SITE TOOLS
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Jungle Fever, 1991, 132 minutes, Rated R
By JLM
She was looking at his black skin. The dark, rich tones. And he knew that she was
looking, because he was looking at her skin too. Both stealing glances and stares to catch
the color, the texture, the difference. Both want to feel, touch and experience the other.
According to Spike Lee, they have the fever, Jungle Fever.
In Jungle Fever, Spike Lee invites the audience to share in the two separate worlds of
Flipper (Wesley Snipes), an African-American architect and Angie (Annabella Sciorra), a
secretary from a working- class Italian family. The contrast provides a backdrop for this
ambitious work that addresses questions of not only race, but class, gender, family,
religion, and drug- addiction. |
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It is a complicated patchwork that is
artfully crafted. Yet, there is a disturbing pace of violence and disillusionment that
tracks Flipper and Angie's forbidden union. The audience quickly witnesses the couple's
sacrifice of family and friends as they struggle to maintain a relationship. One can feel
the increasing heat and pressure - - -a fever that is breaking into the cold sweat of
reality.
This is not a fairy tale. In fact, the movie opens with a dedication to the memory of
Yusef Hawkins. The specter of his death is a constant reminder of the dangerous
consequences of transgressing boundaries. |
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With Flipper and Angie's retreat to
their respective neighborhoods, one is left with an overwhelming sense of frustration,
coupled with dampened enthusiasm and hope. Perhaps Spike Lee is simply offering a public
service announcement and reminder of the consequences of transgressing boundaries. Or
perhaps he is simply questioning when it's just the fever or something more?! M
March 2000 |
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