Customer Reviews

Jungle Fever

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

One of Spike Lee's best films, "Jungle Fever" comments more on race relations in America, than on the subject of adultery. Spike is all over the place with his take on male/female relationships, the devastation wrought on a family and the Black community by crack cocaine, the "color line" in the Italian community and interracial relationships. But he seems to pull it all together to make a powerful film and one of the best of the '90s.

The acting is terrific with the standout performance being Samuel L. Jackson's as Gator, Wesley Snipes ill fated brother. He's charming, comical and evil all at once. And Wesley showed his range as an actor through his performance as Flipper, the "good son," who has a momentary lapse in character and has an affair with his secretary, Annabella Sciorra. All the performances are great and the actors get you to care about the characters they present. Wesley's performance came after the strong work he did as Nino Brown in "New Jack City" and I don't remember an actor "flippin' the script" on the movie going public like that, going from evil to good, in one year in a long time.

You could look at Flipper and Angie as symbols of Black and White America, trying to come together and the obstacles we face as a nation when we don't deal with the issue of race honestly. Something we're still going through. This film also deals with our dishonesty with dealing with the drug problem too, and this is where Spike deserves credit. No one is left unexamined by this tale of life and there are no happy endings either from Gator being murdered by his father, to Flipper and Angie breaking up.

I love how Spike begins and ends the movie. Spike shows in the beginning a couple, obviously in love, in Wesley and Lonnette Mc Kee, (in a strong, small supporting role as Drew) that leads you to believe nothing could tear them apart. When you get to the end, Wesley and Lonnette are trying to make a go at it, but through Lonnette's tears, you see she's just going through the motions, hoping to put away the pain through the lovemaking. When she tells him "he better leave now," you can tell the hurt she's experienced can't be "loved away" like he'd like.

Critics of this film usually state Spike should have stuck to telling one story. What must be said is that while Spike explores a range of contemporary issues in this film, he has made a film of power and emotion, that definitely draws an opinion out of you, one way or another. An underrated, overlooked masterpiece.

PLEASE NOTE:

In preparing to write my own review for this film I happened to read The New Yorker's review posted on this site and realized that it took the words right out of my mouth, so please, forgive me if this sounds a tad repetitious.

On with the review...

I finally got around to watching `Jungle Fever' last week. I have to admit that all week I've been singing `Jungle Fever' to just about everyone I see, and at times even to myself (that song is just so catchy) but when it came to actually dissecting the film I realized that as a whole there isn't much to remember. Knowing that the basis of this film is a heated affair between a married black man and his white (Italian) co-worker you'd think that there would be a lot to write home about, but the affair is really only here to spark heated debate about whether or not the white women are stealing the black men. Once Flipper (yeah, that's his `real' name) and Angela `do the deed' they seem to become detached and uninterested with one another and the film spars off in another direction completely.

Spike Lee has always been a director for racial controversy, and for the most part his studies work (they tower above the mediocrity that is Tyler Perry, that's for sure) but `Jungle Fever' seems to get lost in its own opinions and ideals. Lee doesn't seem to be able to transfer his feelings on the subject of `race relations' in a coherent and tactful way. Everyone's conversations on the matter are completely one sided and only prove to further embellish stereotypes, which is not something I expect from Spike Lee's work.

In moments, `Jungle Fever' reaches `Crash' depths of racial shallowness. What `Jungle Fever' does have on its side is its age. Whereas `Crash' was trying to paint every situation as racism in a time that has advanced so much in that department, `Jungle Fever' has the advantage of being from a time (early 90's) when racism was a lot more prevalent and so when Flipper is passed over for partner because of his skin color it is believable.

That said; it still tends to go a little too far in moments.

In fact, when you remove the stereotypes and racial approach to the film you find the most intriguing and effective aspect of the film; Flipper's brother Gator (I know, seriously?). Gator is a crackhead living on the street and constantly taking advantage of his family. While his story has nothing to do with `interracial dating' he actually makes the loudest statement in the film. In fact, his subplot is by far the most interesting, and his interactions with his mother and Flipper are the highlights of the film.

The performances here are also very well done. Samuel L. Jackson is the scene stealer (and really should have been Oscar nominated for this) as Gator. He has a difficult job of making his `humorous' character more than just a walking cliché, and he does just so (especially as his characters sub-plot reaches its climax). Ruby Dee is also magnificent as Lucinda, Gator and Flipper's mother. The scene at the dinner table with Flipper and Angie is brilliant, especially when she leaves to breakdown in the kitchen. John Turturro and Frank Vincent and Anthony Quinn and Veronica Webb all deliver memorable supporting performances and Lonette McKee is sympathetic as Flipper's jilted wife. Spike Lee should stay behind the camera for he's not nearly as charismatic in front of it, and while Ossie Davis's character is somewhat the pinnacle of the films morale he delivers his lines in such an excruciatingly dry manor that I found him a bore.

