Une Zone Trouble / Jungle Fever De Spike Lee]

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Une Zone Trouble / Jungle Fever De Spike Lee] Document generated on 09/24/2021 3:51 p.m. 24 images Une zone trouble Jungle Fever de Spike Lee Gilles Marsolais Léa Pool Number 56-57, Fall 1991 URI: https://id.erudit.org/iderudit/22962ac See table of contents Publisher(s) 24/30 I/S ISSN 0707-9389 (print) 1923-5097 (digital) Explore this journal Cite this review Marsolais, G. (1991). Review of [Une zone trouble / Jungle Fever de Spike Lee]. 24 images, (56-57), 95–96. Tous droits réservés © 24 images inc., 1991 This document is protected by copyright law. Use of the services of Érudit (including reproduction) is subject to its terms and conditions, which can be viewed online. https://apropos.erudit.org/en/users/policy-on-use/ This article is disseminated and preserved by Érudit. Érudit is a non-profit inter-university consortium of the Université de Montréal, Université Laval, and the Université du Québec à Montréal. Its mission is to promote and disseminate research. https://www.erudit.org/en/ Flippere t Angela, son amante ital o (Annabell a Sciorra ) UNE ZONE TROUBLE par Gilles Marsolais vec ce film produit par la Universal trant en parallèle lespoinr sd evue srespec ­ gées, er le malaise provoqué par Jungle A Pictures (MCA) et distribué par la tifs de chacune de deux communautés: Fever me conforte dans mon opinion. United International Pictures, Spike Lee l'italienne, de Bensonhurts et la noire, de Voyons celad eprès . accède aux ligues majeures, même s'il est Harlem. Jusqu'à ce que l'équipée se ter­ Déjà, le «héros» de Do The Right reparti déçu (c'est là un euphémisme!) par mine par un désastre total: riche de ses Thing met le feu auxpoudre sd eso nquar ­ le prix de consolation que lui adécern é le convierions enfin confirmées, Flipper tier en s'en prenant à la petite pizzeria du Festivald eCanne s(pou r lemeilleu rsecon d retournera auprès de sa femme noire et coin cenue par un «Italien», un italo-amé- rôle!). Angela regagnera le domicile paternel, ricain pas plus mauvais bougre que la plu­ D'après lui,Jungl e Fever estun eillus ­ soumise àl a loi du clan. part des petits commerçants condamnéesà tration des barrières raciales, sociales et Que Spike Lee le veuille ou non, son œuvrer dans un quartier difficile. Ce «hé­ sexuelles que les gens et les communautés filma une valeur de démonstration, et il ros», qui est leseu lpersonnag ed es aband e érigent (ouérigeraient )entr e eux . Habitant n'estpa s san sprovoque r unprofon d malaise. à avoir une certaine conscience politique, un quartier chicd eNe wYor ke t travaillant C'est comme s'il seplaisai t à renvoyer dos opère à la toutefin d u récit un revirement dans un bureau d'architectes blancs, Flip­ à dos chaque communauré, comme s'il d'attitude aussi brutal qu'il est inexpli­ per (Wesley Snipes — déjà vu dans Mo' constatait etconsacrai t dumêm ecou p l'im ­ cable, en prenant le leadership d'un petit Better Blues)décid e unbo njou r d e quitte r possible communication entre elles, ren­ commandotypiquemen t «fasciste», comme sonemplo i lorsqu'ildevien téviden tqu ese s voyant chacuneà so nghetto , doré oupas . s'il décidait soudainement de«fair e c e qu'i l chances d'avancement sont pratiquement Spike Lee affichait déjà clairement ses faut... au bon moment», justifiant du nulles et qu'il est l'objet d'une forme de couleurs dans Do The Right Thing. Tout mêmecou pl etitr ed u film : «DoTheRigh t racisme inavoué. Sur ces entrefaites, il en reconnaissanc qu'il était superbement Thing». Le bât blesse doublement du fait devient l'amant d'une secrétair eintérimair e filmé, le film m'avait sérieusement indis­ que ce «héros» (Mookie) est incarné à italo-américaine (Angela/Annabella Scior­ posé au niveau de son contenu, lors d'un l'écran par Spike Lee lui-même, le person­ ra) récemment engagée dans la boîte. À premier visionnement àCannes . Depuis,i l nage se faisant alors doublement le porte- travers certe liaison, Spike Lee exploite, à a fait un tabac, notamment auprès de la parole du réalisateur et de son message. safaçon , laconfrontatio n despréjugés , sur communauté noire américaine. Or, mes D'ailleurs, pendant tout le film,Spik e Lee les plans individuel et collectif , en mon- réserves à son endroit demeurenr inchan­ joue avec le spectateur en le charrianr de 2 4 IMAGES 5 6-57 <;T Angela froidement accueillie par lepèr e de Flipper. Ossie Davis, Wesley Snipes, Annabella Sciorra et Ruby Dee. plus (Angela y perd sur tous les plans)? Spike Lee dit croire aux relations interra­ ciales, mais il fait dire le contraire à ses héros que l'on peut considérer, à juste titre, gauche àdroite , en seréclaman t d'attitudes dée sur l'exotisme), lui permettant de miser comme ses