I walked into The Blues Brothers with absolutely no preconceptions or notions of what it was. Judging by the name, I assumed it had to involve some kind of musical aspect (a correct assumption). However, I had no idea the film would touch on themes that would still be so relevant almost four decades after its initial release.

The scene that struck the largest chord in me – and, arguably, for most viewers today – was the image of the Illinois Nazis on the bridge, stoic even against the rage of protesters cursing at them from behind a police blockade. The variety of protesters in terms of race, age, and gender stood in stark contrast to the overall demographic of the Nazis, who at one point mockingly said – and I’ll probably never forget this – “The Jew is using the Black as muscle…Whities, what are you going to do?” Soon after, they performed a Nazi salute.

The Blues Brothers, from how I interpreted it, is a celebration of blues and soul music framed within a mildly ridiculous comedy. Perhaps in 1980, they believed that the Nazi party was a dying organization, and the provocative scene would turn into a mocking parody of backwards ideals by 2017. However, there is no denying that recent events – including the United States presidential election (White Nationalists Salute the President-Elect); controversy surrounding the largest Youtuber in the world (Pewdiepie apologizes for Nazi jokes but says the press is out to get him); a scene eerily reminiscent, albeit much more violent and frighteningly real, of the Nazi protest in the movie (2017 Charlottesville Protest Timeline); and even events on our own campus (Anti-Semitic Posters Appear on Ezra Cornell Statue, Campus Buildings) – have only reaffirmed the continued proliferation of white supremacy ideals in the world. For all the progress America has made in social rights since its foundation, the white supremacist movement (or white nationalist movement, or Nazi party, whatever you want to call it) is blight on our history that refuses to squashed out.

Racism (in this context, I’m discussing white supremacy, although racism between other groups is also very real and should in no way be minimized) isn’t an issue that developed out of the blue one morning, and therefore can’t be completely flushed out/addressed by a wacky 1980s musical. It’s systematic and systemic, an ideology that has its roots in the earliest human inter-group contact – there are still an abundance of steps to be made towards more progress.

In other words, The Blues Brothers isn’t a movie that appears to be attempting to wholeheartedly tackle the topic of racism – but if it aimed to at least open up the topic to a new audience, and spur discussion every time it is shared with new viewers, then I think it’s a valuable film experience (on top of its star-studded guest cast and feel-good soundtrack, of course).