The Movie Jungle Fever

Director Spike Lee defines the phrase Jungle Fever as what happens when two members of the opposite sex and of two different races become sexually attracted to each other. The Spike Lee movie Jungle Fever is intended to examine repercussions of this type of interracial sexual affair upon communities that are distinctly different. In the lead role of the movie is Wesley Snipes and he plays the role of the character Flipper who is a happily married individual as well as a very successful architect. The female character Angie played by Annabella Sciorra is an office temp who starts working in Flipper’s office in Manhattan. They look at one another one day and are soon engaging in sexual activity together over a desk in the office they both work in. The affair causes an explosion of comments and advice from the people in both of their families when the controversy is made known.

The family of Flipper includes his dad Doctor Purify who is played by Ossie Davis who is a former preacher in the church. His family also consists of his mother Lucinda who is played by ruby Dee and his brother Gator who is a very violent crack abuser. Gator is played by the famous Samuel L. Jackson in the movie. Flipper’s wife whose name is Drew is played by Lonette Mckee and Flipper confesses in the movie that he still loves his wife very much even though he has Jungle Fever. Angie’s family is an Italian Family from Bensonhurst. She also has a significant other and is engaged to the character Paulie Carbonne who is played by John Turturro. Paulie works at a deli that is owned by his dad Lou (played by Anthony Quinn) The movie turns to animosity when the two distinctive families find out about the love affair.