Do the Right Thing

  1. If you have not seen Do the Right Thing, jot down your expectations of it before you screen it. (You might revisit these thoughts after you finish watching to see if your views have changed.)
  2. What is the film’s setting? Does it change?
  3. What is the temporal duration of the film?
  4. What does “Wake up!” mean in Do the Right Thing? Consider the film’s opening lines.
  5. What does Smiley hold up early in the film? What is the major difference between the ideologies of these two men? (Look them up online if you are unsure.)
  6. What is the importance of the film’s references to heat?
  7. How does Lee’s use of lighting contribute to the sensation of heat? In which scenes is this particularly evident?
  8. Which actors would you consider lead actors in this film?
  9. Which actors would you consider supporting actors? Do they have a significant function? What is it?
  10. How are Mother Sister and DJ Mister Señor Love Daddy frequently blocked in this film? Why do you think Lee stages them this way?
  11. What is the significance of the wall behind Sweet Dick Willie and his friends? (Think color.)
  12. What is on the shirt of the white man on the bicycle (who accidentally runs over Buggin’ Out’s shoes)? What is on Mookie’s shirt? How do these costumes help to characterize the person wearing them? And finally, how does all of this together contribute to the overall mood of the film?
  13. What kind of costume does Jada wear, and how does is fit her character?
  14. What is Buggin Out’s problem with Sal’s Pizzeria?
  15. List three props that are essential to the film’s story and plot. How are they used, and why are they significant?
  16. What ethnic groups are represented in Do the Right Thing? How do they interact with each other?
  17. Which actors in this film (if any) give a stylized performance?
  18. What song becomes a musical motif? When do you hear it? How are the lyrics appropriate to the movie?
  19. What is “the right thing”? Who does and who does not “do the right thing”?
  20. What is the purpose of the nondiegetic quotations at the end of the film? Whose words are these, and why does Lee place them next to each other without further comment?