ithacafilmfest

In the veritable film factory that’s Hollywood, there have been a few film-makers who have left an indelible hand-print of a legacy spanning decades. Fewer still, of this select breed, have a body of work that’s as influential and thought provoking — yet controversial — as Spike Lee. Over the span of his career, the maverick film-maker’s movies have vividly covered topics as wide-ranging as race relations, the role played by media in contemporary life, ghetto crime and poverty, and even far-reaching political issues. Lee’s films have received widespread critical acclaim, earning him numerous awards including an Emmy; he has also been nominated for the Oscars on two occasions.

Spike Lee has made films across genres, but they have all been pioneering in their gritty approach towards issues pertaining to the sociopolitical milieu of mixed race America and offer a fresh perspective on race, class and gender stereotypes in modern-day America.

Spike Lee: The Making of a Legend

Born Shelton Jackson Lee in 1957 in Atlanta Georgia to a jazz musician and an art teacher, Lee’s parents moved base to Brooklyn when he was very young. His years growing up there have had a major impact on his movies, with Brooklyn serving as a backdrop for many of the movies made by Spike Lee. His was a precocious talent recognized as early as his sting at NYU as a film student; the short film he made for his thesis won the Student Academy Award for best director in 1983.

His lauded debut film, She’s Gotta Have It, completed its 25^th anniversary recently.  This movie, which also starred Spike Lee as a major character, was released in 1986. Shot in 12 days on a shoestring budget of USD 175,000, She’s Gotta Have It was written, produced and directed by Spike Lee.  The film stars Tracy Camilla Jones as Nora Darling, a young, confident African American career woman who is juggling three lovers, none of whom she’s able to commit to. Spike Lee himself co-starred as one of the three men in Nora’s life.

Breaking Molds & Courting Controversies, the Spike Lee way

She’s Gotta Have It, while a simple drama-comedy on the surface, was a pioneering film in its non-stereotypical portrayal of urban, intelligent African-American characters and was part of the 80s independent movie movement. The film, and Lee himself, became cause célèbre among the African-American community, who found She’s Gotta Have It to be a welcome departure from the then prevalent blaxploitation style of movies that were typically made to target the African-American viewers.  Besides accolades from moviegoers and critics alike, the film won the Prix de Jeuness at the Cannes Film Festival for the best film by a newcomer.

Even greater acclaim, however, was reserved for Malcolm X, the 1992 biopic made by Spike Lee on the legendary civil rights activist; many consider that movie to be his greatest to date. The 195 length film chronicles the rise of Malcolm X from his early childhood to the most charismatic spokesperson of the Civil Rights movement, to his assassination. Through the gritty film, Spike Lee paints a stark picture of the racially bigotry America prevalent during the 1950s and ’60s.

However, the same critics who’ve lauded Spike Lee for taking African-American cinema out of the stereotypical mold also point out that Lee has been guilty of being formulaic in his portrayal of Jews and Italians; some have even gone as far to accuse him of antisemitism and racism. His 2001 television series on the life of Black Panthers Society founder Huey P. Newton was one of his more controversial works, which nevertheless solidified his image as one of the more radical and maverick figures in the American film industry and added to the aura of the legend of Spike lee.

This was a glimpse of the remarkable career of the ground breaking career of the director and producer Spike Lee. There will be more on him and his works on this online film blog in the near future, so stay tuned.