And then there is Halle Berry in one of the funniest cameo performances I've ever seen; period.

That leaves us with Wesley Snipes and Annabella Sciorra, the films stars. Snipes is not the greatest of actors. He's an action buff who has a hard time joggling a weighty film (in my opinion obviously). Here he does better than I expected, but not as good as he should have. He seems almost disinterested with Angie, his eyes parading this guilt that makes his relationship with her feel forced and faux. Sciorra was drastically different, engaging her character marvelously. Despite the fact that Lee grew tired of the interracial relationship almost as soon as it began, Sciorra never grows tired of fleshing out her character. Every time she is on the screen she is working it, and doing so brilliantly.

The film is not a brilliant character study, but it works to a certain extent. I don't think that it carries Lee's message in the proper way, and at times can come off amateurish in its delivery (the dialog is a mess in parts). Some brilliant performances elevate the script, and the overall feel of the film is not one of total disappointment. I can see why so many like this movie, but truth be told, it could have been a masterpiece.

Jungle Fever showcases alot of brilliant performances by so many actors involved in this film. The most powerful, disturbing piece of acting is performed by Samuel Jackson as a strung out crackhead. The first time I saw him in this movie it gave me goosebumps. His "devil dance" at the end of the film is so disturbingly frightning, it elevates Samuel's acting to a whole other level. Spike Lee is a genious and he gets the most out of his actors. i absolutely love and admire his filmaking. The movie is an emotional rollercoaster. Don't be misled, it's not only about interracial dating, it also examines the psychological affects interracial dating has on the family. This movie probes into the lives of all the other people involved. Creatively directed and rich with color and a timeless soundtrack by Stevie Wonder, Jungle Fever is a Spike Lee classic of epic proportions. And you can't beat the price! *No, i don't work for either Spike Lee or Amazon.com, I just think this is a great film!

What a great movie. It's very sad to watch in some respects. The colour of someones skin should not create the problems that occured in this film. It shouldn't matter if you are black or white and fall in love with your 'opposite'. It should come down to the kind of person you are. This is an honest look at the way people can react to interracial relationships which I hope has changed over the years since this was made. Wesley Snipes does an excellent job here (he's so hot - and I'm white but yet I LOVE him) and Spike Lee does another excellent job at direction. Samuel L Jackson and Ossie Davis are great and one of my all time favourite female movie stars Annabella Sciora is tremendous as the mistress of Wesley. She's Italian and has her own problems with her family understanding her.
Overall, this is an exceptional film (with a younger Halle Berry) that also has a great soundtrack. Lots of music by Stevie Wonder, and great acting by all. You have to see this for yourself - you'll love it.

To date, Hollywood has produced very few movies dealing with interracial dating or marriage. In Jungle Fever, director Spike Lee (who also co-stars in the film) tackles this complex issue and the controversies surrounding it. The main action revolves around a middle-class Black architect, Flipper Purify (played by Wesley Snipes), and his extra-marital affair with his white, Italian-American secretary, Angela (Anabella Sciorra). Flipper and Angela have a burning sexual attraction for one another, fueled by racist sexual stereotypes each has for the opposite race. These passions culminate in a one-night stand that eventually drags out for several weeks. In the meantime, both people are forced to deal with the social implications of their actions - Flipper for cheating on his wife and, equally, for sleeping with a white woman; while Angela becomes an outcast in her Italian-American neighborhood for sleeping with a black man.

Some people have attacked Spike Lee's Jungle Fever by claiming that Lee is condemning interracial relationships. This is nonsense. Lee is neither promoting nor condemning interracial dating...he is merely analyzing the strong stigma Americans (Black and White alike) attach to dating outside of one's respective race. In the film Lee gives equal time to the anger and hostility that many whites and blacks have against dating across racial lines.

Anyone who has ever been involved in an interracial relationship will be able to relate to this movie. The movie struck a personal note with me, as I have exerienced the stares, glares, heads shaking in disgust, and snide comments that whites, blacks, and Latinos alike have given me regarding interracial dating. This movie is brutally honest; it does not sugarcoat a sensitive topic.

As is typical of a Spike Lee joint, Jungle Fever is a mix of serious drama and comedy. The acting is superb, and Spike Lee uses many of his regulars such as John Turturro, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Samuel L. Jackson, Rick Aiello, and Miguel Sandoval in the cast. Also of note...this was Halle Berry's first major role in a motion picture. Turturro delivers the best performance in the film as the owner of a newspaper cafe who has a romantic interest in a Black customer.

