INTRODUCTION TO MOVING IMAGES AND VIEWERSHIP
Students were required to write an essay in which they analyse a film using a selected theoretical framework as the foundation of their discussion. While students dealt with Do the Right Thing (Lee 1989) in class, they were not limited in their selection of films. Some topics that students were encouraged to explore were “heat as narrative device in cinema”, “feminist perspectives” and “Brechtian filmmaking”, amongst others. The MI 200 students produced high-quality essays, and so three were selected to showcase on the Theory Blog.

BOILING POINT: HEAT AS NARRATIVE DEVICE IN FILM AND ITS RELATION TO MORALITY BY RILEY BARFOOT (He/Him)
In his essay, Riley explores how the elements, especially heat, can be used as a vital storytelling tool in film, both to enrich narrative and to underscore issues of morality. Riley looks specifically at extreme heat as a narrative device in Spike Lee’s 1989 film Do the Right Thing. This essay’s strong point is that it does not only consider Do the Right Thing but that it places the discussion in context by referring to heat/cold in other cinematic works as well.

BRECHTIAN TECHNIQUES AND AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT IN SPIKE LEE’S SOCIAL PROBLEM FILM “DO THE RIGHT THING” BY MIA BURWISE (She/Her)
Mia, also using Do the Right Thing as the object of her analysis, takes a different approach to the film. In this essay, Mia discusses Brechtian filmmaking techniques in relation to Do the Right Thing as a social problem film. By employing Bertolt Brecht’s epic theatre techniques, which are designed to make audiences think critically about social conditions rather than escape into the narrative, Mia explores how audience engagement with Do the Right Thing can lead to social change.

THE BARBIE MOVIE WAS MADE BY WOMEN, FOR MEN BY LENAY ROSSOUW (She/Her)
Lenay chose feminism as her theoretical framework and cleverly reflects on the 2023 Barbie movie, directed by Greta Gerwig. In this essay, Lenay discusses how Barbie transcends conventional gender boundaries, inviting all viewers to engage critically with its themes and representations. Finally, Lenay manages to demonstrate why men should actively participate in (feminist) discourse surrounding the Barbie movie and concludes that this film was made by women, but is for men to see.