porte-parole. Si tel n'est pas le contradictoires héritées de Martin Luther sur un ensemble de clichés pour alimenter cas, ces films présentent un sérieux pro­ King Jr (contre la violence) et de Malcom son propos ségrégationniste. Qui plus est, blème de «point de vue». Et à cet égard, X (acceptant la violence comme moyen les raisons avancées par les membres de la relarion qui s'esquisse timidement, en d'autodéfense), pour proposer en fin de chacune des deux communautés pour con­ contrepoint, entre Paulie l'anti-héros (John parcours un militantisme qui repose sur damner cette liaison n'ont rien à voir avec Turturro) et Orin semble tout aussi fragile une forme de racisme à rebours pour le le fait qu'elle serait fondée sur une attirance et problématique, même si elle se veut moins inquiétant, son «héros» n'étant en «malsaine», donc vouée à l'échec dès le moins «exotique». aucun cas placé dans une position d'auto­ départ; leurs arguments sont d'un tout Cela dit, il ne faut pas voir en Spike défense. autre ordre et ilsseraien t impossibles à faire Lee l'incarnation du «méchant Satan». La Ici, dansJungl e Fever, Spike Lee prê­ avaler par le spectateur dans le cas d'une discussion des femmes noires entre elles che carrément pour la mentalité de ghetto : liaison réussie. vaut à elle seule le déplacement : ell e amuse chacun dans son coin, les ethnies, les races Si on y regarde bien, à travers la glo­ et inquiète à la fois, levant le voile sur une et les communautés culturelles ne sont pas rification de son héros «tête chaude», Do réaliré vécue de l'intérieur où la «couleur» faites pour se fréquenter. Pire, conclur-il, The Right Thing n'est rien moins qu'une de la peau devient primordiale. «Tout le de telles fréquentations sont même con­ profession de foi raciste, la justification monde est raciste», semble-t-il dire, damnables et vouées à l'échec de toute d'une position militante radicale prônant «même les Noirs entre eux, donc. .». façon. Comme il se doit, en conférence de un racisme à rebours; alors que Jungle Dans la foulée, certains pourraient observer presse, Spike Lee prétend vouloir dire autre Fever apparaîr comme la version «raison- que Spike Lee se contente simplement chose, en arguant précisément que la liai­ née», captieuse, de cette position ségréga- d'établir un constat, mais l'ennui c'est que son qu'il montre entre un Noir et une Blan­ rionniste. Ces films sont d'autant plus habi­ la réflexion à ce sujet est plus avancée che est d'entrée vouée à l'échec, parce que les et délicats à manipuler qu'ils ont une aujourd'hui que ne le laissent croire ses fondée sur lacuriosité , voire sur l'exotisme. belle apparence comme les arguments spé­ films qui se concentent de reconduire les Or, c'est justement par là que le bât blesse cieux qui les alimentent. Que ce soit au pires clichés, lorsqu'ils ne cèdent pas au à nouveau, que son argumentation s'écrase. niveau du petit peuple de la rue, comme racolage. Voyez, à cecégard , la séquence de La rencontre entre Flipper et Angela consti­ dans Do The Right Thing, ou dans les la piquerie (la «shooting gallery») planant tue le pivot central du récit et elle est négo­ milieux plus éduqués, comme dansJungl e sur la musique envahissante de Stevie Won­ ciée d'une façon telle qu'elle constitue la Fever, le constat est le même : ce n'est pas der, qui a ému certains Français: on se plus grande faiblesse du scénario : ell e appa­ une question de classes sociales, mais stric­ croirait dans la prison turque de Midnight raît comme un «coup de foudre» parachu­ tement un problème de races, nous dit Express, s'attendant à rencontrer Brad Da­ té, avec son cortège de clichés complai­ Spike Lee. Dès lors, le progressisme visa udétou r dequelqu e coin sombre... • sants, pour répondre à des besoins scénaris- consiste à rester entre Noirs: malgré ses tiques, et elle constitue un argumenr spé­ prorestations, notamment au «resto black», cieux donnant à Spike Leel apar t belle pour Flipper finit par rentrer dans le rang, au renvoyer dos à dos chacune des deux com­ point de refuser d'avoir desenfant s métissés. munautés et prêter une valeur universelle à (De fait, il n'est pas si éloigné de son père, JUNGLE FEVER un cas particulier fondé sur une fausse pré- le pasteur intégriste, qui estime que le États-Unis 1991.Ré . et scé. : Spike Lee. Ph. :Ernes t mice. Les sophistes sont nombreux en cette mélange des couleurs, et même des teintes, Dickerson A.S.C. Mont. :Sa m Rallard. Int. : Wesley fin de siècle! En outre, Spike Lee prête à entraîne la «dilution de la race».) Et est-ce Snipes, Annabella Sciorra, Spike Lee, Anthony Angela des intentions qu'elle n'a pas bien le hasard qui veut que cesoi t encore le Quinn, Ossie James, Ruby Dee, Lonette McKee, Samuel L.
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