Film
Summary: Mo' Better Blues
Written
and Directed: Spike Lee (1990)
ONE
1. Intro and credits moving
shots (extreme closeups) of a trumpet, main characters, slow musical
theme. Warm and cold colors used
throughout for lighting.
2. Brooklyn, 1969, with young Bleek
practicing the trumpet. Several
neighborhood kids run up and call out for him to play. His mother wants him to practice, but his
father says he should be able to play, too.
But Mom wins the argument he keeps practicing, even though
he tells her, "I don't like it."
3. Transition to Bleek playing with his band
in the club.
4. Bleek goes offstage and his manager
complains that the saxophonist is playing too long.
5. Bleek introduces the main characters at
the end of the set. The band goes
backstage to the dressing room. Lots of
chatter. Bleek complains to Shadow
about taking too long in his solos.
6. Black stand up comedian doing his
routine in the club.
TWO
7. Bleek stands alone in front of the window
in his apartment. He seems lost in
thought and is humming a song. His girl
friend, Indigo, a teacher, is still in bed.
She gets up.
8. Bleek's father waiting for him to play
some baseball. Indigo leaves just after
Bleek comes downstairs. The two men
have a heart to heart talk. Dad asks
him if he is in love with Indigo. He tells
Dad, "I like women."
9. In Bleek's apartment. Great closeup of a poster of John Coltrane
on the wall. Bleek assembles his
trumpet.
10. Bleek practicing, as if in front of a
mirror, as the camera and dolly (upon which he is sitting) swing around the
room. His practice is interrupted by a
ring at the doorbell. Suddenly the
lighting changes from warm dreamy tones to realistic lighting.
11. He checks who is there with his handy video
monitor. It is Clarke, another girl
friend. She comes in. Note that the music playing in the
background is "Mo' Better Blues."
We will hear it later. She
wonders if Bleek is in love with her.
She says, "We don't make love!"
12. Several intimate moments. In one shot both actors are embracing on the
dolly as the dolly (with camera) swings around the room. Then she bites his lip. He is angry, because he makes his living
with those lips.
THREE
13. A bookie visits Giant, who has some bets to
place on the baseball games.
14. Two managers of the jazz club Bleek plays
at. They are checking their figures on
the computer.
15. Outside the jazz clubs. Several fans are lined up outside the club
"Beneath the Underdog," where Bleek plays. Giant talks to the two doormen at the front of the club. But they don't let him in the front
door.
16. Backstage, Giant and the others wait for
their piano player. He comes in with a
young French woman. Then Giant reminds
the piano player that the club rule is that women don't come backstage.
17. After she leaves, the men get after the
piano player. They tease him about
going with a white woman. They taunt
him with a picture of a naked black woman.
18. The Bleek Quintet is introduced by
Giant. After they begin to play, Giant
talks to the two owners of the club and asks them for a raise for the
musicians. The owners stall him.
19. Indigo waiting on her doorstep. Bleek, who is late for the date, comes up,
teases her, then inside they enjoy moments of intimacy. She asks him what would happen if he
couldn't play anymore. He says he would
roll up in the corner and die.
FOUR
20. Giant and his bookie at lunch. Giant has been losing mucho money, and his
bookie is nervous about getting paid.
21. Giant visits Bleek, who gives him a record
to deliver to Shadow. When Giant
arrives at Shadow's, the latter seems most interested in making sure that his
latest lover is happy with his lovemaking.
22. Bleek and Clarke at his place. They are in bed together. She brings up idea of singing at the
club. She tells him Shadow said she
could sing. Bleek isn't impressed.
23. Later, she watches him composing at the
piano. She comes over, tries to seduce
him, and then banters behind his back about his devotion to music when he
continues to disregard her.
24. Bleek and the men at rehearsal. The troops, led by Shadow, want a
raise. Shadow suggests they need a new
manager. Bleek takes offense at this.
25. At the club. Bleek introduces his new song.
Backstage, Giant is on the phone with his bookie, who wants his debts
paid.
26. After the performance, Bleek heads straight
to Moe and Josh, the club owners. They
tell him to get rid of his manager, Giant.
FIVE
27. Giant at the club. He is watching the stand up comedian
we saw earlier. He pokes fun at
Giant. Clarke comes in, dressed in a
beautiful red dress. Giant notices
this. A moment later Indigo comes in
dressed in the same red dress. Giant
goes over to Indigo and finds out that Bleek doesn't know Indigo is at the club
28. Giant tells Bleek the bad news both
are wearing the same dress he bought for both women.
29. Back to the comic in the club. Shadow stops at Clarke's table and asks her,
"What do you see in Bleek?"
She laughs. Then Shadow asks her
about her career.
30. Bleek sneaks a peak in the club and sees
Shadow with Clarke. He comes in at slow
motion and sits with Indigo. She points
out the dress Clarke is wearing and she is not happy.
31. Shadow keeps romancing Clarke with
the idea that she can become a singer in his own band.
