When he first dons it in an early scene it is on the set of a film, as a stunt man about to execute a dangerous car stunt. A contemporary example comes from Drive, and the mask worn by the ‘driver’ (played by Ryan Gosling). A prop can become metaphorical, like the titular maltese falcon in The Maltese Falcon, which when finally appears at the end of the film, as a fake, is identified by Sam Spade as being “the stuff that dreams are made of.” A prop can begin as instrumental and then become metaphorical.
For the latter they cite Gene Kelly’s umbrella in Singin’ in the rain, but you can also cite Chaplin’s cane, the black gloves in a giallo, or the brooms at the end of Miracle in Milan that the poor people use to ride off into heaven. They identify two general type of props, 1) Instrumental props: where objects are used according to their normal function (a gun in a western used to shoot someone, or a horse used to travel with), and 2) Metaphorical props: where those same objects are transformed into something symbolic, expressive of an inner feeling, or even something magical. In The Film Experience Corrigan and White write about the way different types of film props create meaning in a film’s mise en scene. In Do the Right Thing, Spike Lee uses a preponderance of what authors Timothy Corrigan and Patricia White in their book The Film Experience refer to as metaphorical props and cultural props that help situate the film within the urban context of New York City (the Brooklyn neighbourhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Bed Stuy for short) circa 1989.
An interesting and often overlooked aspect of Do the Right Thing (and all films for that matter) is the clever use of film props. Jackson, Martin Lawrence, Bill Nunn, Giancarlo Esposito, and Rosie Perez). Props, Things and Do the Right Thing Overlooked Aspect of Mise en Sceneīy Donato Totaro Volume 16, Issue 7 / July 2012 14 minutes (3436 words)ĭo the Right Thing (Spike Lee, 1989) remains a highly regarded film that manages to pull social and political punches that still carry weight today, while also entertaining with its vibrant visual style, exuberant use of music and wonderful ensemble cast that starred formidable veterans (Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee), and lesser known or relatively unknown actors who would go on to more impressive careers (Danny Aiello, John Turturro, Samuel L.
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