"I don't think my films will rid the world of racism or prejudice.
I think the best they can do is stimulate."
With over thirty films and documentaries under his belt, Spike Lee has emerged as the figurehead of African American cinema. From his first feature film She's Gotta Have It in 1986 to BlacKkKlansman in 2018, the director has adopted an unremittingly militant approach. His in-your-face films – political, social and urban – have earned him international renown and a host of prizes, including the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay in 2019. We look back at 6 key films from the world of the man who will preside the Feature Film Jury for the 73rd Festival, before awarding the Palme d'or to the best film in Competition on 23rd May.
SHE'S GOTTA HAVe IT (1986)
"Nola had this thing about her. She had an incredible effect on men. She knew what she wanted, and she had to have it"
For his first feature film, Lee trained his cameras on Brooklyn to capture the everyday love-life of a liberated young woman, who divides her time between three lovers. His signature style is already apparent: physical sensuality, caustic humour and a carefully curated soundtrack.
► FESTIVAL DE CANNES 1986 -In Competition: Youth Prize
Do the Right Thing (1989)
On a hot day in New York City, things are hotting up among the clients of a local pizza joint. The place is the haunt of several gangs: Italians, African-Americans and Koreans. The film takes a real-life incident as its starting point: the beating up of three young black men outside a restaurant. The electric atmosphere leads to a riot, to the tune of Public Enemy's Fight the Power anthem. A denunciation of casual racism, Do the Right Thing also bears witness to the emergence of hip-hop culture.
Jungle Fever (1991)
Jungle Fever movie poster © IMDB
An African-American architect begins an affair with his Italian-born white secretary. Rejected by their respective families, they have to face the scandal and prejudices that poison the relationship. Spike Lee thus depicts another facet of communitarianism: moral violence. More than twenty years after Guess Who's Coming to Dinner... (1967) by Stanley Kramer, the film sheds light on the taboo that hangs over mixed couples.
► FESTIVAL DE CANNES 1991 – In Competition: Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Samuel L. Jackson
Malcolm X (1992)
Denzel Washington in "Malcom X" © IMDB
Played by Denzel Washington, the film traces the life of the famous black American leader. Marked in his childhood by racist attacks, Malcolm X settles in Boston and joins the underworld. After receiving a prison sentence, he converts to Islam and founds his own movement thanks to his brilliant speaking skills. A controversial figure, he soon became a public enemy and was assassinated during one of his speeches in 1965.
25th hour (2002)
Edward Norton in "The 25th Hour" © David Lee - 2002 - Touchstone Pictures
The last night at liberty of a drug trafficker (Edward Norton) before being sentenced to seven years in prison. Reminiscent of the American cinema of the 1970s, 25th Hour also paints a picture of a New York destroyed in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. Commenting on his film, adapted from David Benioff's novel The 25th Hour, Lee said, "I was immediately sensitive to the subject, its strength, its paradoxes, and its humanity. It's a story that makes you think and feel."
BlacKkKlansman (2018)
Inspired by a true story, the film follows the infiltration of the Ku Klux Klan by a black policeman. Spike Lee makes his comeback with a diatribe against the America of the white supremacists. Exploring the genres of comedy and thriller at a breathless pace, the work is carried by a duo of cops made up of John David Washington and Adam Driver.
► FESTIVAL DE CANNES 2018 – In Competition: Grand Prix / OSCARS 2019: Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.
