The riot isn’t seen in the movie, but it is alluded to. He has this one speech that gives a great sense of texture and paints a picture of what was happening in Harlem then.
There are some scenes that work beautifully in a moving, sweeping master, which is how I like to work.
Time management is a big part of the director’s job.
You have to examine a scene on the page first. Then you get into the basics of acting: Who are you? Who are you talking to? How do you feel about that person?
A director just pushes them a little this way or that way.