Do the Right Thing: Sound

In the film Do the Right Thing there are both diegetic and non - diegetic elements found throughout the film. Digetic sounds are any sounds performed or heard by the characters in the film. Non-diegetic are sounds that are added in a film such as music in the background.

 Dialogue is defined in our text as spoken words by two or more characters in a scene. An example of dialogue can be found I nearly every film since the end of the “silent film era”.  Sound effects are defined by Google as a sound other than speech or music made artificially for use in a play, movie, or other broadcast production. The sound of gun shots, people being hit, and laughter are digital and added to a scene. Music is sound vocal, instrumental, or mechanical sounds having rhythm, melody, or harmony. Music is throughout film we hear music in movies behind conversations, in dramatic scenes, and at the end of movies.

The film Do the Right Thing begins with a saxophone renditions of “Lift Every Voice and Sing”  the film’s title shows on the line “Let us march on until victory is won”. Then the film begins playing “Fight the Power” by Public Enemy, a song played continuously throughout the film. Already this film is using sound, in this case music, to set a tone for an equality and protest theme. There is a cheerful tune heard in the background when Da Mayor is talking to Mother Sister telling her that one day she is going to be nice to him. The two of them have a relationship that is funny because mother Sister acts as if she doesn’t like Da Mayor ,but he does sweet gestures like compliment her and give her flowers in an attempt to win her over. It is funny to watch them interact and can bring a smile to almost anyone’s face to think that even in old age there is time for love.

 There are many funny characters that have dialogue that allow viewers to infer the comedy genre of the film. I believe the dialogue adds the most to the films genre. The three men that sit out at a table on the corner joke about things like their nicknames and how they got them. Sweet Dick Willie jokes about a woman who jogs by and how he would lose all of his money to her if her saw her naked on payday. Sweet Dick Willie also suggest to Buggin Out if he wants to boycott someone he “ought to start with the goddamn barber that fucked up your head.” The effects of realistic and expected sounds like cars driving by, horns blowing, are found throughout the film. There are many jazz tunes in the background that are soothing and relaxing for example when Mookie’s sister is sitting on the stoop brushing Mother Sister’s hair.

Most of the sound elements in the film are realistic. I appreciate the jazz that plays in the background of many scenes. Radio Raheem is known for having the loudest radio in the neighborhood and only plays “Fight the Power”, which the only hip – hop  played in the film. The rest of the Non – diegetic sounds are relaxing or upbeat jazz, realistic sound effects like cop radio scanners.  The dialogue involves profanity, humor, and harsh conversations related to race and even differences between young and old neighbors. All of these elements add to the theme of equality and protest.

References:

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2014). Film: From watching to seeing (2nd ed.) [Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu

(2011) Do the Right Thing (1989): De Mayor Annoys Mother Sister. Retrieved from http://www.metacafe.com