Jungle Fever
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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- For the "Jungle Fever" song, see Jungle Fever (song)
Jungle Fever is a 1991 film directed by Spike Lee, starring Wesley Snipes and Annabella Sciorra. It is Lee's fifth feature length film.
Plot
The plot centers on the interracial romance between a successful married African American architect, Flipper Purify (Snipes), and an Italian-American woman, Angie Tucci (Sciorra). The two meet at their workplace in New York, an architectural firm where Purify works and Tucci is hired as a temporary secretary. The lovers come under intense pressure from their friends and family as a result of their relationship. The title of the film refers to the sexual attraction of white people to black people.
A subplot considers the problems of drug abuse, with Flipper's brother Gator (Samuel L. Jackson) a crack addict.
The film is notable as the screen debut of Halle Berry, who would later become the first African American winner of the Academy Award for Best Actress for Monster's Ball. It was also Queen Latifah's screen debut, as well as Jackson's first notable performance; both would go on to become Oscar nominees.
Cast
- Wesley Snipes as Flipper Purify
- Annabella Sciorra as Angie Tucci
- Spike Lee as Cyrus
- Ossie Davis as The Reverend Doctor Purify
- Ruby Dee as Lucinda Purify
- Samuel L. Jackson as Gator Purify
- Lonette McKee as Drew
- John Turturro as Paulie Carbone
- Frank Vincent as Mike Tucci
- Anthony Quinn as Lou Carbone
- Halle Berry as Vivian
- Tyra Ferrell as Orin Goode
- Veronica Webb as Vera
- David Dundara as Charlie Tucci
- Michael Imperioli as James Tucci
- Nicholas Turturro as Vinny
Soundtrack
