Written by: Spike Lee
Starring: Tracy Camilla Johns, Tommy Redmond Hicks, John Canada Terrell, Spike Lee, Raye Dowell
Rating: [4/5]
The existent double standard between the sexual freedom granted to men and women remains prevalent now in an age where women have more liberty to engage in more sexually casual relationships openly. Even when practicing this, these women receive harsh labels not equally brandished on their male counterparts. It makes something like She’s Gotta Have It ultimately so refreshing and radical on top of existing as a well-crafted film.
Brooklyn native and graphic artist Nola (Tracy Camilla Johns) currently has entanglements with three men, There’s the nice guy Jamie (Tommy Redmond Hicks), the self-absorbed model Greer (John Canada Terrell), and the foul-mother chatterbox Mars (Spike Lee). She enjoys aspects of each of them but refuses to settle down, which works except none of the guys know about the situation.
Centering a film this sexually liberating in 2023 would still bring out those reserved feelings of individuals who would label Nola a harlot for how she engages in casual sexual intercourse with three guys concurrently. Imagining the waves this would have made upon its release in 1986, nearly forty years ago makes this directorial debut such a bold move by Spike Lee. I guess, it should not come as such a surprise considering Spike Lee has never worried about ruffling a few feathers, but as your first go-around it certainly impresses. Thus we have this story and it makes for a captivating watch in the way she interacts with each of these men and how she continues to explain how all of this works for her.
As she explains and gets distilled later in the film, Nola likes the best of what each man has to offer her as a partner ranging from the emotional and physical but she does not feel the need to tie herself down to any one of them nor does she lead any of them on in believing they’re the one for her. This feature essentially exists in her dissertation on why monogamy operates as a form of slavery in limiting the untethered freedom an individual should have the chance to enjoy. While admittedly a bit of a stretch when going that far, it still provides a cogent argument and when the truth eventually gets revealed she then does have to defend it not us via the camera but the very men she’s sleeping with.
Certainly, as a happily married man, I would not agree with what Nola postulates about monogamy but she does provide an enlightening argument and the way it gets presented allows leaves you with something to think about. At the very least each film should have the ability to do this. Unfortunately, that does not always happen. With Nola, we have a captivating lead character shepherding our time with these three men as we can see how each of them reacts to her way of living and point of view of the world. In a way, we get to see their true identity peer out through the persona they may present to the rest of the world as nothing gets more intimate than sharing a bed with another person.
This film does not arrive without fault and a highly questionable element appears in a sexual assault that occurs during the feature. Something Lee has sought to rectify when constructing the series adaptation of this film. I understand what Lee sought to portray on a thematic angle with what transpires but the inclusion of it does raise an eyebrow. Anyone planning to watch the film should have an awareness of it even if it serves as a spoiler for a plot element. It certainly goes to highlight the misogyny and how quickly an act of love can turn into a force to cause unimaginable pain to another person. It certainly leaves its mark in the story for better or for worse.
For anything in this story to work the lead actor needs to bring it and we receive just that from Tracy Camilla Johns. She takes on the challenge and helps ensure we fall for Nola even if we disagree with how she decides to navigate her life and her interactions with others. Johns brings such a screen presence to this role and helps create this captivating figure in Nola and makes it quite understandable why three guys would want to commit to her and feel genuine pressure to now break things up even when they all find out the truth.
Quite the directorial debut for Spike Lee and one that certainly shows the beginning of what will be a bold filmography in the topics covered and the way it gets filmed. He captures the spirit of Brooklyn so well through his shots and makes Nola’s room the central place for all of these conversations not to become stale. A truly strong film tackling a very intriguing topic, especially with its focus on the perspective and sexual liberation of a woman.
Films with Josh 
