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Having watched the Blues Brothers recently I was struck by so many great touches that make the film not only a film of its time, but a film that has great relevance even now.
From the very outset, the grimyness of late 70s Industrial Chicago, and it's seedy underbelly become almost a character in their own right.
Jake and Elwood Blues live out their lives either in half-way houses, or prison, both have only a small room for their meagre possessions.
The fact however that despite being broke and owing all of their friends money, they still have plenty of goodwill bestowed on them by their loyal musical colleagues.
The plot is that an old orphanage previously funded by the church, the church now wish to demolish, Jake and Elwood need to find $5000 to prevent the local authority granting easy planning permission to do so.
Pulling in more than a few favours from their friends with help from God himself, the Blues Brothers turn in one final grand performance as free men before being hounded down by The Police, The Army, The Military Police, a group of Nazis who believe Hitler is immortal and The Good Ol' Boys as well as Bob, the owner of a bar that plays both Country and Western.
The parody of course is that the Army and almost the entire state of Illinois' Police force have been called to capture two guys for breaking some john-q laws whereas a banker loses $1 billion and nary a word from either the police or the media is aimed at him, and certainly time in the cells.
Summing up, an unbelievable film, with an almost unheard of quality of supporting cast including most likely the biggest female star of the time in Carrie Fisher who is literally dumped by Jake as well as Soul Music Legends James Brown, Aretha Franklin, John Lee Hooker and Ray Charles to name a few and leave out many more greats.
score 10/10
patgibbons 7 August 2009
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2108068/ |
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30-11-2019 02:12:41
