The Blues Brothers  - 40 Years of Anarchic Musical Madness 

This year marks the 40th anniversary of a film that I hold extremely close to my heart, a film that I never quite got my head around but could never quite look away. The incredible 'Blues Brothers' was a family favourite in my household, I probably watched it 4 or 5 times before I was 13 and I have a very specific love for this film. As a kid it was the film with the incredible soundtrack and insanely over the top slapstick action, as an adult it is an ode to madness and a cocaine-fueled musical trip of delight. I genuinely adore this film, it's my favourite musical of all time and one of those films that have aged wonderfully, it pays to indulge in a little craziness every now and then and I think 'Blues Brothers' is the perfect film to just wash over you and be swept away in its magic. As I grew up I kind of filled in my knowledge of the film in reverse, I basically didn't know anything about the film originally, but finding out about John Landis' career, John Belushi's and Dan Ackroyd's SNL creation of these characters and the wonderful world of music and cameos that the film has to offer was this ever-unfolding book for me as I grew up and got more and more into Film. It kept me coming back, visiting new things and looking at it slightly different time after time was a delight, as a result, this film has been a constant in my life and one of the most essential films I have ever seen. 

Now, I know that is a big claim to make about a film like this, it is an 80s musical romp of madness but I also think it is an extremely clever film. You've got to bear in mind that my primary perception of this film is this slice of life beauty, I never saw the film with any baggage and it seems almost a bit weird to compliment a film on its 40th anniversary on how it stands on its own without the legacy behind it. My love for this film doesn't stem from seeing comedic actors I love, from seeing musicians and songs I love or from seeing an SNL skit I loved transformed by a recognised director. It came from the film itself, the experience behind 'Blues Brothers' is so enticing, so wonderful and such a delight that I never needed the reputation behind it to fall in love with it. I don' think I'll ever quite understand this film, I don't think I'll ever be able to truly grasp what on earth it is about and sometimes that is just really quite refreshing. I think musicals as a genre always tend to be a bit scared of being a bit ridiculous, I struggle with a fair few iconic musicals because there is this commitment to playing everything far too genuinely. Nothing matters in 'Blues Brothers', logic is thrown out the window for fun and chaos, characters break into song because they want to and it makes a fun spectacle rather than a contrived serious musical. It's refreshing to have a film obsessed with creating humour and energy, not one that is trying to messily juggle some semblance of deep human nonsense, just letting the film wash over the audience brilliantly just like a Blues song.

What exactly is 'Blues Brothers' about? Is it a Blues film or a Catholic film? Is it both and so much more? Does it really matter? I actually think it it's refreshingly anarchic in its nature, it subverts and mocks any semblance of cohesiveness to remain playful and exciting. There's something really quite timeless about the film's representation, Jake and Elwood's deadpan disregard for just about anything makes them incredibly apathetic and somehow empathetic characters. They are on a 'mission from God' and are bulldozing their way through anything and everything with very little regard for whoever they bump into. It's a combination of selfish arrogance and infectious tolerance that makes the film weirdly revolutionary, it falls into that category of comedy that doesn't take anything seriously and just accepts life without prejudice or preconceptions. It's a warm and kind film in many ways, it celebrates community, music and the madness of life with infectious beauty, I always sit through this film with a big grin on my face and there is something incredibly human about this dumb silly little film especially when you get to celebrate the little things like watching Nazi's get what they deserve. The big musical number is a song called 'Everybody Needs Somebody' which is about the power of love and compassion played to an auditorium of people with armed policemen feels perfectly fitting for what the film is going for.

It is in many ways an incredibly playful film that revels in ridiculousness and contradictions for the simple joy of creating chaos. It's paced hilariously dramatic, every element adds another layer of destruction to the finale, it keeps picking up more and more for the sake of spectacle and I love that. Every decision has this real chaotic feeling to it, you can feel the joy and excitement of doing something absolutely insane and I don't get that with any other film, there's a sense of community and joy that screams through the madness. It revels in insanity, it revels in Chicago and it revels in the Blues. When the phrase "they don't make movies like this anymore'  is usually used I frown at how dismissive that is, but there's something to be said about how 'Blues Brothers' fits into the time it was made beautifully. There's a very famous quote from Landis in which he blames the racism of the south for the below-average box office performance, which only makes the film much more special in my eyes. I'm glad the film got to really explore and celebrate the African American legacy behind Blues music by including musical cameos from some of the most influential artists of all time in amazing little roles. James Brown, Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin are the big names that show up just to have a musical spotlight with these little fun inconsequential scenes that are full of life and energy but there are countless little cameos for real fans of the genre. Nothing about these cameos feels gratuitous, it all feels down to earth and just refreshingly genuine, the performances are entertaining and gloriously fun.

There's something about its timeless legacy that always remains relevant and entertaining. Dan Ackroyd and John Belushi deliver some of my favourite comedic performances of all time, there rigid nature and deadpan delivery are hilarious and whenever they perform it is simply iconic and over the top. That final performance is one of those scenes that just fills me with joy, there are dance moves that the brothers use here that are ingrained into my brain. Each scene has something to give, whether it be Carrie Fischer's small role as the vengeful partner of Jake who destroys every building in her path or the hilarious 'Theme from Rawhide' scene or even that insanely over the top action sequence which is the third act. 103 cars destroyed and all for absolutely no reason, there's a way Landis executes that final sequence that manages to make me cry with laughter over just slapstick action, every shot takes the action a step further than you expect and it always revels in being able to go a bit crazy with tongue firmly in cheek. Energy and tone are sacred in a film like this, when you aren't really taking anything too seriously the audience can begin to lose interest but here there's constantly something happening to keep me mesmerised, even the quiet moments are treated as a moment to reflect in the beauty of Chicago or showcase a brilliant piece of music. 

Maybe I hold this film in such high regard due to a nostalgic appeal, there is no denying that the film is special to me and I probably favour it in higher regard than most people do. I just think it is really special, it has a cast full of living legends that I miss so much, Carrie is probably the one that still gets to me but James Brown, John Belushi, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and John Candy are such living legends that I didn't know anything about when watching this film as a kid. I saw them as these brilliant little characters, but now the film holds a different meaning, it is an ode to these peoples' legacy almost like I'm watching a secret party these legends are enjoying through this film. It's a snapshot of this time and the feeling of unanimous joy is something that I just really value in a film, it doesn't really have to be about anything and it doesn't really have to try and change my life. Sometimes a film can mock Nazis, mock the military and drive around causing chaos and playing music and that will do for me, in fact, I'd argue that's something a lot of people could enjoy right now. This has been a delight to revisit this film, 'Blues Brothers' is as important as it is enigmatic and insane, it is about as entertaining as films can get and that is why I love it so much.

Thanks for reading!