In Do the Right Thing, Spike Lee has a lot to say about how we go about revolutionizing society in this day in age. He boils this down to two methodologies: One of peace and one of violence; and he uses a distinct vision throughout the film in order to present his views on this topic that is relevant even three decades later.
Upon viewing the movie, it wasn’t apparent to me what side of the debate Spike Lee was on. The content of the film leaves his answer rather ambiguous, but further analysis of the unique auteur style presented in the film gives us further insight on to his political stance on the subject. The movie is highly stylized with unusual angles and lighting both new and unique to the American New Wave. An example of such is a shot-reverse-shot of a conversation between Radio Raheem and Buggin Out that starts off normal but during the last shot of Raheem, he is seen walking off making the conversation seem incomplete. I’d never seen this in a movie before and it almost felt kinda rude in a sense, but this is just one example of the weird edits made in the film.
What I will mainly be focusing on is the implications of the cinematography and editing applied in the climax scenes of the movie. The tension that was building up during the entire movie soon reaches a breaking point when Radio Raheem and Sal get into a heated argument over the music playing and the lack of black figures in the wall of fame. Though very subtle, throughout the back and forth of the conversation, the camera increasingly becomes tilted as the tension rises. This tilt is a very minor form of distortion, painting the scene as something that results when one is ‘in the wrong mindset’. I don’t believe the scene would have stood out otherwise, and Lee’s message would have remained more ambiguous.
The film’s message is tied together nicely with Mr. Senor Love Daddy’s word of the day: Chill. There is a right way to demand our voices be heard and it is not with violence. Spike Lee wants our young revolutionaries to fight with peace and love to mold society into a place they can thrive in.
Jojo's Findings in Film 
Jojo,
This post focuses on the messages embedded in Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing. As you point out, the film offers ambiguous and even conflicting messages on how to interpret its title: do we take the path of righteous violence or do we “chill,” as Love Daddy recommends? Ultimately, the film withholds a clear answer. You lean toward the latter reading, but there are a lot of places that suggest the opposite approach, such as when Mookie yells “hate!” while throwing the garbage can through the window. Lee has stated in multiple interviews that this was the right thing for Mookie to do under the circumstances. The final quotes also reinforce the conflicting messages that lie at the heart of this film.
I also like that you consider Lee’s auteur style. As you observe, the camerawork grows more experimental in moments of violence. For example, the confrontation between Sal and Radio Raheem makes use of both low and Dutch angles to heighten the tension for the viewer.
Solid post,
MT
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