Jungle Fever
| Jungle Fever | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Spike Lee |
| Produced by | Spike Lee |
| Written by | Spike Lee |
| Starring | |
| Music by |
Terence Blanchard (score) Stevie Wonder (songs) |
| Cinematography | Ernest Dickerson |
| Edited by | Sam Pollard |
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Production
company |
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| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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132 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $14 million |
| Box office | $43,882,682 |
Jungle Fever is a 1991 American romance drama film written, produced, and directed by Spike Lee, and stars Wesley Snipes, Annabella Sciorra, Spike Lee, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Samuel L. Jackson, Lonette McKee, John Turturro, Frank Vincent, and Anthony Quinn. As Spike Lee's fifth feature-length film, the film explores an interracial relationship—its conception and downfall—against the urban backdrop of the streets of New York City in the 1990s.
Flipper Purify (Wesley Snipes), a successful and happily married architect from Harlem, is married to Drew (Lonette McKee)—together the two have one daughter, Ming (Veronica Timbers). At work, he discovers that an Italian-American woman named Angie Tucci (Annabella Sciorra) has been hired as a temporary. Angie lives in Bensonhurst, with her father, Mike (Frank Vincent), and her two brothers, Charlie (David Dundara) and Jimmy (Michael Imperioli). Angie and her boyfriend, Paulie (John Turturro) have been dating since high school, and he runs a corner store.
Flipper and Angie begin to spend many nights in the office working late but one night, the two have sex. The sexual encounter begins the two's tumultuous relationship. Afterwards Flipper somehow demands to be up for a promotion at work but when refused by the company for the position Flipper accuses them of colorism and abruptly quits his job. Afterwards, he later admits his infidelity to his longtime friend Cyrus (Spike Lee). Cyrus later criticizes Flipper for having an affair with a white woman but Flipper encourages him not to tell anyone including his wife. Later Drew finds out about his affair (through Cyrus's wife) and throws him out. Flipper in retaliation insults Cyrus's wife and in doing so strains his friendship with Cyrus. Flipper moves in momentarily with his father The Good Reverend Doctor Purify (Ossie Davis) and Mrs. Purify (Ruby Dee). Later, Angie comes home to a severe and brutal beating with a belt from her father after word gets out that she is dating a black man. Flipper and Angie decide to find a place and move in together. As a couple, the two encounter discrimination such as when being refused and ignored entirely by a waitress (Queen Latifah) for dating a white lady, police harassment, and financial issues. Eventually they break up.
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