spike lee's SHE'S GOTTA HAVE IT (1986)

finally available on DVD, She’s Gotta Have It is as assured a first feature as exists in independent film, and of notably modest origins to boot; Lee strides with confidence, even arrogance, through a witty, intimate portrait of libertine Nola Darling (Tracy Camilla Johns), a small constellation of friends and a trio of suitors: the genial Jamie (Tommy Hicks), the vain Greer Childs (John Canada Terrell) and Lee’s own fast-talking alter-ego Mars Blackmon. unapologetic in her embrace of her own sexuality, Nola juggles the three men much as they’ve surely juggled other women, giving way to a funny, sexy, surprisingly perceptive survey of sexual politics circa the mid-1980s.

in fact, Spike’s subsequent (and only intermittently productive) preoccupation with racial issues is nowhere to be found in She’s Gotta Have It, which makes the film all the more significant within his body of work; not only does he focus all of his energy on Nola’s personal plight (as well as a startlingly accomplished comedic performance as Mars) but in forgetting to address race directly he actually manages his first forward push for African American cinema, making a universally smart, accessible film about human sexuality in which all the characters just happen to be black.

sadly, years of waiting for a lovingly prepared DVD (I can finally toss out my battered VHS) are for naught: MGM’s release is the very definition of barebones, showcasing an indie hallmark without so much as a trailer to accompany it. where’s the Lee commentary? (if he can write a whole book about the film’s production, he can surely jaw about it for ninety minutes.) furthermore, where’s Mars Blackmon’s “It’s Gotta Be The Shoes” commercials with Michael Jordan? a missed opportunity for too-long overlooked film, but a joy to have available nonetheless.

(abridged from the KNOXVILLE VOICE)