Yar, you be here: Jungle Fever > Customer Reviews
Jungle Fever Customer Reviews (1 - 3 of 18 Reviews)
Brutally honest look at interracial relationships
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.
Another fantastic and honest Spike Lee movie ;-)
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.
Wesley is so good
He has so much talent, a terrific build, handsome, he looks like he really takes good care of himself. And you never hear anything bad about him in the tabloids. I really enjoyed this movie, not for the story, I just really enjoyed looking at Wesley he should do more nude scenes, he certainly has the body for it. Yum
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 | Next Page |
