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Mo’ Better Blues (1990)

Directed by Spike Lee · Cinematography by Ernest R. Dickerson

R130 min61 frames

DramaMusic

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Stills, screencaps & shots from Mo’ Better Blues

16 of 61 frames — the full set is searchable by lighting, lens, shot size, color and mood with a free account.

Mo’ Better Blues (1990) movie still: medium — An interior nightclub space features dark wood paneling and red curtains behind the subject. A man in…Mo’ Better Blues (1990) movie still: medium — Two individuals stand facing each other before a body of shimmering water. The figures are entirely in…Mo’ Better Blues (1990) movie still: medium — A red-painted brick wall frames an entrance illuminated by a glowing blue poster case. Three men stand…Mo’ Better Blues (1990) movie still: wide — A 1990s diner with patterned hexagonal tile floors and vintage booth seating. Two men sit at a long…Mo’ Better Blues (1990) movie still: medium — A dark booth in a restaurant features floral wallpaper and slatted window blinds. Two men in suits…Mo’ Better Blues (1990) movie still: medium — A dimly lit interior with a dark window backdrop and a side table lamp. A man in a dark suit speaks on…Mo’ Better Blues (1990) movie still: medium — A cluttered room features patterned green wallpaper, framed wall portraits, and a desk workspace. Two…Mo’ Better Blues (1990) movie still: medium — A cluttered backstage dressing room with vanity mirrors and exposed fluorescent lighting fixtures.…Mo’ Better Blues (1990) movie still: medium — A dimly lit jazz club features a red-curtained background with vertical pleated fabric. A man in a…Mo’ Better Blues (1990) movie still: medium — A dimly lit room contains wooden furniture and a metallic vase on a shelf. A man stands in profile,…Mo’ Better Blues (1990) movie still: medium — A low-key interior space with dark walls and a visible wood-beamed ceiling. A man and a woman in a…Mo’ Better Blues (1990) movie still: wide — A classic city brownstone features an ornate stone stoop and metal security gate. A lone figure sits in…Mo’ Better Blues (1990) movie still: closeup — A dark interior space illuminated by distinct red neon lighting. A man looks sideways towards an…Mo’ Better Blues (1990) movie still: medium — A dimly lit room with a wall sconce and a large window behind the subject. A man in a robe gestures…Mo’ Better Blues (1990) movie still: closeup — A pale person wearing a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses stands against a blurry desert background.…Mo’ Better Blues (1990) movie still: wide — Four children stand on a concrete sidewalk beside a set of stone steps. They are holding baseball gloves…
Mo’ Better Blues (1990) — © 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, Universal Pictures

Mo’ Better Blues — official trailer

What is Mo’ Better Blues about?

Talented but self-centered trumpeter Bleek Gilliam is obsessed with his music and indecisiveness about his girlfriends Indigo and Clarke. But when he is forced to come to the aid of his manager and childhood friend, Bleek finds his world more fragile than he ever imagined.

Mo' Better Blues is a 1990 American dramatic film starring Denzel Washington, Wesley Snipes, and Spike Lee, who also wrote, produced, and directed. It follows a period in the life of fictional jazz trumpeter Bleek Gilliam as a series of bad decisions result in his jeopardizing both his relationships and his playing career. The film focuses on themes of friendship, loyalty, honesty, cause-and-effect, and ultimately salvation. It features the music of the Branford Marsalis quartet and Terence Blanchard on trumpet. The film was released five months after the death of Robin Harris and is dedicated to his memory, being his final acting role.

Second paragraph from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where can you watch Mo’ Better Blues?

US availability for Mo’ Better Blues (1990). Data by JustWatch, listings on TMDB. Availability changes — check the provider for current listings.

Who stars in Mo’ Better Blues?

Who made Mo’ Better Blues?

What does the cinematography of Mo’ Better Blues look like?

Sampled across 61 frames, the coverage of Mo’ Better Blues leans on medium shots (57% of the sample) and close-ups (20%). The camera returns again and again to high angles. Cinematographer Ernest R. Dickerson keeps 64% of it in soft, low-key light. Night and dusk account for 69% of the frames. Focus stays shallow in 69% of the frames, isolating subjects from their surroundings. The production design places the film in the 1990s.

What is the color palette of Mo’ Better Blues?

The dominant colors across the sampled frames of Mo’ Better Blues (1990) are #0b0909, #2a130c, #4c372a, #332c30, #4c2717, #4f0f0c — measured from the per-frame color data FrameThrower extracts for every film.

  • #0b0909
  • #2a130c
  • #4c372a
  • #332c30
  • #4c2717
  • #4f0f0c

See the full Mo’ Better Blues colour palette — every hex with its share, plus warmth, saturation and luminance.

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Techniques in this film

More films by Spike Lee

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