Analysis by Nathan Previs
LIGULA MANGA No. 001
Nostalgia
“Crooklyn” gives the audience a trip back to memory lane
of 1970s Brooklyn. A time before its chaotic future.
“Crooklyn” lets us see a
glimpse into Spike Lee’s
childhood. This
Semi-autobiographical film
was co-written by Spike and
his siblings Joie and Cinqué
In Spike Lee’s 1994 film “Crooklyn”, it
opens a door into the life of Lee’s
childhood. Through nostalgia in its
soundtrack, environment in
Brooklyn, and colorful characters of
the Carmichael family we are able to
see how Lee illustrates to the
audience a glimpse of what life was
like for him.
Watching the film, it brought back
instant nostaglia into various events
of my childhood. Though I grew up in
the early 2000s in the suburbs of
Indiana, I could still relate largely to
the family dynamic of the
Carmichaels. Coming from a large
family myself, with 3 other siblings,
cousins who are so close they might
as well also be siblings, and many
2 3 CHAPTER 001
aunts and uncles, it was easy for me
to see the joys and struggles that
causes. For example, I am old enough
to still have fought with my siblings
over what channel to put on the TV. I
also remember when my mom would
make me sit at the table all night until
I finished my dinner (I even puked
one time just like Nate). Other things
I could relate to was saying the “Down
I lay me” prayer before bed, chasing
after my cousin’s car when they
would leave to go home, and overall
just the memories of playing with my
siblings outside before dinner would
be called.
All the teasings and fighting between
the siblings all ends when they
realize they are family and love
eachother--very similar to my own
family. Lee got the family dynamic in
this film spot on, that when the end
came it was a bittersweet and
devastating ending to see the family
stick together through a loved one’s
The film’s cover colorfully illustrates the carmichael family and the different
death. personalities present in all of them.
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Carolyn
Carmichael was
based off of Lee’s
own mother. We see in the beginning of the Carolyn takes care of
Quote by film the mother each and every one of her
Carololyn carmichael:
of the Carmichael’s, children. However, we

“Your daddy may not

Carolyn, is the main see how important the
diciplincary. The father, mother -daughter
Woody, is the more lax one. dynamic of “Lady-
mind but your momma bug”(Troy) and her
mother is.
do. I’m going with your
father to a gig tonight
and when I come home,
this house BET-TER be
clean. I’ll be goddamed if
I should have to do any- We see how Carolyn’s
influence rubs off on her
Troy then takes on the
motherly role for her

thing when I come home daughter. Troy, embraces

her family and visibly is
family. As she made the
promise to watch over

from work but sleep and seen being the most

distruaght over her
her brothers and father
while her mother is gone.

relax!.”
mother’s death
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A big part of the nostalgia

that fuels the film and
overall a main
component is its
soundtrack.

It is no doubt that Spike Lee loves to

make music a forefront in all of his
films. In “Crooklyn” Lee chose the
songs himself for the soundtrack;
picking songs that reminded him of
his childhood. The film features
severall popular songs of the 70s
from popular artists including: The
Jackson Five, The Staple Singers, The
Stylistics, and Sly and the Family
Stone to name a few. Many of the
scenes have the songs playing over
the dialogue and actions among the
characters. In one particular scene,
The Staple Singer’s “I’ll Take You
There” plays as the family is in a
scuffle, ending with the mom hurting
her ankle and the dad leaving the
house. In what would otherwise be a
tense scene, the soundtrack makes it
humorous and mellow. I notice that
Spike does this in other films;
sometimes in more violent scenarios
while a jazzy or R&B song plays over
it. It is nonetheless an interesting
choice that makes Spike Lee’s films
unique to his authorship.
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