The Blues Brothers (1980) Universal Pictures/Comedy-Musical RT: 148 minutes (Restored Director’s Cut) Director: John Landis Screenplay: Dan Aykroyd and John Landis Music: Ira Newborn Cinematography: Stephen M. Katz Release date: June 20, 1980 (US) Cast: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, The Blues Brothers Band (Steve Cropper, Donald “Duck” Dunn, Murphy Dunne, Willie Hall, Tom Malone, Lou Marini, Matt Murphy, Alan Rubin), James Brown, Cab Calloway, John Candy, Ray Charles, Carrie Fisher, Aretha Franklin, Kathleen Freeman, Henry Gibson, John Lee Hooker, Steve Lawrence, Jeff Morris, Charles Napier, Frank Oz, Paul Reubens, Twiggy, Steven Williams, Armand Cerami, Chaka Khan, Steven Spielberg, Ben Piazza. Box Office: $54.2M (US)/$115.2M (World)
Rating: ****
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that The Blues Brothers is my favorite movie from the “Holy Trinity of Comedy” (Animal House, The Blues Brothers and Caddyshack). While not as funny as Animal House, it has something more going for it….. THE MUSIC!
You see, The Blues Brothers is more than just a mere follow-up to Landis’ Animal House. It’s a celebration of the music without which there would be no rock and roll. I’m talking about blues, R&B, gospel and soul. The main characters, Jake (Belushi) and Elwood Blues (Aykroyd), grew up listening to it and now perform it. That is, when one of them isn’t in prison.
These characters were first introduced on SNL (January 17, 1976) where they performed R&B numbers backed by a band of well-known and respected musicians. The Blues Brothers took on a life of their own with a hit 1978 album (“Briefcase Full of Blues”) and the eponymous 1980 movie.
Much was made of the fact that The Blues Brothers became an out of control production that fell behind schedule and went over budget mainly due to Belushi’s excessive partying and drug use. When all was said and done, it cost $27.5 to make and stood little chance of turning a profit due to its lengthy running time and the reluctance of exhibitors to book a film that would predominantly appeal to black audiences.
It was shown once in its entirety at an early screening (2 ½ hours with an intermission) before Universal head Lew Wasserman demanded that Landis cut 15-20 minutes from it. At any length, it’s quite a movie. In addition to the outstanding musical numbers featuring such noted R&B/soul stars like James Brown, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin, The Blues Brothers also features several elaborate car chases and accidents in which countless vehicles are destroyed. Like I said, it’s quite a movie.
The movie opens with “Joliet” Jake Blues being released from Joliet Correctional Center after serving three years of a five-year stretch for armed robbery. His brother Elwood is waiting outside to pick him up in the “Bluesmobile”, an old Mount Prospect police cruiser he picked up at an auction. As if Jake wasn’t already irritated enough, Elwood reminds him that he promised to visit Sister Mary Stigmata aka “The Penguin” (Freeman, Johnny Dangerously), the head of St. Helen of the Blessed Shroud, the Catholic-run orphanage where they grew up, immediately upon his release from prison.
The tough sister informs the boys the orphanage be closed for good unless somebody comes up with $5000 to cover the property taxes. She refuses Jake’s offer to raise the money and orders him not to return until he redeems himself. Their friend, orphanage janitor Curtis (singer/bandleader Calloway), sends them to an evangelical church to hear a sermon by Reverend Cleophus James (soul musician Brown). While there, Jake comes up with the idea of putting the band back together and performing a few gigs. Call it divine inspiration. It’s not going to be easy. His old band mates have all gone their separate ways and taken legitimate (and better paying) jobs. Jake and Elwood track all of them down and convince them to go back on the road.
Along the way, Jake and Elwood manage to make a few enemies who spend the rest of the movie pursuing them. Like the two Illinois State troopers they lead on a wild car chase through a crowded shopping mall. Like the parole officer (Candy, SCTV) who wants to send Jake back to prison for violating his parole. Like the Nazi leader (Gibson, Laugh-In) whose rally they drove through, sending his men into the river. Like the angry C&W band leader (Napier, Rambo: First Blood Part II) whose gig they stole at a redneck bar. And the mystery woman (Fisher, Star Wars) who keeps making attempts on their lives for some unknown reason. It all culminates in a wild, chaotic chase through the streets of Chicago as Jake and Elwood make their way to the Cook County Assessor’s office at City Hall. Everybody is after them … the police, the SWAT team, pissed-off Nazis and C&W musicians, even the National Guard. Like I said, it’s quite a movie.
Needless to say, the two musicians, always clad in black and never without their sunglasses (even at night!), leave a considerable path of vehicular destruction in their wake. There is more vehicular destruction in The Blues Brothers than both Cannonball Run movies combined. These scenes are absolutely incredible! Landis really knows how to stage some amazing stunts.
However, the real raison d’etre here is the music. The number in the church (“The Old Landmark”) is impressive with worshipers dancing in the aisles and flipping through the air. Ray Charles (as a pawn shop proprietor) belts out “Shake a Tail Feather” as people on the street get down and shake their tail feathers. Ms. Franklin, as a soul food café owner, sings “Think” as her husband contemplates rejoining the band. Calloway does his trademark “Minnie the Moocher” song. The Blues Brothers belt out renditions of soul tunes like “Sweet Home Chicago” and “Everybody Needs Somebody” as well as C&W songs like “Stand By Your Man” and the theme from “Rawhide”. Cast and crew come together to sing “Jailhouse Rock” over the closing credits. Not to mention incidental tracks by Otis Redding, Sam & Dave and Fats Domino. All I can say is “WOW!” I LOVE this kind of music. The Blues Brothers has one of the best soundtracks that I’ve ever heard. The choreography is incredible as well. It’s amazing how physically agile the rotund Belushi was when he performed.
The movie is funny as well with some great deadpan lines from straight man Aykroyd (“We’re on a mission from God.”). Belushi is at his manic best, especially when he coerces a former band mate to leave his job at one of Chicago’s finest restaurants by threatening to show up every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner until he changes his mind. Landis makes excellent use of the Chicago locations- Wrigley Field, Richard J. Daley Center, the 95th Street Bridge, Maxwell Street (where John Lee Hooker performs), etc.- which acts as a loving tribute to the Windy City.
There are NO wrong notes in The Blues Brothers. It’s perfect in every way. It has a lot of quotable lines, amazing music and plenty of vehicular mayhem. I never get tired of it. Like I said, it’s quite a movie.
