Friday, February 23, 2024, 7:30 p.m., Dryden Theatre
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Mo' Better Blues (1990)
(Spike Lee, US 1990, 130 min., 35mm)
Original 35mm print
Talented trumpeter and bandleader Denzel Washington maintains his devotion to his music amidst distractions caused by competition from upstart saxman Wesley Snipes, the reckless gambling of his manager, and the demands of his two lovers, until a violent encounter forces him to reevaluate the primacy of jazz in his life. A relative departure from the searing social commentary of Lee's previous work, Mo' Better Blues shares with his other films a passion to depict the vibrancy of African American creativity.