Film form/filmmaking techniques

• What is a Brechtian distancing technique?


  Prevents the audience from losing itself completely in the narrative, encouraging a conscious and critical observer (active audience)
• Brechtian distancing techniques in DTRT:

  Breaking fourth wall, direct address ‘Wake up’, breaks in action
• How does DTRT have elements of contemporary Greek tragedy?

  Three unities --> one setting (Brooklyn), continuity of time (spans 2 days), unity of action (builds to riot)

  Greek chorus --> characters unrelated to main action commentating on central action (MSLD, ML, Coconut Sid, SDW)
• How does DTRT visually build the explosive climax:

  Racial tension expressed through heat --> heat lamps, lack of cool tones
• Follows multiple characters whose plots interweave throughout the day instead of 1 main protagonist --> depicts close neighbourhood, contemporary African American culture
• DTRT mixes filmmaking styles, what does this reflect in the film?

  Reflects interwoven culture on the street
• Use of dutch tilts represents:

  Racial tension spilling into frame, world off balance, warped world view
• Freedom of camera is:

  Naturali, realistic
• Traditional film would’ve ended after the riot to show triumph + revenge but it doesn’t , this shows:

  Lee isn't trying to incite violence, he's raising the question of fighting discrimination with love or hate 
• What's a cultural prop?

  props that carry meanings associated with their place in a particular society
• What's a metaphorical prop?

  Props that can be reinvented or symbolic in their usage
• Cultural props in DTRT...
• RR's boombox:


  Popular in 80s urban society with African American + Hispanic youth
• RR’S love-hate knuckle dusters:

  Homage to ‘Night of the Hunter’
• Nike Air Jordans:


  Extremely popular with urban teens (Clifton scuffing BO’s shoe)
• Sal’s American-Italian wall of fame:

  Old school pride of self-made enterprise and ownership 
• Sal's wall of fame CONTRASTED by SLD's black wall of fame in radio station:

  Black power and pride in culture
• Mookie’s Robinson baseball shirt:

  Robinson broke colour barrier in baseball
• Mookie's shirt CONTRASTED by Clifton's Larry Bird jersey:


  White basketballer
• Sal's baseball bat:

  Italian American baseball
• Metaphorical props in DTRT...
• RR's boombox:

  Represents his cultural identity/self-worth which is destroyed by Sal
• RR's boombox CONTRASTED by Sal's baseball bat:

  Destroys boombox with bat --> represents cultural violence against black people, the fact he owns it in a predominantly black neighbourhood telling of his racism 
• Both baseball bat and boombox end up burnt in flames:

  Violence is a means to an end –MLK
• Pino + Vito’s plain wifebeater vests CONTRAST colourful attire of the black characters 
• Smiley’s photos of Malcom X + MLK:

  Raises open discussion to audience of violence vs peace, put on wall of fame at end could indicate violence serves a point –Malcom X
• Sal’s money he gives Mookie:

  Worker/server dynamic between them, labour work of Black people, capitalism + ownership 
• Representation in DTRT...
• What's the Jezebel stereotype?

  Sexually promiscuous, seductive black woman
• What's the Mammy stereotype?

  Asexual, docile, subservient older black woman, puts aside desires to help white family
• What's the Sapphire stereotype?

  Manipulative, sharp-tongued, emasculates her husband 
• What's the Spicy Latina stereotype?

  Hypersexual, hot-headed, passionate, loud/speaks mind, volatile 
• Who's the Jezebel stereotype in DTRT?

  Tina
• Who's the Mammy stereotype in DTRT?

  Mother Sister
• Who's the Sapphire stereotype in DTRT?


  Jade
• Who's the spicy Latina stereotype in DTRT?

  Tina
• How is the ice cube sex scene an example of poor female representation?

  It's unnecessary --> freezes flow of action in favour of male audience

  Actress didn't want to participate in the scene