You can essentially divide Spike Lee’s career up into two broad groups – there are the unimpeachable classics, and then there are the films that are excellent, but have yet to receive the attention they deserve. Red Hook Summer certainly fits into the latter group, being the sixth entry into the Chronicles of Brooklyn, the director’s loosely-structured series that has its origins right at the very start of his career, each one of the films showcasing a different side of life in the neighbourhood that Lee has called his home since his childhood. Like the five previous films, Red Hook Summer looks at the various trials and tribulations of those who reside within this particular neighbourhood, some of them positively bursting at the opportunity to get out, others nestled comfortably into a life that may not always be easy, but at least is reliable enough to give them a sense of meaning and purpose. This is precisely where the film places its emphasis, with the former being embodied by a young man sent there to spend the summer with his grandfather, who represents the latter. It’s a profoundly moving, and very often extremely harrowing, glimpse into this particular corner of New York City, which has always been the subject of Lee’s most profound meditations on the human condition. A decade since its release, Red Hook Summer is overdue for another look, and in looking back on what appears to be a relatively minor work, we can see how the director’s work has never been sharper or more socially conscious, indicating that there is a lot more to this film than initially meets the eye.

For some inexplicable reason, Red Hook Summer has failed to register with audiences, despite possessing all the qualities that have made Lee’s films so enduring. The melancholic storytelling is undercut with a genuinely endearing sense of humour, eccentric and colourful characters, and a story that is clearly very personal to the director. Lee has always had a deep connection to Brooklyn and its people, and few artists have ever been able to encapsulate the beauty of this particular corner of the world quite as well as the director, whose fondness for the neighbourhoods that served as the location of his formative years manifests in these wonderful films, of which this is one of the most striking. The story of a young man sent to spend the summer with his preacher grandfather is one that seems simple, but carries a weight that is difficult to imagine coming from someone who had not grown up around similar individuals. As is often the case with his films, Lee infuses Red Hook Summer with a very compelling sense of humour – the characters are often off-the-wall, and are barely a few steps away from outright stereotype (although the amount of work the director puts into developing even the most minor characters is staggering, proving that every individual that crosses through his work is meaningful and interesting in their own way) – and he makes sure that there is an abundance of heart emanating off absolutely every scene. Whether it be those vibrant celebrations within the church, or the striking strolls through Red Hook, the director captures the spirit of this place and its people in such a vivid way, even outsiders are able to feel at home within this neighbourhood, which can only be the product of someone with a genuine connection telling their story.

Lee often rotates through a regular group of collaborators when casting his films, and Red Hook Summer has one of his very best ensembles, combining frequent colleagues with newcomers. This film employs the common but effective practice of pairing up a relative amateur with an industry veteran, placing them in close proximity and giving them the chance to play off one another. In this case, we have the combination of Jules Brown in his first acting role and Clarke Peters, one of the most deeply underrated actors of his generation. When a film is as driven by the atmosphere as this one, it doesn’t really matter when some of the newer actors aren’t particularly strong (Brown and Toni Lysaith, who plays his friend and love interest, were slightly less-polished than some of the older actors), and Peters is generous enough to ground the film without overshadowing his younger co-star. Playing the role of the man with the impressive title of Da Good Bishop Enoch Rouse, Peters is astonishing – he’s warm but aloof, loving but undeniably detached from modernity in a way that puts him at odds with his grandson. Lee has always done a terrific job of choosing the right actors for the roles, and while Peters may not be a major star, he is the only person that could’ve realized the director’s vision of what this particular Brooklyn preacher would be like (and it helps that the actor himself also spent his early childhood in New York City). The supporting cast helps carry the film, with small roles from Thomas Jefferson Byrd, Colman Domingo, Stephen McKinley Henderson (one of the most unheralded character actors of the past few decades) and Nate Parker adding to the vibrant character-based tapestry that defines the film and makes it such a beautifully humane work of socially-constructed fiction.

As is often the case with Lee’s films, nothing is quite what it seems at the outset. What appears to be a charming story of two diametrically opposed individuals coming to love each other through finding common ground turns into a very bleak and haunting story that questions issues of faith, identity and, as we learn in the harrowing third act, sexual assault. Lee compresses a number of complex ideas into the two hours we spend with this film – and despite being relatively long for a film of its nature, it never feels laborious or if it is overstaying its welcome. Each frame of the film positively simmers with meaning, Lee asserting a range of robust conversations onto the lives of these characters. Some of them are inherently more lighthearted, such as the culture shock of a privileged boy from suburban Atlanta being thrown directly into the heart of Brooklyn, where his southern practices are often met with little more than ridicule from the more cosmopolitan characters with whom he interacts. Contrast this with the more sobering conversations around his grandfather’s past, where his vague origins are actually the result of past transgressions rather than unintentional ambiguity. The film brings up some very serious subjects, and while it may not unpack them all thoroughly and with the same amount of dedication, it does actively seem to be provoking thought. Considering every one of the six films in Lee’s Chronicles of Brooklyn series has a third act that touches on widespread social issues, it’s clear that there is a pattern to be found here – and the ideas underpinning Red Hook Summer are amongst the most philosophically complex, as well as morally challenging, but never feel as if they are the product of heavy-handed preaching, but rather the mind of someone actively aiming to challenge and provoke.

Whether doing something conventional or intentionally abstract, Lee’s work is always impeccable – I’ve held the belief for many years that, even when he was producing work that was slightly less impactful as his earlier films, everything he did had merit (except for the ill-fated Oldboy remake, the only genuine failure in his career), and that it would only be a matter of time before it achieved the acclaim it deserved. It took Bamboozled nearly two decades to receive widespread appreciation and critical acclaim, and I can expect all of his films, even those initially subjected to negative reviews, to become adored, even if only as cult classics. Red Hook Summer should certainly join this group of unheralded masterworks, since its incredible simplicity and forthright wisdom makes for a deeply heartbreaking story of the trials and tribulations of people doing whatever they can to survive. Beautifully made, filled with vibrant colours and even more vivacious characters, the film tells a powerful story of self-realization and the journey towards adulthood, as told through the perspective of two men who are divided by generation and belief, but united in their shared quest towards finding themselves within hostile territory. It may have its inconsistencies, but Red Hook Summer veers extremely close to perfection, and manages to be one of the most complex films Lee has produced, and a film that will be more fondly remembered than its small but vocal group of detractors would lead you to believe.