Fortunately, the DVD comes with some nice extras. Included are the original theatrical trailer and a short documentary on the filming of Jungle Fever where the cast discuss their experiences on the set and their thoughts about the film.

On a side note...Spike Lee decided to film Jungle Fever shortly after the real-life murder of Yusuf Hawkins, a black youth, who was killed in an Italian-American section of New York City after it was discovered that he was dating a white female. Spike's critics acuse him of race-baiting and playing the race card...I say Spike depicts the reality of the world in which we live.

Okay the film is well made because it attacks the interracial argument from many perspectives. Black Men, Black Woman, White Woman, White Man. The only thing I found unsettling is why can't the two just be attracted to each other. Why do they have to be attracted to each other because of the color of their skin. I guess the film allows to draw whatever conclusion we want but the issue is sticky. And I guess because the issue is sticky the film is also sticky.

All I'm saying is why does their have to be something psychologically screwed up with Wesley Snipes is the film saying that there is? Ask these questions watching the film.

Shows the importance of love being color blind. It helps open the eyes of people and society.

Spike has said in an interview that when he sees an interracial couple that he wants to throws darts at them. After seeing part of this terrible, cluttered film on cable--I can see where he's coming from. I particularly felt sorry for the 2 main actors in the film, Wesley Snipes and Annabella Sciorra, their parts were terribly written resulting in caricatures. The only saving grace of this movie was Samuel L. Jackson's portrayal as Gator, Snipes drug addict brother. That's the only reason I gave this film an extra star because if he wasn't in it, this film would be totally unwatchable!! Lee has a tin ear for dialogue maybe he should study David Mamet or Elmore Leonard on that aspect. There was an opportunity in the film also to comment positively on the inter-racial aspect of romance with the subplot involving John Turturro's infatuation with a Black female in the neighborhood but again Spike blew that aspect to bits on that. And as far a director of actors, he allowed the great Anthony Quinn to over-act!! So along with "Mo Better Blues", I've been unable to watch a Spike Lee film in its entirety with the exception of perhaps "Malcolm X", "Clockers" & "The 25th Hour" (Edward Norton) but those films weren't written by Spike!! So if you really serious about cinema, check out better directors like Bill Duke (Hoodlum), John Singleton (4Brothers, Shaft) or Carl Franklin (One False Move, Devil in Blue Dress, One True Thing). These brothers have it, Spike, no way Jose!!

I must be one of the only people who felt Spike essentially missed themark with this film, regarding the particular issue he wanted to address. The film is altogether wonderful, even with the double plot of the main character Wesley Snipes' brother (played by Sam L. Jackson) being an irredemable crack addict and the resulting spiral downward. But Spike raised more fundamental psychological questions than he could possibly answer by virtue of how heavy handed he seemed to be with his delivery.

Wesley plays and upwardly mobile, highly educated architect who up until being almost forced to work with the temp assistant Annabella Sciorra, is a model- albeit a bit shallow- African-American citizen. He is married, and has a wonderful romantic and tremendously healthy sexual relationship with his wife- so much so that she must explain what all those heated sounds of her orgasms are to their daughter, who laughs with the naive wisdom of a child in the near presence of their hero parents' expressions of love. He is an important member of the architectural firm in which he works and makes a great salary; good enough, in fact, to take care of his wife and raise his daughter in an absolutely beautiful brownstone in Harlem while wearing some of the most beautiful Italian suits I have ever seen. He is, even with the inherent dysfunction of his family ever ready to rear its ugly head in his inner life, a walking Black American dream (Ossie Davis plays his judgemental and sexually hypocritical minister father; Ruby Dee his close-your-eyes-and-take-it-for-the-good-of-your-family Minister's wife mother; Sam Jackson the crack addict older brother).

