On J List of Movie Reviews

(For optimum viewing, adjust the zoom level of your browser to 125%.)


Jungle Fever (1991)

Rate: 7
Viewed: 10/06

JungleF
10/06: Jungle Fever is a great film with several strong performances but is marred by constant attention on racism which gets old fast in Spike Lee pictures.

Worse is the inclusion of one million topics. Please Spike...just focus on a few and stick with them. Also, there are many characters which have been a giant juggling act for me to follow. There's no doubt John Turturro and Samuel L. Jackson give the best performances of their careers. Wesley Snipes does a rare acting job.

I love how the adultery issue is played out and the dissection of its impact, but the racism has gotten out of hand. The latter is usually more subtle than what Spike Lee thinks, and of course, it's everywhere but on a subconscious level. Meanwhile, there are serious scenes including Wesley Snipes at the crackhouse, Samuel L. Jackson in the final confrontation with his parents, and the dialogue among women which got ruined by the African dick part.

All in all, if there could be less topics and characters and no racism, Jungle Fever would work out better.