Film: The Blues Brothers
Director: John Landis
Country: USA
Released: June 1980
Runtime: 133 minutes
Genre: Musical
Studio: Universal
Influenced: Quentin Tarantino, Richard Linklater, Edgar Wright, Jason Moore, Damien Chazelle
Originating from a recurring musical sketch on the late-night comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL) in the late 1970s, The Blues Brothers is a unique combination of comedy, action and music, featuring iconic performances by John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as the titular characters, Jake and Elwood Blues. Belushi and Aykroyd developed their characters as a tribute to soul and rhythm & blues music and its legendary star performers. With the support of SNL creator and producer Lorne Michaels, they decided to expand their act into a feature film, confident that the strong following of SNL and its devoted fan base would create a substantial built-in audience. To secure the required funding from Universal, Belushi and Aykroyd, along with director John Landis, pitched the film to various studio executives and made a bold move by signing a contract stating that they would personally reimburse the studio if the film went over budget.
The plot of The Blues Brothers follows the story of Jake and Elwood Blues, two brothers who decide to reform their rhythm & blues band to save the Catholic orphanage where they were raised. They embark on a mission to reunite their band, collect money through gigs and pay off the orphanage's outstanding tax bill of $5,000 within 11 days. Their journey takes them through the streets of Chicago, encountering various comedy situations and quirky characters, including the Illinois Nazis, a vengeful ex-girlfriend, a country band and an eclectic group of musical stars, including Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Cab Calloway and James Brown. Also, Jake and Elwood recruit various former band members, including guitarist Steve "The Colonel" Cropper, bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn and drummer Willie "Too Big" Hall. These talented musicians were in fact the members of the renowned Stax Records house band.
The opening scene sets the tone as Jake is released from prison and picked up by Elwood in a battered former police car, a 1974 Dodge Monaco. This iconic vehicle, nicknamed The Bluesmobile, becomes a central element of the film, enduring numerous stunts and chases. The Blues Brothers visit the Triple Rock Baptist Church, where James Brown delivers a fiery sermon and performs the high-energy gospel song, The Old Landmark, one of many highlights in the film. A memorable car chase scene ensues when the Blues Brothers attempt to evade the Illinois State Police and the pursuing Illinois Nazis. The chase is filled with outrageous stunts, including jumps, crashes and the infamous "flip" scene, where the Bluesmobile performs an extraordinary mid-air somersault.
The story culminates in a grand concert at the Palace Hotel Ballroom, a vibrant and joyous celebration of soul music. One of the film's many innovations was its unique combination of live-action comedy with high-energy musical performances from various legends, a heady cinematic fusion that makes the viewing experience so enjoyable. The soundtrack, featuring classic gospel, blues and soul tunes, achieved significant success, earning multiple platinum awards and introducing a new generation to rhythm & blues music. As well as causing a resurgence of interest in the genre, the film also brought wider recognition to the legendary musicians who star in the movie. The Blues Brothers also spawned a dedicated fan base, leading to multiple spin-offs, including a brief animated series and a sequel, Blues Brothers 2000 (1998), which is a pale shadow of the original but enjoyable all the same.
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