookie’s girlfriend) dances to the Public Enemy rap song, “Fight the Power.” To expand, Perez is seen dancing in multiple ways varying from seductive to like boxer. She is a contrast to the song playing in the background, which is of the rappers shouting out phrases of “got to give us what we need/our freedom of speech is freedom of death”. Perez is a petite female who is dancing for the audience with the angry men rapping in the background, which allows the opening scene to entail dialectical form.
The second example mentioned in Fabe’s essay is related to my first example, but sends a stronger message. The clash of the opposites continues with Perez’s changing of dances (erotic to angry) and Radio Raheem’s brass knuckles that are seen later in the film. The knuckles say LOVE on one hand and HATE on the other. Again, the knuckles are symbolically prefigured by Perez’s dance movements from the beginning of the film.
As well as dialectical form, there is dialectical content, which is the clash between characters and conflicts between individual characters. One example is the central clash in the film between Mookie and Sal, which culminates in Mookie’s initiation of the ruin of the pizzeria. Another example of dialectical content would be when Mookie suddenly decides to turn against his employers, an action the audience would not expect. In the end, it is the contrast of who the audience thinks will start the riot and who actually starts it that makes the mind turn.
According to Fabe, Lee seeks to achieve the power for people to clear their minds and reinvestigate the race problems of our world through the use of dialectical montage. People need to stop becoming so influenced on racial standards and start becoming naturally equal. It is obvious that race remains an issue today, and it will probably always be an issue, but Lee tries to help people see the problem from a different perspective.
Joel Augustine
ReplyDeleteBlog Post 2
Film 114/Sec 807
In Do the Right Thing, Spike Lee turns to a different way of creating a film. A way in which he was inspired my Sergei Eisenstein from the 1920’s. Eisenstein created a cinema which creates a constant juxtaposition of opposites, with the goal of creating a higher consciousness in the mind of the viewer. An example of this would be cut from a long shot to an extreme close-up very quickly. Lee does this in the opening sequence of with a character dancing. Lee cuts from a long shot of her dancing to a close up of her face or body. Along with that he creates smooth transitions from place to place along with costume changes. Another example of this form in the movie is when the color shift from red and blue occur. The color palette switching is another similar technique that Eisenstein also did with intraframes.
Besides creating conflict in form, Lee also creates conflict within the content. The conflicts between the characters refer to race and equal treatment. One example of this in Do the Right Thing is the tension between Buggin’ out and Sal. Buggin’ insist that Sal should put up brothers on the wall in his pizzeria, instead of all Italian American. This creates a equal battle between the two because they both have strong points. On one side most of Sals costumers are African American, but on the other side it is Sals pizzeria and he can put up anything that he wants. Another conflict in this film is between Mookie and Pizzeria. Sal does not pay Mookie a fair wage, and the other white employees at Sals make racial comments toward Mookie. These things build up throughout the movie and at the end Mookie cannot take it anymore and takes it out on the pizzeria by throwing a garbage can through the front window.
These conflicts within the character and within the form, makes for a different style of narrative films and creates a more emotional final product. And from these conflicts Lee wanted to achieve a couple things. He wanted to create a fun to watch film but at the same time be compelling. But most importantly, Lee wanted to sway the audience away from the normal way we think about racial relations in America. Lee also wanted to move away from the fixed stereotypical images of conflict and focus more on the danger that racism poses and show awareness in our society. He does this through the montage of clashing opposites and through the abrupt changes in color.
Tim Straszewski
ReplyDeleteSpike Lee's "Do the Right Thing" uses different editing methods to convey certain attitudes throughout the film. The film also fits into a familiar genre, it is a social problem film. Lee adopts Eisensteins dialectcal montage and uses it through out the film. Rapid cuts and editing portray both sides of the conflict and offer a unique portrayal to the viewer. One instance in which Lee uses this is when the girl is dancing with angry rap music in the background. With these opposites being contrasted, questions are raised about race and background. Metaphorical meanings and focus points are noticed throughout. Such as how the film centers around a community rather than a few characters but there is a main amount who provide casual action. The city is in a "heat wave" which can be seen as the rising tension between race that eventually leads to the violent outbreak in the end. As the film progresses we are left with the question of what the right thing is and who is to decide it. It comes down to moral feelings and ethical questions. Race is still an issue, and will be for a long time, but Lee offers a viewpoint and tries to help us see both sides of the argument from different perspectives.
In Spike Lee's 1989 film “Do the Right Thing,” Lee manages to use many different ways to show dialectical conflict. Lee seems structure most of his opening sequence by using conflicts on multiple levels. On the most obvious level, the sound does not go properly with the image. There are many strange male voices that use violence in response to racism that are played during an innocent dance performed by a small lady. The difference between the two forms of media is clear, and they truly don't function as a narrative, but more as a symbol of conflicting ideas.
ReplyDeleteAnother way in which he shows dialectical form is by using color filters. “The use of warm red filters to illuminate the background in one shot contrasts with cool blue filters in the next shot.” And when Lee mixes the reds and blues, he creates a conflict of colors.
Lee also has a lot of dialectical content, especially with his radical camera angles. He uses extremely high and low angles as well as camera tilts to give a heightened sense of emotion to the characters. For Da Mayor, he gives us a POV shot of Mother Sister's view, and the camera looks down on him from high up to show her disapproval of him. He also uses overlap editing to emphasize certain situations in the film. He shows Tina embrace Mookie twice to show a larger level of romance between the characters.
Lee said his goal was to "liberate his audience from fixed stereotypical images of the conflict between black and white Americans and to open up their minds to a more subtle awareness of racism in American society and the danger that racism poses to us all."