Auteurs: Spike Lee
Spike Lee
Spike Lee has made at least 48 films. This contains films such as Malcom X, Kings of Comedy and She Hate Me.
Spike Lee uses cinematography, editing and music to emphasis the message in his films. In ‘Do the Right Thing’ there is a constant repetition of ‘Fight the Power’ which can be considered a sound motif for standing up to oppression and fighting for equal rights. As well as this in ‘Malcom X’ the powerful song ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’ is played. This song became the unofficial anthem of the civil rights movement. It feels the listener with hope. When I first listened to it, I was moved by the beauty of the song, and I thought it was the perfect pairing with the film Malcom X met Sam Cooke and encouraged him to write about the struggles of the time as well as Sam’s own struggles. I would recommend you listen to the song and watch the music video which also is very moving. (It is at the bottom of the blog).
'Malcom X' helped establish Spike Lee as an auteur. This film was, compared to his previous films, the most ambitious. Spike Lee divides this film up into sections and each section possesses a different aesthetic. The film focuses on Malcom X in his young years, and it adapts a classic Hollywood style making the frames seem golden due to the soft light which gives this part of the film a sentimental feel. The unnatural look of this aesthetic could illustrate the false reality that racism and injustice are not at the forefront of his life. The tone shifts when Malcom is imprisoned. The once warm tones change to that of a cold colour palette such as greys and blues. This highlights the miserary and dullness in Malcom’s life. Spike Lee further illustrates this by using a standard medium close-up which lacks much emphasis due to how common the shot is which again shows the emptiness in Malcom’s life. However, once we move to the next section of Malcom’s life the tone shifts again. Spike Lee begins to use low angles on Malcom to make him look heavenly and godlike. This I feel showed the importance of Malcom’s message. It fills the spectator with hope that one day things will change for the better and the world will be a better place. Malcom X is made to look in the film at the end as a beckon of hope. Due to the way it is crafted together the film flows very well and even though the cinematography differs the way it is edited together makes it seem natural and the films doesn’t feel patchy.
Like ‘Do the Right Thing’, ‘Malcom X’ illustrates the struggles of African Americans in America. This is cleverly done in the opening credits of the film when the American flag is on fire. This represents the failure of the USA, that it did not protect equality for all, and it instead oppressed the African Americans. I find that ‘Malcom X’ develops on the themes from ‘Do the Right Thing’ due to the nature of the film. The film ends with young black children declaring to the camera “I am Malcom X’ which shows the relevance that the past still has on the future. History is an aspect of life that allows us to grow and learn. It also illustrates that Malcom’s ideas still have significance on generations. This film shows that people must take action so everyone can live in harmony together without fear of judgement or injustice. No one should be treated with less respect for any reason especially not due to their race, gender, sexuality or religion.
I think this is why Spike lee is an auteur. His personality shines through in his films. The way he uses cinematography to show the importance of his films and show that there are many ways to do the right thing. It doesn’t matter how but we must all do what we can to improve the world we live in. That is what Spike Lee addresses in his films.
Comments
Post a Comment