camera movement in do the right thing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ4y7GPeFBY

I chose to analyze one of the Radio Raheem scenes in Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing, particularly because he is a good example of a character that is associated with specific camera angles and movements.

The above scene begins with a medium shot of some of the neighborhood kids, followed by another medium shot. When Radio Raheem enters the pizzeria, however, the camera angle dramatically changes to a canted shot. A dolly shot is also used here. When paired with the song, “Fight the Power,” which is coming from Radio Raheem’s boom box, this canted angle suggests chaos, which of course foreshadows the chaos that will ensue around Radio Raheem at the end of the film. The dolly shot, because it moves from a medium shot to a medium long shot, depicts him as an intimidating person by making him appear larger and taller. It also allows him to walk towards the camera, which is an intimidating motion. The remainder of the yelling and fighting (and the music playing) is done with this canted shot. As the two opposing sides scream at each other, they are filmed in a medium close up shot. There are also a few high angle shots of some of the more sympathetic characters, such as Vito whom we know doesn’t want his father to fight with the blank kids. Perhaps this high angle shot is a way of suggesting he is somehow above them. While Radio Raheem and Sal are physically fighting, there is a close up shot of a photograph of two boxers, which is a clear reflection of the fight going on in the pizzeria. There is an over the shoulder, low angle shot when Radio Raheem is choking Sal, which clearly shows that Radio Raheem is in control at this moment.