Jungle Fever

"Jungle Fever" offers a poignant exploration of the complexities of race, class, and gender in modern society through the story of an interracial relationship between African-American Flipper Purify (Wesley Snipes) and Italian-American Angie Tucci (Annabella Sciorra) in New York City.

The film's title, "Jungle Fever," is a pejorative term used to describe the attraction between black and white individuals. Lee masterfully employs this term to critique society's attitudes towards interracial relationships and to probe the impact of such relationships on the individuals involved and their communities.

A standout feature of Jungle Fever is its excellent cast, who deliver nuanced performances that bring the film's themes to life. Snipes portrays a successful African-American man grappling with his attraction to a white woman, while Sciorra embodies a woman torn between her desires and societal expectations.

The supporting cast, particularly Samuel L. Jackson, adds depth and complexity to the film's exploration of race and relationships. Jackson's character Gator Purify, is Flipper's crack-addicted brother, who becomes a source of tension and conflict within the family.

His portrayal of the character is both heart-wrenching and poignant, capturing the devastating impact that drug addiction can have on a person and their loved ones. Gator's storyline also adds another layer of complexity to the film's exploration of race and class, highlighting the struggles faced by African American families in urban communities affected by poverty and drug addiction.

As such, "Jungle Fever" remains a timeless classic and one of the best movies of Samuel L. Jackson.

Release: 1991

Cast: Wesley Snipes, Annabella Sciorra, Samuel L. Jackson

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%