Breaking the Fourth Wall

I found Spike Lee’s ‘breaking of the fourth wall’ particularly effective. Having the actors speak directly at the camera puts the audience in the direct line of fire of the onslaught of verbal abuse the various characters dished out. Spike’s use of this cinematic effect is very different from what I am used to. Typically, in the shows or movies I’ve seen, the breaking of the fourth wall is used for either comedic effect or to explain something. These types of uses acknowledge that the audience is someone watching a screen. Spike Lee’s use, however, pulls the audience into the film to experience racial aggression first hand.

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