Do The Right Thing

The opening credits of “Do The Right Thing”, directed by Spike Lee, are dominated by the intense dancing of Rosie Perez. It begins with the slow saxophone in the song “Lift Every Voice and Sing”. It sets a somber mood which is quickly interrupted by Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power”, which is where Rosie begins dancing. Her dancing and facial expressions are intense and angry. Both of these songs were anthems of civil rights, so the viewer can make the assumption that movie will play on these themes as well.

Rosie begins with the red dress and blue leotard in front of a dull brownstones backdrop. This contrast between her bright clothing and the muted background really makes the dancer stand out. There is also contrast between the backdrop and the neon tribal lettering of the credits themselves. In addition, the backdrop also subtly changes colors with each outfit change. For example, the background is pulsing red when she is in the boxing outfit, but is flashing yellow during the close ups while she is in the bright red dress.

The camera angles used in the introduction also make the scene powerful. When the song switches to “Fight the Power”, Rosie is featured in a montage of poses, punctuated by the rhythm of the music. Close ups of her passionate face were also used to show the emotion of the dancer. The medium shots were often quickly interrupted. The full body shots were most common and sometimes zoomed in to focus on a specific part of her movement.