32. Bleek and Shadow meet halfway between the
two women. Bleek comes over to Clarke's
table. She knows about the dress Indigo
is wearing, too. Bleek tries to handle
it all in a civil manner. But Clarke is
not happy.
33. Shadow and Bleek encounter each other in
the tunnel. Shadow tells him to listen
to Clarke sing.
34. Love scene between Bleek and Clarke. But then he calls her Indigo, and she is
ANGRY! Suddenly he is slapped by
Indigo! She is angry because he called
her "Clarke." Back to Clarke then
to Indigo then to Clarke then to Indigo finally
he looks right at the camera, as if he is helpless, trapped in the middle. Then the two women keep after him. He grabs
his trumpet, and then gives the two women, one at a time, an ultimatum take
him as he is or walk out each walks out on him.
SIX
35. Giant and Bleek spend some time
together. Giant asks for a loan, but
Bleek won't give him any money.
36. On the way home, Giant is ambushed by two
thugs who twist his fingers back and warn him to pay up or else.
37. Party time for Bleek and the band at
Bleek's apartment. Bleek's father is
doing some of the cooking. Giant shows
up with a bandage over his hand. But his
story is that he hit a pothole. Various
scenes of the partygoers. Shadow and
Bleek argue about what music to play for black people and what music black
people want to hear.
38. Giant hides out from the thugs, who are
sitting in their car with Giant's bookie.
39. Shadow comes into the music store and buys
several CD's of great jazz hits. But
the real reason he wanted to see Clarke, who is a clerk in the
store.
40. Bleek at the club. The group and he perform "Mo' Better
Blues."
41. Bleek leaves the club. Giant grabs him and asks him for
refuge. At Bleek's apartment, the two
talk. Giant tells him he can't get more
money out of Moe and Josh. Then Bleek
finds out that Giant is deep in debt to his bookie. Then he fires Giant.
Giant complains that Bleek is cutting off everyone around him.
42. At night in the apartment. Bleek calls Indigo. She knows it's him on the
answering machine but she won't answer. The scene changes to Clarke's apartment, where she and Shadow are
having intercourse. "He only wants
you when he wants you," Shadow tells Clarke.
43. Bleek alone. He stands alone on a bridge as the night lights of the city shine
in the distance. He plays a lonely tune
on his trumpet.
SEVEN
44. Bleek arrives at the club. Giant is there to tell him that Shadow and
Clarke are having an affair. Bleek
tries to take it without too much concern.
45. Shadow stops Bleek and asks for money. Then they start to fight. Everyone rushes in to stop them.
46. Giant runs into the bathroom, where he is
greeted by the two thugs and taken outside right through the club
where Bleek and the Quintet are playing.
Bleek sees him taken away.
47. Outside, the two thugs beat him up. This scene is intercut with shots of the
club scene of Bleek playing.
48. Bleek arrives at the back and slugs one of
the thugs. Then he is beaten up by the
two men. They use his trumpet to rip
open his mouth.
49. The empty club with the two owners sitting
in the front. Then to the hospital bed
where Bleek's father is sitting next to him and talking to him through the
night.
50. Bleek lying amidst the garbage of sheet
music and albums in his apartment. He
listens to music on headphones. He
talks to himself as if in delirium.
EIGHT
51. One year later. Bleek shows up at Shadow's club with his trumpet. Giant is there to welcome him.
52. Clarke singing in the band inside. Bleek watches her from the door.
53. Then Shadow invites Bleek to play for the
audience. He tries to play, but he
cannot. He leaves the club in the rain.
Giant trails behind him, trying to be supportive. "You'll play again."
He holds up the trumpet Bleek gave him.
"I won't sell it!"
54. Bleek shows up on Indigo's doorstep. She finally lets him in. After they argue, they embrace, and Bleek
carries her up the stairs.
55. A new day dawns. Bleek and Indigo embrace in the window of Bleek's apartment,
where we can see Indigo is pregnant.
Then to an outdoor wedding scene.
56. Indigo gives birth to a baby with Bleek
right there at her side. It's a
boy. They bring the baby to Bleek's
Dad's place.
57. Birthday party for Miles, their son. Then home movie type shots to the boy
growing up. Note the music in this
scene is a version of the song Bleek was humming early in the film. We end up
with Bleek showing the boy the notes of the trumpet.
58. Same type of establishing shot we saw at
the beginning of the film. This time
shows the kids on the street calling for Miles to come out and play. Bleek defends the boy, but Indigo wants him
to practice. This time Dad wins
out. The kids run off to play.
Ends with graphic from
John Coltrane:
No matter what it
is with God
He is gracious and
merciful.
His way is through
love,
In which we all are.
It is truly A
Love Supreme.
Summary written by Robert E. Yahnke
Copyright, Robert E. Yahnke, ©
Professor, General College, Univ. of
Minnesota
Reprinted by permission of the author for educational use only