Do The Right Thing - Zac Gottlieb

The introduction to the film “Do the Right Thing” grabs the film viewer’s attention immediately. Spike Lee begins the movie by presenting only a solid black screen and a gloomy, serious saxophone melody in the background. Then, the music and screen unexpectedly changes to Public Enemy’s song “Fight the Power,” creating an immediate switch to an angry, intense mood which grabs the audience’s attention. Following this, Rosie Perez appears on screen performing passionate dance poses on a city street. The film shows Rosie from different camera angles, some close up and from a distance, further emphasizing her dramatic facial expressions. Spike Lee further highlights Rosie’s importance by contrasting her vibrant outfits with the dull background of the city street. The bright neon color of the credits also contrast with Rosie to make her stand out even more in this scene. Throughout the introduction, Rosie is seen in different outfits throughout her continuous dance. Spike Lee must do this for a specific reason, possibly to reflect how she is a dynamic character during the movie. It appears Rosie will be a significant figure in the movie, and this introduction describes Rosie’s strong emotions and personality.

Spike Lee combines all these aspects of the film to really accentuate Rosie’s heated emotions through her dance moves and facial expressions. This creative and distinctive introduction grabs the viewer’s attention while introducing a film that will be full of powerful emotions, and a dramatic plot.