The story of Nola Darling's simultaneous sexual relationships with three different men is told by her and by her partners and other friends. All three men wanted her to commit solely to them; Nola resists being "owned" by a single partner.
The New York Times wrote that the film "ushered in (along with Jim Jarmusch's Stranger Than Paradise) the American independent film movement of the 1980s. It was also a groundbreaking film for African-American filmmakers and a welcome change in the representation of blacks in American cinema, depicting men and women of color not as pimps and whores, but as intelligent, upscale urbanites." Although my feelings on Spike Lee are mixed, I have to say this is a decent film. I love that the message is a hard one to swallow -- that a man can date three women at the same time, but if a woman does it, she is a "freak" or a "nympho" or something. This was a bold thing in 1986 and it remains a bold thing in 2016. Strong, independent, sexual women are a scary thing... will this ever change? (And, we may as well ask, should it ever change?)
The New York Times wrote that the film "ushered in (along with Jim Jarmusch's Stranger Than Paradise) the American independent film movement of the 1980s. It was also a groundbreaking film for African-American filmmakers and a welcome change in the representation of blacks in American cinema, depicting men and women of color not as pimps and whores, but as intelligent, upscale urbanites." Although my feelings on Spike Lee are mixed, I have to say this is a decent film. I love that the message is a hard one to swallow -- that a man can date three women at the same time, but if a woman does it, she is a "freak" or a "nympho" or something. This was a bold thing in 1986 and it remains a bold thing in 2016. Strong, independent, sexual women are a scary thing... will this ever change? (And, we may as well ask, should it ever change?)