'Jungle Fever' has its moments but it's not Spike Lee at his best

Annabella Sciorra and Wesley Snipes explore interracial relationships in 1991’s “Jungle Fever.” (Universal Pictures/MovieStillsDB.com)

A lot is going on in "Jungle Fever," but its biggest flaw is that the finished movie isn't very interested in the Flipper and Angie romance, which is the film's premise.

"Jungle Fever"
Released June 7, 1991
Directed by Spike Lee
Where to Watch

One of the most exciting elements of conceiving a project like the summer of 91 is going through the list of movies that came out that season to pick which ones you'll cover. It's like programming your own film festival, and when you realize a Spike Lee joint will be part of the conversation, you can't help but look forward to that week as a film fan.

And while Lee remains one of the premiere filmmakers of his generation, producing several great movies with a handful of masterpieces, it's hard to think of his 1991 effort, "Jungle Fever," as an all-time top contender in his filmography. 

That's not to say there isn't a lot to like about the movie, which is about a married black architect named Flipper (Wesley Snipes) beginning an affair with his white Italian secretary, Angie (Annabella Sciorra). It's a decision that sends an emotional wrecking ball throughout their communities, exposing everybody's fears and anger toward interracial relationships. One of Lee's best traits as a director and screenwriter is his willingness to lean into uncomfortable conversations and situations, and that's very true here, even if the results in "Jungle Fever" are mixed.

Flipper shares the story about his hookup with his best friend, Cyrus (Lee), but news of the affair quickly makes it back to Flipper's wife, Drew (Lonette McKee), forcing him out of the house. One of the film's biggest subplots lies with Flipper's brother, Gator (Samuel L. Jackson), a crack addict who is constantly approaching Flipper and their mother (Ruby Dee) for money. The father, known as the Good Reverend Doctor Purify (Ozzie Davis), is such a hard-line Baptist minister, he was forced out of his ministry. The Good Reverend has emotionally disowned Gator long ago, and after Flipper separates from his wife Drew and daughter Ming (Veronica Timbers) to shack up with Angie, he's ready to do the same with his other son.

The affair wreaks havoc on Angie's side too. She's violently thrown out of the house she shares with her father and brothers and breaks up with her sweet fiance, Paulie (John Turturro). Paulie runs a newsstand and soda shop in the New York City neighborhood of Bensonhurst, where the clientele is mainly Italian-racist, save for one black woman named Orin (Tyra Ferrell), with whom he enjoys casual conversations. Paulie's attracted to her but feels the hard stares and harsher words from his customers and father (Anthony Quinn).

A lot is going on in "Jungle Fever," but its biggest flaw is that the finished movie isn't very interested in the Flipper and Angie romance, which is the film's premise. Instead, the focus is on everybody else's reaction to their relationship, and while it does make for some interesting and even great scenes (such as Drew's conversation with her black girlfriends), the constant anger, racism, and bile insults from almost every other person in the movie become tiresome. Meanwhile, Flipper and Angie's connection to each other originates from sexual curiosity more than anything else. Still, the story never explains why they would continue seeing each other after their initial late-night office romp. 

Once Flipper and Angie end their relationship, they try but cannot replicate the exact life they had before, and when the movie concludes, their story feels unresolved. Paulie becomes collateral damage to Flipper and Angie's affair, but his story ends on a hopeful note as he pursues Orin. After two hours, that's the relationship you'd rather see more of.

"They're fundamentally different," Lee said in 1991. "Paulie and Orin's relationship is based on genuine attraction. That's why if they wanted to, they could withstand all the feedback they'll receive from their family and friends. Whereas Flipper and Angie's attraction is based on sexual mythology. It's not built on a foundation of love."

While Flipper's story is disjointed, "Jungle Fever" excels when it focuses on Gator. At the time, Jackson was mainly known for playing small parts in several films (including "Coming to America" and "Goodfellas"), so his expanded role and screen time in "Jungle Fever" is a significant breakthrough in his career. He earned the Best Supporting Actor prize at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival for his performance as Gator, and soon Jackson would land more prominent parts in movies over the next few years leading up to his iconic role in 1994's "Pulp Fiction."

While the stars were beginning to align for Jackson, "Jungle Fever" as a whole, earned mixed reviews, scoring an 81 percent approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and 67 percent from audiences. 

"Like all artists, Lee has his weaknesses," wrote Desson Howe for The Washington Post. "The main one still holds: He has scriptwriting blind spots. That his characters have life and believability is often due to his fluid direction; very often, he lays a rich embellishment on a poor idea. The structure in 'Jungle' ultimately breaks down. Although Lee doesn't repeat the disastrously cliched conclusion of 'Mo' Better Blues,' he brings 'Jungle' to an anticlimactic halt."

"Jungle Fever" opened in third at the box office upon release, scoring $5.3 million for the weekend. The movie held its audience for a few weeks after its opening before falling fast as the calendar moved into July. It finished with a $32.5 million gross off a reported $14 million budget, making it Lee's most successful domestic release up to that point in his career.

While "Jungle Fever" had a solid run during the summer of 1991, there would be even better days ahead for Lee. The following year he directs "Malcolm X," a commercial and artistic success. Lee would continue to write and direct a variety of acclaimed pictures over the years to become one of his generation's most respected filmmakers and finally earned Oscar statues from the Academy Awards. Maybe one day, he'll eventually take home the golden Academy Award prize for Best Director, overdue recognition for an incredible list of artistic achievements in cinema.

But "Jungle Fever" won't make the top five in that list.

At the Box Office: This week sees the debut of one of the summer's biggest hits, the Billy Crystal comedy "City Slickers." Crystal plays an urban professional joining his friends for a unique cattle-drive vacation led by a wild frontiersman trail boss, Curly (Jack Palance, who memorably won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for this role). "City Slickers" opened with a $13 million weekend haul en route to a $125 million box office total gross.

In its second week, Ron Howard's firefighter action drama "Backdraft" landed in second place with $6.4 million, followed by "Jungle Fever." Two other comedies, "What About Bob?" and "Soapdish," rounded out the top five with $4.8 million and $4.4 million in sales, respectively. The weekend's final wide new release, "Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead," arrived in sixth place with $4.2 million.

In the News: NATO promises to support Eastern European nations anxious about the return of Soviet forces into their borders; Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines erupts for the first time; The New York Times publishes a front-page story about the changing dynamics in American families as single parents and divorces become the norm; the Chicago Bulls take a 2-1 lead in the seven-game series against the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals as Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson continue to duel over who will be the face of the league; Extreme's hit single, "More Than Words," knocks Mariah Carey out of the top spot in Billboard's Hot 100.

Next Week: "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves"