I just saw it on DVD. Basically, it was an absorbing look back at a very different time and place. You can almost sense Spike Lee's wistful nostalgia imbuing this seemingly violent movie. One gets the impression Lee is looking lovingly back on a hometown that was going through some very dark days -- yet days whose darkness was mixed with brilliance (like the '77 Yankees, and the world-conquering NYC explosion called disco).
I agree with some of the other comments. Spike Lee is very obviously a gifted filmmaker, especially in technical matters. He very convincingly recreates the feel, the atmosphere, the heat, and the fear of New York City those many summers ago. The camera work rate is first-rate, and if the Scorcese-like use of ubiquitous pop music is a bit cliché, at least Lee has chosen powerfully evocative songs. Especially effective are a couple of pulsating tracks from The Who that nicely balance out the diso feel-goodery (an obvious but still effective use by the director of symbolic music that contrasts the danger and violence of late 70's New York with its sophistication and glamor).
There were some excellent acting performances, as well. Mia Sorvino is very good. The Adrian Brody of 1999 is very clearly a major star in the making. And John Leguiziamo's (sp?) genuinely moving and powerful performance may be the best thing about whole movie.
All this said, the Summer of Sam is somewhat flawed. It does drag a bit in places. If you're going to make a film that lasts nearly 2.5 hours, the plot really has to grab the audience and not let go. Summer of Sam wasn't quite strong enough in this area. I think the problem is basically the script. The focus on the troubled marriage may be necessary to construct a meaningful narrative, but it's a difficult task to blend it with the overall panorama of New Yorkers and their battle with the monster on the loose. The former subplot drags down the latter, in my opinion.
Still, Summer of Sam is a visually stunning, generally absorbing piece of movie-making, that, if too long, is a valiant -- and very entertaining -- effort.
I agree with some of the other comments. Spike Lee is very obviously a gifted filmmaker, especially in technical matters. He very convincingly recreates the feel, the atmosphere, the heat, and the fear of New York City those many summers ago. The camera work rate is first-rate, and if the Scorcese-like use of ubiquitous pop music is a bit cliché, at least Lee has chosen powerfully evocative songs. Especially effective are a couple of pulsating tracks from The Who that nicely balance out the diso feel-goodery (an obvious but still effective use by the director of symbolic music that contrasts the danger and violence of late 70's New York with its sophistication and glamor).
There were some excellent acting performances, as well. Mia Sorvino is very good. The Adrian Brody of 1999 is very clearly a major star in the making. And John Leguiziamo's (sp?) genuinely moving and powerful performance may be the best thing about whole movie.
All this said, the Summer of Sam is somewhat flawed. It does drag a bit in places. If you're going to make a film that lasts nearly 2.5 hours, the plot really has to grab the audience and not let go. Summer of Sam wasn't quite strong enough in this area. I think the problem is basically the script. The focus on the troubled marriage may be necessary to construct a meaningful narrative, but it's a difficult task to blend it with the overall panorama of New Yorkers and their battle with the monster on the loose. The former subplot drags down the latter, in my opinion.
Still, Summer of Sam is a visually stunning, generally absorbing piece of movie-making, that, if too long, is a valiant -- and very entertaining -- effort.