Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson “Spike” Lee 1957 - present
An unapologetically Black filmmaker is precisely what the industry needed when Spike Lee burst onto the scene in the mid-80s. Since Lee first entered the mainstream, he has promoted real stories about Black people and brought the full spectrum of their joy and pain to life.
Lee is a graduate of the prestigious HBCU Morehouse College. While an undergrad, Lee determined he would pursue a career in film, where he would have a platform to capture and share the Black experience. This became his life’s mission. Lee’s mother sparked the artistic fire. She took Lee and his siblings to art galleries, plays, and museums throughout his childhood and she would be proud to learn the fire inside him still burns.
Although Lee’s debut was “She’s Gotta Have It,” there is little argument over which filmed changed the trajectory of both his career and the film industry – Do The Right Thing. The Academy Awards snubbing Do The Right Thing, in favor of “Driving Miss Daisy,” was criminal. In Do The Right Thing, Lee showcased his endless talents to the world. Lee managed to organize multiple plotlines while also incorporating narration. Sure, the film was controversial and depicted the raw reality of racial tension in America. But those qualities should not have diminished the film’s value in the eyes of the Academy. Regardless, Do The Right Thing will always be regarded as the standard-bearer for juggling plotlines and critically analyzing race relations in film.
Among Lee’s greatest talents as a director, is ability to manipulate the emotions of his audience. From genius symbolism in set design to charged dialogue between lead characters, he is adept with provoking deep thought and reflection.
There is no better evidence of this skill than Lee’s groundbreaking biopic “Malcolm X,” starring Denzel Washington.
Lee’s filmography is impressive. He has directed countless major motion pictures, documentaries, and television series. Among his most popular box office feature films:
BlacKKKlansman
Chi-Raq
Inside Man
School Daze
Crooklyn
Lee is more than the first Black director to become a household name. If nothing else is said about Spike Lee, remember this; Spike Lee is a filmmaking savant that will make you think and then rethink, and after all that thinking, his work will challenge you to question the beliefs formed during the thinking.
