Personally, the most transformative Spike Lee film for me is He Got Game. This is more a reason of nostalgia, it was a film I saw at the theater with my mom and it was far too realistic a portrayal for me. I ended up asking to leave early, right around the scene that depicts drug use and what "the life" is like. This montage as I saw it of prostitutes and needle-users still plays over in my mind as I think about this film. It was one of the most memorable experiences I had at the cinema growing up.
Another major impact this film has had on me is the name Jesus Shuttlesworth. I have yet to come across a name I like more in film and I appreciate the amalgam provided by Ray Allen in this role. Jesus and Jake Shuttlesworth make an incredibly dynamic father and son duo, one full of potential and one with all of his wasted. The way Spike films the scene of 1v1 becomes truly operatic, he transforms basketball into life.
Hi thanks for taking on a film lesser discussed. When I think about this film, I think of coming from a Big 10 university where sports is all the rage. I heard a story once about a school where women were indeed recruited to a college specifically for the athletes. Who knows if it is true, but not too many people give Denzel Washington credit for playing this role, which was also somewhat of an anti hero role. People make it all about Training Day, and you remind us of the contours and nuances of He Got Game, in particular, the father/son depiction.
ReplyDeleteCheers,