Mis-en-scene and "Do the Right Thing"

Throughout this film, a photograph of Martin Luther King, Jr. shaking hands with Malcolm X was shown. This prop was both instrumental and metaphorical. It was instrumental because the character Smiley was going around the neighborhood trying to sell copies of this photograph. The metaphorical aspect came from the men in the photo. MLK promoted nonviolent resistance to injustice, but Malcolm X promoted the opposite. The conflict there is metaphorical to the conflict in the film.
When Buggin Out wanted some black heroes on the Wall of Fame at Sal's Pizzeria, his first action was to boycott the business and to try to get others in the community to do the same. Things then escalated from a boycott to intense vandalism and fiery destruction.
Another example of a prop photo being both instrumental and metaphorical was not prominently featured, in fact it was quite literally like a flash. One of the photos on the Wall of Fame was the scene in "Raging Bull" when Robert DeNiro's character was boxing against the black character. The movie was black and white, and the boxing match was black vs. white. When the scuffle between Radio Raheem and Sal erupted, this image was manifested.

The setting was a neighborhood in Brooklyn during a summer day. As it was reiterated numerous times, it was an incredibly hot day. The heat was not just a fact of the setting. It also served as a plot device as a crucible.
The heat was illustrated using costumes and props. People fanned themselves, shirts were unbuttoned, and shorts were donned. Characters were sweating and complained about the heat.

This film was definitely of the naturalistic tradition. There was nothing which broke or even bent the laws of physics. The neighborhood in which the film took place bore a familiarity to which most of the audience could relate.