The Blues Brothers, the SNL skit-turned-feature film celebrating its 45th anniversary this year, is a lightning-in-a-bottle film; everything just works.

This was one of those gateway films for me at a young age, one that just took me aback and continues to do so now. It is a film that my Dad and I still bond over. We still talk about The Blues Brothers, it’s just a film that we both always revisit, and a nice break from our usual action watches such as First Blood (1982) or Terminator 2:Judgement Day (1991).

There is this “you-know-it-when-you-see-it” kind of movie magic throughout The Blues Brothers, an almost indescribable energy that defines the film, which has ensured its legacy as a quintessential buddy comedy.

The energy in the film can be seen through the use of location when Elwood (Dan Aykroyd) and Jake (John Belushi) go to find Matt ‘Guitar’ Murphy (Matt Murphy), the streets of Chicago are bustling with life. The sequence highlights the personality bleeding throughout the film, with Chicago becoming a character, down to small details such as vibrant food stalls that you can almost smell. We are locals and drawn into this absurd story.

The sense of being pulled into the film, which The Blues Brothers was able to achieve, has ensured its legacy. As filmmaking has progressed, instead of filming on location, you have various inventions and studio hacks resulting in cheaper, faster shootings. But being there, with the characters, brings a sense of realness like no other. The unpredictability of filming on location presents a great sense of authenticity.

This authenticity bleeds into how the film was able to coup so many legends of the Blues: James Brown as Reverend Cleophus James, Aretha Franklin as Mrs. Murphy, Cab Calloway as Curtis, and Ray Charles as Ray.

Even now, when Cab Calloway performs ‘Minnie the Moocher,’ it has this great class of sophistication that’s timeless, and Aretha Franklin’s incredible vocals in ‘Think’ knock you off your feet.

It’s not just the musicians, you have Carrie Fisher as Jake’s more than more-than-annoyed girlfriend, who starts with her using a rocket launcher to escalate to a flamethrower, John Candy in a small role as Burton Mercer, who has the pleasure of hunting The Blues Brother down, and Kathleen Freeman as Sister Mary ‘The Penguin.’ These small roles might go under the radar; however, their SNL-type skit performances are such fun moments that we can’t help but relish in the over-extended, bizarre world.

Discussing the Brothers themselves, who are “on a mission from God” to save the orphanage where they grew up, Belushi is perfectly cast as the choice for Jake. He has an incredible presence with a great sense of cheekiness, and you cannot help but fall in love with him even if you know he probably has some angle.

What Belushi mastered perfectly is the physicality of the stance he does with his arms folded, bringing a swagger that tells you all the confidence that Jake has about himself. 

We can’t forget Aykroyd as Elwood, bringing a friendly giant feel to the duo. He might not be bright, but his heart is in the right place. I still laugh when Elwood drives the police car over the bridge just to prove a point to Jake. Aykroyd reads the environment just as well as Belushi. During ‘Rawhide,’ he brings a somber tone to match Belushi’s uncaring attitude. Later, when we see ‘Everybody Needs Somebody,’ he is the most energetic of the two.

Most importantly, both actors bounce off each other perfectly, delivering one of the best buddy comedies ever made.

The final sequence of the film, where The Blues Brothers finally bank the check, is a great environmental comedy. As the police, SWAT, National Guard, Sheriff, and Fire Brigade all run after the duo, chaos ensues in the most wonderful fashion.

The Blues Brothers, even at 45 years old, is still an example of everything in a film coming together to create that movie magic that amazed me as a kid. As an adult, the film still hits all the right notes to make it one of the definitive buddy comedies.

Review Courtesy of Matthew Allan

Feature Image Credit to Universal Pictures