Beyond the fact that Spike immediately began to lose me with the idea that any man could cheat on a woman as drop-dead gorgeous as Lonette McKee (his wife) with ANYONE for practically any reason, it just didn't make any sense for Wesley's character to sacrifice such a uniquely semi-idyllic life for such an easily controllable *disease* as "jungle fever". At no time was any discord in his marriage shown or represented; again, he and his wife were hitiin' it and hittin' it hard practically every night when they got home from work as if they were newlyweds, and their daughter- the product of their love- was at least eight years old. His dissatisfaction over being passed over at his firm from becoming partner, if anything reaffirmed and AMPLIFIED his masculine sense of self and his abilties, as it was made pretty clear that it was the stupidity and latent racism of his bosses that were the only factors behind holding him back, not any lack of talent or integrity. (There is one scene, before he resigns, that he walks through the office yelling "Mine!", "Mine!" at all the pictures of the finished projects that form the economic foundation of the firm for which he works, beacuse they were HIS projects.) So not even his masculine ego was suffering such that he needed an adulterous fling with new young flesh to feel like a man again. And a Black architect in Harlem (like a stock broker on investment banker)? Current statistics report that there are at least eight eligible Black women for every LOSER of a Black man in the U.S. today (let alone for every unhappy white woman looking to get caught up in the theme of the movie for a little while); an architect who looks like Wesley Snipes could have had virtually any beautiful woman in his bed from the day he got back from his honeymoon to the first day of the movie. Yet he tells Annabella Sciorra one night while they are working- knowing his desire for her has (somehow) become uncontrollable- "You know, I've never cheated on my wife."

Almost needless to say, the acting in this movie, including Nicholas Turturro in an actually Platonic black/white relationship that probably could have been the focal one for the film- along with much of the direction, cinematography, and father Lee's (and Terrance Blanchard's) music score- is out of this world. They are all so good, in fact, they have you enjoy the movie to such a degree that, maybe, one is inclined to ignore the fact that Spike didn't say what he tried to say very well. That is why I say this particular Spike Lee film is paradoxically good and bad simultaneously. A white reviewer couldn't have gotten away with saying it was bad on these grounds when the movie came out, regardless of its good points, I don't think (both Siskel and Ebert praised it unanimously- almost defensively- without mentioning any of this). Neither could a Black male one who has ever been seen in a restaurant with a white woman (like the scene in which the mutli-talented Queen Latifah as a waitress curses Wesley's character out for taking his now white mistress to Sylvia's in Harlem); unless of course he was caught up in some politically ultra-conservative neurosis and expectedly proved Spike's point via the hypocrises of his life by default. Because of that, I think they all played it safe and reviewed Spike's courage for talking about what to this day still can't be talked about rationally in society, instead of the actual film.

Spike Lee treated the attraction to the opposite sex of the opposite race in America with such anachronistic disdain that he made it into a complete and totally irredeemable disease that doesn't just effect people but completely destroys them. Jungle fever, as expressed in the movie, in light of how implausibly it began with the two characters, the outside people it touched and the resultant wrecking of their mutual lives, looks more like schizophrenia than a social issue borne out of the country's sex-based racist past. Because of that, the movie, ironically, subliminally challenged me- as it will probably challenge everyone who watches it consciously- to defend the possibility that, just maybe, two people from different races could actually fall in love in an inconvenient way and time. Throughout the entire movie I kept feeling a litle part of my mind condemn Snipes' character for all his actions, but simultaneously and irrationally defend the entire concept of miscegenation; something I never did (because I was never inclined to) before the movie. The sub-plot of Sam Jackson's spiral into madness and death via drug addiction becomes a metaphor for the main plot, and therefore the voice of Spike's heavy handed- and because of which ineffective- moral pronouncement. He obviously saw wanting or loving white women if you're Black (or vice versa) as a drug with no nutritional or redemptive value, purely addictive and destructive; something that must be run from like the plague- like the way children are supposed to run from strangers- at all costs: the exact philosophy practically every drug ADDICT (and dabbler into promiscuous race-tabu sex) had before they got "hooked". In other words, Spike brought up more uncomfortable questions and psychological issues than maybe even he realized; the kind that he couldn't answer in the film, but made the necessity to do so so strong that not doing so created the film's near fatal flaw.

Seeing nothing essentially wrong with being with a woman of the "opposite" race if there are authentic feelings involved (and it isn't out of infidelity), and even if it is just physical attraction, is one of the prinicpal reasons why I have never had the desire. For me personally, with nothing constantly reminding me of the tabu, there is nothing to take my focus away from what I actually love most: my (coincidentally Black, like all the ones before her) girlfriend. Spike seemed to want people to feel and behave otherwise; which feeds on the very problem the film is underscoring.

Again, anyone watching this film will truly enjoy the ensemble acting, etc. Everyone is great in it. If the film troubles you ever so slightly though, it may not be becuase of what you have heard about it regarding our society's historical problem with the issue that is brought up. It may be becuase of what peole feel they better not say. Because saying it incorrectly, whether you're Black or white, man or woman, could still have them quietly judged almost as harshly as the main characters of the film were openly, in their own respective worlds. We really don't know what Spike thinks of the subject matter he presented, as much as we (or he) would like to believe.

This is actually a present for my mom, but she really loves this movie so I assume it must be pretty good.