The Use of Music in Do the Right Thing

             As the hyped up base line begins to play the opening credits begin to role. From the up-tempo opening to DJ Senor Love ending the movie telling everyone to "chill," we are taken on a music-induced journey through a day on the Bedford-Stuyvesant block in Brooklyn New York. In a movie drenched with controversy, Spike Lee often uses music to induce conflict. However, at the same time his musical techniques cover up the building conflict and make the film feel almost like an up-tempo, hip-hop musical. The musical flow ends as soon as Sal takes the bat to Radio Raheem's radio. The dramatic conclusion to the movie is very uncomfortable and shocking partly due to Spike Lee's use of music throughout the film.
             "Wake up, wake up, wake up!" shouts Deejay Senor Love Daddy, as we see an extreme close-up of his lips, the microphone, and an alarm clock. Senor Love's first words give an insight into the message which Lee tries to convey. Furthermore, the presence of a Deejay from the onset allows music to be a device to generate an effective flow throughout the movie. Bill Lee, the father of Spike, provides an easygoing jazz background that works well as we are introduced to characters on the block. The periodic use of reggae also has the same effect. Public Enemy provides music during periods of conflict in the movie. The use of music makes the audience almost overlook the growing tension on the block. There is conflict in almost every scene. Often the conflict is abundantly clear and often it is very subtle. For instance, Buggin' Out picks a fight with a man in a Larry Bird jersey and brings along his friend in a Magic Johnson jersey to help in his fight. Conflict, subtle or not, is everywhere yet the audience falls into the smooth flow of the movie. Midway through the movie Deejay Love comes back to give a "roll call" and a salute to black artists. The "roll call" comes across with a beat and adds to the musical flow if the movie. The same is...

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The Use of Music in Do the Right Thing. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 02:52, April 20, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/15631.html