The Birth of a Voice
Before Do the Right Thing, before Malcolm X, before BlacKkKlansman, there was She’s Gotta Have It—a scrappy, black-and-white indie film shot on a shoestring budget in just twelve days, and the debut of a filmmaker who would go on to redefine American cinema.
What’s wild is just how much of Spike Lee’s voice is already here. The film isn’t perfect, but it’s alive—buzzing with ambition, wit, and a bold refusal to fit into any pre-made Hollywood box. Even in its rawest form, you can see Lee experimenting with form, tone, and message like a jazz musician trying out a riff he’ll revisit for the next forty years.
Nola Darling Is Not Here to Make You Comfortable
The plot is deceptively simple: Nola Darling (Tracy Camilla Johns), a young Brooklyn artist, juggles three wildly different lovers—Jamie, Greer, and Mars (played by Spike Lee himself). Each man wants her to commit. She doesn’t. And therein lies the whole point.
Nola’s refusal to conform to traditional romantic expectations made the film revolutionary in 1986, and it still resonates today. She’s funny, open, fiercely independent, and not remotely interested in being anyone’s property. She narrates her own story, looks directly into the camera, and tells you exactly how she feels. That kind of agency—especially in a Black female character—was practically unheard of at the time.
The Blueprint of a Career
What’s most fascinating about She’s Gotta Have It isn’t just what it says—it’s how it says it. Spike Lee, even as a first-time director, was clearly not here to play it safe. From the jump, you’ve got characters talking directly to the camera, jazzy interludes, sharp edits, and bold tonal swings that bounce between comedy, drama, and satire. You can practically feel the director pushing at the edges of the medium, trying to stretch it to fit the stories he wants to tell.
It’s not just that She’s Gotta Have It feels personal—it is personal. Lee shot it for under $200K, largely on location, using friends, family, and collaborators who would stay with him for years. It’s DIY in the best way—scrappy, yes, but also full of energy and intention. You’re watching someone find his voice in real time.
Charm, Rough Edges, and That Ending
Let’s be clear: not everything lands. Some of the dialogue feels stiff, especially outside of Nola. The men in her life are painted in broad strokes—Jamie is sensitive, Greer is a narcissist, and Mars is the comic relief. There’s a clunky, tone-shifting assault scene that still sparks debate to this day. It’s uncomfortable and mishandled, and no amount of hindsight or indie sheen makes it easier to swallow.
But then there are the moments that absolutely sing: the crisp black-and-white cinematography, the freeze-frames, the dreamlike dance sequence with that one unexpected pop of color. Even in its flaws, the film is full of invention.
A Time Capsule and a Trendsetter
It’s also just a great slice of 1980s Brooklyn. The music, the clothes, the attitudes—it’s like flipping through a photo album of a city (and a mindset) in transition. But it’s more than nostalgia. It’s foundational. So many of today’s indie darlings—from Barry Jenkins to Boots Riley—are walking paths that Spike Lee carved out with this movie.
Final Thoughts
So here’s the deal: She’s Gotta Have It is messy, brilliant, frustrating, and ahead of its time. A true debut, in every sense of the word. It doesn’t reach the heights of Lee’s later work, but it doesn’t have to. It’s the opening chapter in a story that’s still unfolding—and that alone makes it worth your time.
Not perfect, but absolutely essential. It’s the kind of film you respect more the longer you sit with it. If you’ve ever wondered where Spike Lee came from—how he became the cinematic voice he is today—this is the origin story. And it still has bite.