you will write an analysis of how the neighborhood Bedford-Stuyvesant is shown in Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing. You should use specific examples from the film to discuss the view we get of the neighborhood as shown in the film. Form a thesis based on visuals, reactions/descriptions of the characters, and your own analysis of the storyline to show the reader what you’re thinking.

You should also use some published analyses of the film (there are plenty of them) from either books or major newspapers/magazines that appear in print (online versions of these are fine) to add context to your own analysis.

Objectives:

Refine summary writing skills
q Refine skills in analysis and description
q Practice writing essays
q Practice using specific details and examples to develop a pointq Practice with MLA citation format

Format:

Your review should be about 4-5 pages in length with a Works Cited page at the end. The goal here is not simply whether or not you liked the film, but to engage in a deeper discussion of how it shows the urban experience in a single neighborhood, focusing a few key themes or contexts and what the film says about them.

For contrast, you should reference at least three (3) articles or book chapters that focus on Do The Right Thing. Only one of these can be a review: the other 2 must be academic essays or book chapters that focus on the film’s significance. You should use the information in these essays to shape your own opinions about the film. You should then use these to form your own argument (thesis) about the film. Note that you can use the chapter from Murray Forman’s The Hood Comes First (PDF on the course website) as one of the 3 articles.