Spike Lee: Finding the Story and Forcing the Issue

(Hardback)

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Description

Spike Lee's journey from guerrilla filmmaker to Hollywood insider is explored in light of his personal background, the cultural influence of his films, and the extensive scholarship his movies have inspired. This insightful study probes the iconic filmmaker's career as a director and shaper of American culture. It not only sheds light on the ways in which Lee's background, influences, and outlook affect his films but also discusses how he participates in, transforms, and transcends the tradition of black American filmmaking. Each chapter offers a critical assessment of at least one, and sometimes multiple, Lee films, examining their production history; their place in Lee's filmography; and their aesthetic, cultural, and historical significance. Readers will come away from this first scholarly assessment of Lee's career and work with a better understanding of his penchant for stirring up controversy about significant social, political, and artistic issues as well as his role as an American artist who provokes his audiences as much as he pacifies them.

Reviews

Vest . . . provides an exhaustive study of Spike Lee's dramatic films and documentaries. He works into his commentary his own insightful comments on Lee and carefully cites an incredible number of critics' opinions, their disagreements with each other, and his commentary on themblending this mass of information in a way that is readable and remarkably clear. . . . The book's scholarly apparatus is impressive. . . . Summing Up: Recommended. All readers. * Choice *

Author Bio

Jason P. Vest, PhD, is associate professor of English at the University of Guam.