THE BLUES BROTHERS
(John Landis – U.S.A. ; 1980)
A Mission for God. Inside this film it might
appear like a deep contrast.
And, maybe, it’s not the only one.
The film is all full of paradoxes, of
impossible situations, of strange ways. But, at a time, full of surprises, of
good and agreeable things, of pleasurable and very amusing situations.
Two Brothers, thieves, with a lot of problems
with justice, black dressed, but with a great passion: Music. And, it’s not a
case their name: “The Blues Brothers”. Blues: a “black Music”. A Music deeply
inserted in a part of American Social Texture.
And Blues, good blues, we can listen in this
work. Nearly a Musical. Not a lot of ballets; but the ones we have are of a
very good quality, of a quality that is worth to be mentioned.
Rebuilding a Band: maybe a dream. Or, maybe, the willing of giving Music the sense it may have: a genuine expression of the Human Soul, perhaps one of the highest. That can lead Brother’s friends to live their job, sometimes well paid (one of them was a “Maitre” in a luxury hotel) to follow this dream.
Blues: deeply, like I said before, inserted in
the “Black Culture”: maybe for this reason Landis shows “Nazis” as ridiculous,
and critics them. Nazis, and “White Culture” shown by them, is against this
Music, and this Spirit, and must be struggled.
A very simple plot. A story easy to tell.
Playing to pay to allow an Institute for “parent – less” Childs to keep
existing.
Like I said before, a deep contrast between the
two “Blues Brothers” and this Mission. At the same way, it might appear unusual
their friendship with a nun.
But this is the film of Impossible. Impossible
are the fugues of our players, impossible are the “following them” by Police,
Army and so on: too much for two simple thieves!
But this contrast is a leitmotiv of a way of
American Comic Cinema. These excesses are completely in part with the willing
of amplifying everything, making it so absurd to make it ridiculous.
It’s a “genre”. A
genre about which a lot of products have been performed in the USA and in the
whole world. This film, in the genre, is maybe one of the best. With no doubts
a “classic”. Between “logic less” and Musical.
Another aspect, probably interesting, in this
work, is the idea of utilizing Music with Paradox, comedy with incredible. An
“absurd” film but with a philosophical, a lyrical way. The representation of
“Nazis”, here shown with a huge dose of irony, is made to allow ourselves to
reflect, to think of situations they may lead. Maybe to tell us that Music gets
beyond races, languages, religions, going to the “true human Spirit”. And, when
Music is a “good Music”, it can involve a lot of people, really a lot of
People.
Like in most of the American Films, some
situations are too enlarged, especially at the End. The American Idea of
deciding that a Film is good if its runtime is at least 2 hours is,
unfortunately, part of this work too.
But it could be forgiven. Also for this film is
really humorous. And it’s really difficult to define it boring!
No tediousness in this film. Upon a simple
story, Landis builds – up a work full of a sort of “suspense”. Paradox is a way
of telling, is a motive. And, probably, a motive to allow us to reflect.
Every situation is transformed by its absurdity,
by its excess. This is an expedient to make drama, violence an amusing one.
Sometimes it’s enough an expression of face, a way of looking, some words, a
description of a Situation to change environment from tragic to comic.
Landis is really “bravo” to exploit this
opportunity. The excess is everywhere: at the beginning, in the attitudes of
Police, in the Expressions of people, in the “followings” really absurd, but,
maybe for this, so amusing.
Amusement that, in this film, may allow us to
taste two hours of “evasion” from everyday “routine”. An agreeable evasion,
looking and dreaming.
But, like I said before, it’s not a mere
evasion, to avoid to think. Is an “evasion” but not an “escape” from life. It
might be a way of thinking more. Of reflecting more. Like in the “good Cinema”,
being not “weighty” is not “being senseless”.
And this is the Proof. An agreeable story,
without being heavy or boring. To teach that good things can be amusing and
enjoyable.
And, last but not least, the opportunity of
listening to some good Music, also breathing the social texture in which it’s
inserted, and tasting it’s deepest spirit: the expression of the Human Soul. In
each sense of the word.