HEAT WAVEThe element I am going to identify in the movie by writer-director Spike Lee film is the Heat wave. And I'm going to discuss how it contributes to the structure and development of the film.
From the very beginning of the movie, Mister Señor Love Daddy (Sam Jackson), the DJ at local WE-LOVE radio, who provides another form of running commentary, announces at the beginning that it's going to be the hottest day of the year as the heat wave had hit the neighborhood. And as the movie continues it shows people in that community struggling with the heat.
It contributes pretty well because the movie starts with a fight at the Sal's Famous Pizzeria, is owned and managed by the Italian American Sal (Danny Aiello), with a local activist Bugging Out (Giancarlo Esposito) complaining about the photos on the wall of fame and calling Sal a racist. Then he gets banned from the Pizzeria where he starts a plan to boycott Sal's Pizzeria.
Like the Heat wave was heating up, the conflict between the black people and other italian american were heating up as well.
Mookie always tried to keep it cool and trying to make peace, but as a one individual, there wasn't much he could do than trying.
A Heat wave and literal word relates to danger, where as in real life a heat wave could lead to huge destructions such as causing a fire, which leads to loss of property, business and lives.
This was well delivered in the film as the heat up of blood and anger between Sal and his trouble makers heated up, it lead Sal to lose his control which ended up breaking the stereo of Radio Raheem (Bill Nunn), that made him lose his temper and attacked Sal and the fight was started.
The fight lead the cops to arrive and since the heat of the fight was so bad that lead to Radio Raheem's death. This made the black people turn against Sal for the reason of his death. Mookie by breakin the window of Sal's pizzeria lead to people to ruin the place and caused a fire during the fight that burnt down Sal's pizzeria, lost his business and a place built with his own hand with hardwork. And Mookie struggle with his life and earning to support his girlfriend and baby boy lost his job, Radio Raheems lost his life.
As I mentioned above how a Heat wave can lead to a fire, destruction of loss of property, business and lives where all shown well in the film...
The color and contrast of the film also showed very clearly the element Heat wave, such as the three old black guys sitting in a background with a wall painted red, the most of the indoor and outdoor sceneries was orangish color that emphasize the color of fire.
Your entries are generally quite substantial, sometimes a bit rambly, but that's OK at 4.46AM. Some good varied research undertaken for the commodity response as well as the manakitanga entry, which is reflected in the attempt to bring together a range of ideas. I think if we are discussing Pollock in relation to commodity it is interesting to reflect on the market for his work today as compared to when he was alive. I know I did not mention this in the lecture, but I wonder what people are buying today, the art? or the commodity? I think the heatwavew is well identified as a plot element in Do The Right Thing. perhaps you might also think about the opposite motif in the film of water and how it is used both successfully (the ice scene) and unsuccessfully (the fire fighters)to cool things down. cheers grant
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