Review of Mo' Better Blues (1990) by Cameron F — 25 Jul 2015

Collaborating Denzel Washington with Spike Lee from before their excellent work on Malcolm X, Mo' Better Blues sounded like a powerful combination of talent in front of and behind the camera.

There is not really much in the way of narrative with Mo' Better Blues. The film is packed with characters and a lot of dialogue, but the genuine story takes a back seat to all this. The developing relationships between the characters is at the heart of the story progression, but the problem is largely that there are so many characters and relationships that the story focuses on that things end up rather scattered. The thing that really stands out is the nature of the dialogue because the conversations had by characters are interesting, as are some of the plot points. But there is genuinely not much story development in Mo' Better Blues, and the scattered focus and slow pace of the film do not elevate it. Mo' Better Blues feels like a film about a day in the life of many characters, the same kind of style put into Spike Lee's arguably most critically acclaimed film, Do The Right Thing. However, Mo' Bette r Blues gets its energy more from its soundtrack than its story. As beautiful as the music in Mo' Better Blues is, it does not compensate for a slow burning story which does not really go anywhere a lot of the time.

Ultimately, Spike Lee remains as overindulgent as ever as a film director, stuck deep in his own style for better and for worse. It is for worse when it comes to the story, because there is a limited amount of story in Mo' Better Blues and Spike Lee is bent on stretching that to two hours. However, his genuine passion for stylish filmmaking is what keeps things entertaining. The themes that are touched upon in the screenplay are interesting with the characters and their relationships setting up the cast to maximize their potential. But at the same time, Spike Lee's dedication to Mo' Better Blues is genuinely heartfelt, and you can tell that clearly through simply looking at the film.

The visal style in Mo' Better Blues has its appeal. During the daytime scenes, the cinematography captures everything with a sense of sepia in it to emphasize the poor nature of the city. When nighttime comes, the cinematography captures everything with effective contrast of shadows and glamourous lighting to capture a true jazz mood. The soul of the film is captured through its atmosphere, and the cinematography is key in this. The genuine technique in the cinematography is also good because the way that the camera plays with focus is extremely atmospheric, as is the moderated use of slow motion, zoom and dutch angles. These hit a high point during the musical numbers of the film because the visual style is so in tune with the hypnotic jazz nature of the music that the mood just reaches out to viewers and sucks them in. It is all very versatile and beautifully artistic as an experience, effectively rendering Mo' Better Blues one of the best looking films Spike Lee has ever made.

And the soundtrack to the film is beautiful. In tune with capturing the poetic themes of the film, Mo' Better Blues capitalizes on extremely talented singing and instrumental dedication to an exceptionally atmospheric point. The blues music is packed full of gentle jazz life which captured an ideal mood for a film about blues. It carries the melancholic tone of the subject matter very nicely, keeping the heart of the film alive consistently./.

But it is the powerful efforts of the cast in Mo' Better Blues are what really transcend the story.

Denzel Washington proves himself to be the perfect lead in Mo' Better Blues, and I expected nothing less. It's an interesting role to see him in because he works with Spike Lee's dialogue brilliantly as he largely tones down his stereotypically charming nature for a more edgy and everyman status. He still has the sophisticated soul and wisdom that comes with his natural persona, but he buries it deep within the heart of the character and only lets it out after developing the character well enough to process the full extent of the story dynamics. Denzel Washington captures a very passionate persona for Bleek Gilliam with his dedication to the other characters and the music at the heart of the film.

Wesley Snipes also makes a powerful case. His performance stands out because his charming demeanour and handsome appeal matches up to Denzel Washington's, ensuring that they both challenge each other for the screen. Wesley Snipes is sophisticated and seductive, smooth and suave. He puts a burning spirit into his role and channels the drama to be fiercely passionate or subtle whenever he sees fit, grasping Shadow Henderson with gentle tenacity. Wesley Snipes makes a powerful case working with Spike Lee in Mo' Better Blues in a collaborative effort which would later lead to his casting in Jungle Fever the following year.

Spike Lee even brings in a strong supporting performance of his own. His performance is a strongly subtle effort with the true nature of the character lying within and a sense of vulnerability slowly played with as he deals with his own screenplay. John and Nicholas Tuturro also make memorable efforts as The Flatbush Brothers, capturing strong vocal articulation and working in sync incredibly well. The presence of Samuel L. Jackson is also welcome, as always.

So Mo' Better Blues is a typical Spike Lee fare, for better and for worse. It is a slow and indulgent film without much in the way of story development, but with effectively intelligent dialogue propelling the cast to deliver their finest possible efforts while Spike Lee's iconic visual style and use of groovy music fuel the film with atmosphere.