Prior to last Friday, I had never seen The Blues Brothers, and I didn’t generally know what it was about. A friend of mine mentioned that it was one of their favorites, and it’s been hanging out on my mental “to-watch” list, so I was excited to see it listed.

The Blues Brothers surpassed my expectations, nonexistent though they were. I think that one of my favorite parts of the film was the music. In general, I was especially surprised by the escalating over-the-top-ness. After every crash or explosion, I thought, okay, that’s it then, but a few scenes later, there would follow an even more dramatic incident.

In the end, the brothers succeed in saving the orphanage. However, the cost of their journey catches up to them, and they are immediately arrested. In the final scene, we see them playing for the other inmates with armed guards standing above the hall. As the prisoners start to get rowdy, even more guards are called in. Meanwhile, on the wall behind the stage is written in friendly bold letters, “It’s never too late to mend.” It’s interesting to see that contrast between a message about the importance of second chances and the firm oppression that has been applied.