Race and Gender in Spike Lee's movie “Do the Right Thing”

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Table of Contents

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW3

2.1 Racism and Gender Depiction in Movies3

2.2 Auteur Theory and Racism and Gender in Spike Lee's Movies5

2.3 Racism and Gender Depiction in “Do the Right Thing”6

2.4 Cinematic & Theatrical Elements Used in the Movies7

2.5 Cinematic and Theatrical Elements of “Do the Right Thing”8

2.6 Theatrical Elements in “Do the Right Thing”12

REFERENCES14

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Racism and Gender Depiction in Movies

The depiction of racism and gender related problems and issues are one of the significant in issues found in the film production and movie making. These issues are important when targeting the specific group of audiences whom film makers are offering as well as to gain the wide popularity among the general masses for the conceptualization the issues of cultural racism and gender issues. Several researchers e.g. (Shohat, pp.40-44; Guerrero, pp.55-58; Mulvey, pp.6-18; Armour, pp.35-46; Gianetti, pp.55-56) found that audiences today are more demand oriented in depiction of racism and gender related problems in movies and care more about the symbols, film, music, narratives in video, cinematography, promotion and media than the conceptualization of the issues of racism and gender itself. Byers & Dell (1992) found that it is even more critical in the age of increasing exposure to media representations where many modern societies transform and even construct their social identities based on the means that what they understand in movies regarding issues such as male, female, African American, Native American, Asian, Latino, urban, rural and the like.

In addition, similar to gender issues significance in the movies is critical in the film cinematic and theatrical elements and with the face it is one of basis of social construct on which society gets meaning of feminine and masculine related with culture, racism is another critical and perhaps the most significant factor among the all which is deprecated in movies as problems and issues on which social construction is based. Most researchers e.g. (Davenport, Aguierre & Pincever, pp.67-74; Davenport, pp.9-13; Callahan, pp.24-36) found the high significance in their empirical researchers because unlike gender differences which is based on genetics and science, race is man-made differences which leads to sever cultural tensions and other aberrations in the society. Racism issues in the movies are usually part of depiction as the highlighter of hair and skin colour differences in the race. However, Bird (1999) identified that racism depiction which is based on hair and skin is often imperfect determinants related to issues of race in movies. The categories of racism today which are highly part of depiction in the movies is based on political, social and economic differences in the society. However, such depictions are found very limited in the movies which make the significant premise on the social construction. The cinematic and theatrical elements which form the basics of movie making were most related to race in terms of hair and skin colour in general as well as in particular.

Bogle (pp.224-226) and Bobo & Seiter ...