Jungle Fever (1991)
Average Rating: 7/10
Reviews Counted: 35
Fresh: 30 | Rotten: 5
No consensus yet.
Average Rating: 6.8/10
Critic Reviews: 9
Fresh: 8 | Rotten: 1
No consensus yet.
liked it
Average Rating: 3.3/5
User Ratings: 15,023
My Rating
Movie Info
Spike Lee defines "jungle fever" as sexual attraction between members of two races. In his film Jungle Fever, he examines the repercussions of an interracial affair upon two very distinct communities. Wesley Snipes is Flipper, a happily married and successful architect, and Annabella Sciorra is Angie, an office temp. When she starts working in Flipper's Manhattan office, one day they look at each other and are soon having sex over a blueprint-strewn desk. Their liaison causes an explosion on
Jun 7, 1991 Wide
May 15, 2001
MCA Universal Home Video
Cast
-
Wesley Snipes
Flipper Purify -
Annabella Sciorra
Angie Tucci -
Spike Lee
Cyrus -
Anthony Quinn
Lou Carbone -
Ossie Davis
The Good Reverend Docto... -
John Turturro
Paulie Carbone -
Ruby Dee
Lucinda Purify -
Samuel L. Jackson
Gator Purify -
Lonette McKee
Drew -
Frank Vincent
Mike Tucci -
Halle Berry
Vivian -
Tyra Ferrell
Orin Good -
Veronica Webb
Vera -
Veronica Timbers
Ming -
David Dundara
Charlie Tucci -
Bob Adrian
Man on the Street -
Rick Aiello
Officer Long -
Mamie Louise Anderson
Mouth #2 -
Curtis Atkins
Paperboy -
Michael Badalucco
Frankie Botz -
Melvin Bethea
Drug Dealer -
Yvette Brooks
Mouth #1 -
Danielle Coleman
Woman Panhandler -
Averell Curtle
Young Panhandler -
-
Joseph D'Onofrio
Patty -
Doug E. Doug
Friend of Livin' Large -
Brad Dourif
Leslie -
-
Frank Esposito
Frankie-Denise's Brothe... -
Joseph Giammarino
Boy in Candy Store -
Talese Harris
Iris -
-
Michael Imperioli
James Tucci -
Queen Latifah
Lashawn -
Ewart Lauder
Drug Dealer -
Shawn Lowenthal
2nd Boy in Candy Store -
Gina Mastrogiacomo
Louise -
Randolph May
Man in Crack Den -
Debi Mazar
Denise -
El-Shah Muhammad
Gentleman in Wheelchair -
Charlie Murphy
Livin' Large -
Marilyn Nelson
Crack Lady -
Anthony Nocerino
Veeshay -
Steve Randazzo
Sonny -
Theresa Randle
Inez -
Scot Anthony Robinson
2nd Friend of Livin' La... -
Miguel Sandoval
Officer Ponte -
-
-
Phyllis Yvonne Stickney
Nilda -
Nicholas Turturro
Vinny -
Pamela Tyson
Angela -
Suzanna White
Church Lady -
Tim Robbins
Jerry
ADVERTISEMENT
Jungle Fever Trailer & Photos
All Critics (35) | Top Critics (9) | Fresh (30) | Rotten (5) | DVD (3)
Lee tackles the subject of interracial romance from the unavoidable vantage point that, while things today are more open, they are also considerably more volatile and complex.
Top CriticThere are so many voices you may think you're swimming through a maelstrom, but thanks to Lee it's all superbly orchestrated.
Lee is in fine form.
Instead of showing how prejudice seeps into the private intimacies of daily life, the film turns its attention to the other characters.
Jungle Fever is not to be underestimated or ignored.
Brilliant when it examines the people who surround his feverish couple, but uncertain when it comes to the lovers themselves.
A thematic follow up to Do the Right Thing, this is a powerful melodrama about the fatal and fateful effects of interracial romance.
Lee brings a shotgun to a knife fight, but his visual energy is undeniably effective, spraying the screen with venom and appalling realities, with most of the feature locked in confessional mode.
Always provocative.
Includes a number of memorable set pieces, most notably a visit to a crack den which, accompanied by the epic sound of Stevie Wonder's "Living In The City," is simply unforgettable.
It's uneven, but its best moments -- such as Samuel L Jackson's performance -- are amongst Lee's finest achievements on film.
Though Wesley Snipes and Annabella Sciorra perform well, the script provides no deeper motivations or meanings for their relationship. Situations around them prove more interesting and dynamic.
Spike Lee's blunt and flippant look at forbidden interracial romance set against an urban backdrop of ethnic cynicism. Nobody knows how to examine the hostility of race relations in the movies so effectively such as the brash Lee. Jungle Fever is confront
Audience Reviews for Jungle Fever
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
Discussion Forum
There are no discussion threads for Jungle Fever yet.
What's Hot On RT
Bradley Cooper's Best Movies
Fast & Furious 6 is Certified Fresh
Fast & Furious cars gallery
Blockbusters ranked!
Featured on RT
- Weekly Ketchup: Fox and Marvel Both Courting Quicksilver for Comic Blockbusters 19
- Critics Consensus: Fast & Furious 6 is Certified Fresh 58
- Red Carpet Photos with Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Gina Carano and More 0
- Video: The Hangover Part III Cast Interviews 0
- Total Recall: Bradley Cooper's Best Movies 48
- Parental Guidance: Epic and Beautiful Creatures 2
- Comic Book Movies You Can Watch Online 14
Top Headlines
-
Evan Peters Joins X-Men: Days of Future Past
0
-
Toby Jones Talks Captain America: The Winter Soldier
1
-
The Poltergeist Reboot May Actually Be a Sequel
16
-
Will Forte Promises MacGruber 2
4
-
Universal Plans Timecop Reboot
2
-
Return of the Jedi Turns 30
1
-
Vin Diesel Says Fast & Furious 7 Will Take Place in L.A.
0
Fresh Links
Featured
Star Trek Movies Ranked
HitFix offers their own take on the worst-to-best of the Enterprise crew's cinematic adventures.
Top 10 Star Trek Villains
Rolling Stone unveils the Enterprise's most irksome adversaries.
Celebrity Yearkbook Flashback
We'll bet you never realized how many stars were cheerleaders and high school athletes!
50 Most Classic Movie Moms
In celebration of Mother's Day, TimeOut offers up 50 iconic matriarchs from the big screen.
Weirdest Movie Siblings
From Twins to The Royal Tenenbaums, Moviefone explores cinema's oddest siblings.
Promos
Follow RT on Twitter!
Spice up your feed with hourly Tomatometer updates!
The film has noble ambitions and aims, but a lot of the strength is undermined primarily by some surprisingly untimely music cues from Stevie Wonder and a really bloated, meandering run time.
I liked how the film explored the issue of mixed dating from different viewpoints, but I found it odd how it neglects to really capture the situation from the perspective of the two main parties: a well to do black architect, and his working class Italian secretary. Aside from mixed dating, the film does take a more general look at big city life, with special attention paid to crack addiction.
The film is extremely well shot, with some well used camera moves (including a ripping long take), and, despite being flawed, does offer a great amount of substance and food for thought. It also contains some terrific performances from a notable ensemble cast, which includes names like Wesley Snipes, Anna Sciorra, Anthony Quinn, Spike Lee, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, John Turturro, and briefer appearances from Brad Dourif, Tim Robbins, Queen Latifah, Halle Berry (this being the debut for those latter two), as well as a breakout turn from Samuel L. Jackson as the crackhead Gator.
All in all, the film is kind of a mess, but it does have its moments, so yeah, give it a go.