Spike Lee, a Visionary Filmmaker | Appreciation Post

Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American filmmaker and actor. Lee's work has continually explored race relations, issues within the black community, the role of media in contemporary life, urban crime and poverty, and many other political issues.

I am a proud owner of Lee’s career-spanning monograph book, SPIKE. The book is a visual celebration of the acclaimed filmmaker and showcases his life and work to date. In said book he details all of his features but the one I found most interesting was, ‘Do The Right Thing’. Lee speaks about his process of making the film in detail and how it ultimately changed his life. I remember watching this feature for the first time having to study it in university and being truly taken by the cinematic techniques, unique sense of personality throughout and genuinely well written and compelling story- which is simple yet highly intelligent. This film isn’t just a film, it comments on several social issues with the angle of comedy. Spike Lee is a genus writer and filmmaker, he is able to combat serious social issues and racial commentary whilst playing with comedy. His personality and individualism shines through every time in every film.

Spike Lee is a world-renowned, Academy Award-winning filmmaker, a cultural icon, and has been one of the most prominent voices on race and racism for more than three decades. Spike Lee is a visionary filmmaker who has brought to our screens some of cinemas most prevalent and inspired pieces of art. Cinema is art and Lee treats it so, his attention to character and storytelling shows in each and every one of his projects. His work has continually explored and combatted race, issues within the black community, the role of media in contemporary life, urban crime and poverty, and many other political issues. His cinema should not be considered as simply, movies, but a commentary on social justice and human nature. Lee invites us into his world, every time I watch a Spike Lee joint, my mind is enthralled on sent on a compelling and often monumental journey.

Over the course of his distinguished film career, Lee has received various awards and nominations. He has received five competitive Academy Award nominations winning Best Adapted Screenplay for BlacKkKlansman (2018). He has also received two special Oscars, a Student Academy Award for Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads (1983), and an Honorary Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2016. He has also received two Primetime Emmy Awards for HBO documentary series When the Levees Broke (2007). He has also received five Golden Globe Award nominations, a Grammy Award nomination, and four British Academy Film Award nominations.

Overall, it is a clear to see that Spike Lee has created some of the most prevalent and spoken about pieces of cinema. His voice consistently pushes the boundaries of cinema and forces society to look at itself and change.