A review by Brooks Rich
Spike Lee's first film is very much a first film but that's not a bad thing. With a black and white film school look and a smooth as shit jazz score, She's Gotta Have it is an intimate look at relationships and what it means to commit to someone and break that commitment. Through a mix of regular filmmaking and talking head interviews, the film chronicles the relationships Nola Darling has with three men, Mars, Jamie, and Greer. All three of them want her to commit to them but also are willing to share with the other two just to be around her.
She's Gotta Have It is Spike Lee's first shot across the bow for the world of film. Rarely does a filmmaker immediately make a startling impact with their first film. Lee's real atom bomb in the film industry was 1989's Do the Right Thing but She's Gotta Have It is a solid first film. It's a film to capture everyone's attention before blowing them away with Do the Right Thing. The film feels like a Woody Allen film, with it's meditations on relationships and how people can trap themselves in said relationships. The men in the film are in love with Nola, even though they knew she won't commit to them. There's something about her that they can't deny.
I always like Spike's eye. He always finds interesting ways to frame his shot and dynamic ways to move the camera. He understands the power the camera has and all of his shots feel deliberate. There's not a wasted moment. He doesn't let the limits of his budget handcuff him here. While She's Gotta Have It has a student film quality, there's a skilled hand developing behind the camera.
Spike Lee's first film is very much a first film but that's not a bad thing. With a black and white film school look and a smooth as shit jazz score, She's Gotta Have it is an intimate look at relationships and what it means to commit to someone and break that commitment. Through a mix of regular filmmaking and talking head interviews, the film chronicles the relationships Nola Darling has with three men, Mars, Jamie, and Greer. All three of them want her to commit to them but also are willing to share with the other two just to be around her.
She's Gotta Have It is Spike Lee's first shot across the bow for the world of film. Rarely does a filmmaker immediately make a startling impact with their first film. Lee's real atom bomb in the film industry was 1989's Do the Right Thing but She's Gotta Have It is a solid first film. It's a film to capture everyone's attention before blowing them away with Do the Right Thing. The film feels like a Woody Allen film, with it's meditations on relationships and how people can trap themselves in said relationships. The men in the film are in love with Nola, even though they knew she won't commit to them. There's something about her that they can't deny.
I always like Spike's eye. He always finds interesting ways to frame his shot and dynamic ways to move the camera. He understands the power the camera has and all of his shots feel deliberate. There's not a wasted moment. He doesn't let the limits of his budget handcuff him here. While She's Gotta Have It has a student film quality, there's a skilled hand developing behind the camera.
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