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Jungle Fever Customer Reviews (7 - 9 of 18 Reviews)

First rate actors, unfocused film; rent it, don't buy it
"Jungle Fever" is certainly worth seeing for the first rate cast. Each actor gives a magnificent performance. However, as with just about every film he's ever made, Spike Lee packs way too much into this film and therefore dilutes the message, and the film eventually becomes nearly overwhelming. Further, though I appreciate that Spike Lee brings non-mainstream issues to the public forum with his films, he would benefit to learn a little subtlety, as he seems to hit viewers over the head with his messages.

And then there is the issue of the disappointing framework of the film: the interracial relationship between an Italian-American woman and African American man. I think Spike Lee did a major disservice by making this film focus on an adulterous couple. The issue of intermarriage and mixed-race relationships is very interesting and complex. It's sad that there are very few movies on this topic, and even sadder that this one, which is perhaps the most high profile interracial movie of all time, focuses on an adulterous relationship. He could've done so much better. He could've presented a more "honest" relationship, a man and woman who were not cheating on their spouses - a couple that was "normal" in every way except for the fact that they were from different ethnicities.

Watching this film, one can't help but get the sense that Spike Lee himself is opposed to "race mixing." And the production notes of the DVD say that Spike Lee is not condoning or condemning interracial relationships, but merely examining the motives behind them. Um, how about love? Would love be an motive? There are many so-called interracial relationships (scientifically "race" does not even really exist) that are actually founded on love and not on some "thrill" of experiencing something exotic. It's too bad Spike Lee couldn't have made a truly loving relationship the centerpiece of this movie.

Mr. Lee could also have offered some insight into Italian culture's experience with racism, as he allows such insight into the African American experience. For example, he could've addressed the fact that there was a point in US history when Italians were not considered white. (This topic is discussed in books such as ARE ITALIANS WHITE? by Jennifer Guglielmo and Salvatore Salerno.) At one point, Italians were actually considered a race "in-between" black and white. And, as UNA STORIA SEGRETA: THE HISTORY OF ITALIAN AMERICAN EVACUATION AND INTERNMENT DURING WORLD WAR II details, Italian-Americans were even put in internment camps, similar to concentration camps, in the United States during World War II. So we have experienced bigotry first hand as well. Providing such insight into the Italian-American experience may've given more depth and nuance to the xenophobia of some of the Italian-American characters in "Jungle Fever." Often, unfortunately and perplexingly, those who have experienced bigotry will then dole it out to others.

To Spike Lee's credit, though, "Jungle Fever" does deal briefly with the fact that Italian-Americans were occasionally lynched in the South.

I am Italian-American, was living in a predominantly African American neighborhood at the time of release of "Jungle Fever," and my parents were a "mixed" couple (my stepfather was Mexican-American; he died in 2001), so this movie should've really resonated with me. But it didn't. It left me feeling alienated, irritated, and overwhelmed. There is simply too much going on in this movie, and it hits viewers over the head with its - too many - messages. Still, it has its good points. The performances are wonderful (except for Spike Lee himself, who plays the same character in every one of his movies). And therefore I would recommend viewing "Jungle Fever" at least once, but I wouldn't recommend buying it.

Andrew Parodi

Bungle in the Jungle
It's hard to believe that Spike Lee's movie Jungle Fever could be controversial,considering it was written and directed post 1990. Intimate interracial relationships should'nt shake anyone's apple tree but they do! Lee wisely chooses Wesley Snipes,an underrated actor who also underplays this role as the male love interest beautifully. Annabella Sciorra,a ravishing Italian american actress fills out the female end of the story playing Snipe's love interest. She's also underrated,having been in far too few films. This movie gave her something to sink her teeth into.The story begins with Snipes character,an architect successful yet frustrated with his employer but happily married to an african american woman.Being black himself,this is a pretty traditional union for two people of color. Enter Sciorra,an Italian american woman from a working class area of New York City(yes,Italian american in real life as well as her character)who lives with her father and two brothers. Sure,she has a white boyfriend but it's not a particularly passionate relationship;however,things really heat up for her and the architect when she gets hired as his assistant. At first he really does'nt want an assistant nor does he care for her. Still,he tells his boss that she can hang on there at the office anyway. A couple nights after she starts,they order chinese food after work and before you can say chopsticks they're getting very sweaty on his desk. This is a rare treat,one of the finest scenes of intimacy I have ever seen. So they continue to see one another in a clandestine fashion. A few weeks later,the cat is out of the bag and her brothers ans father find out about the affair. It takes a strong constitution to watch what ensues;her father works up a sweat too,but it's none too pleasant. He beats her and all fury breaks loose,because her racist family can't bear the thought of sister/daughter dating a black man. Spike Lee's direction is impeccable and his statement is powerful. Will they be able to continue seeing eachother? Does his wife know or care? Will Sciorra's character be staying with her family or is it time to move? Of course I won't tell what happens at the end but one thing's for sure,racism is alive and kicking today as it always has been.

Folks, it's just dumb
This movie isn't just bad, it's offensively bad. No cliche is beneath it, even eating chinese take out from the box with chopsticks so you know it's New York. The male lead is, are you ready? an architect. Uh huh, Hi Honey, I'm home from "the office".

This is the kind of laziness where the artist claims to be turning the cliches on their head, ironically. That's enough of an insult to our intelligence but Spike goes further, claiming to challenge our attitudes about race by, you guessed it, employing racial stereotypes.

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