The cinematography in The Blues Brother’s is accredited to Stephen M. Katz. Katz is a cinematographer and photographer and is also known for his work on Angels Hard as They Come and Gods and Monsters. Katz used his skill to capture the not only the city of Chicago but also the craziness of the brother’s journey. Many wide shots are seen throughout the film, these shots are used to show either the city of Chicago, the large musical numbers, or the band performing on the stage. Close ups and medium shots are seen in the film. We often see the brother’s in medium shots in the Bluesmobile. The Blues Brother’s includes aspects of both formalism and realism. The location and characters seen in the film are realistic and could easily be seen in the real world. Many parts of the plot, including the large dance numbers, dramatic car chases, explosions, and impressive stunts make up the formalistic aspects of the film.
Dominant: In this image our eye is first attracted to the brothers performing on the stage. They are in the center of the image and the light is directed on them. They are leaning forward and performing to the audience. We see Jake singing into the microphone and Elwood playing his harmonica.
Lighting/Shading: There are many lights and shadows in this image. The stage is brightly lit, used to showcase the brothers and their band. The audience is in dim blue lighting. The light is cast up onto the brothers as they are singing on stage. The blue light was used to emphasize the audience and give more detail.
Color Values: The main colors of this image are blue and orange. The colorful background allows for the brothers in their signature black suits and sunglasses to stand out. There is a contrast between the stage and the band and the audience. The stage is on display, so the colors are brighter and lighter in contrast to the dark blue audience. The blue velvet curtain behind the band was used to help emphasize the members and the light being cast on them.
Subsidiary Images: After taking in the brothers on the stage, our eye pans to the large audience. We see a full house of people in the audience. There are even some people up in the balcony. Another subsidiary image is the police officer standing in the aisle way. He is holding a large gun and is looking directly at the brothers. In the back of the house you can see more officers lined up in the aisle. On the stage, we also see part of the brother’s band, they are behind the brothers towards the back of the stage.
Density: There is a lot of visual information packed into this image. In this image we see that the brothers were able to achieve their goals. The image shows the band that they were able to reunite, and it also shows the audience that they were able to rally. This image also gives information about the trouble that is yet to come. We see state police in the audience waiting to take the brothers away. The texture is moderate to highly detailed.
Composition: The space is segmented and organized to have the brothers as the focal point, but the minimal lighting allows for the officer and the audience to also be noticed. The stage gets narrow as it moves towards the front allowing the brothers to get closer together, and also allows them to get closer and more intimate with the audience. The placement of the officer shows how close the brothers are from being taken away for all of the mess they have caused.
Depth: This image is composed on three different planes. The bottom plane includes the large audience and the state police officer. The middle ground includes the brothers with the band behind them. The top plane includes more of the audience. The background and foreground of the image is the audience. This audience is commenting on the brothers in the midground. The brothers were able to convince a large amount of people to attend their concert. We can see at this point of the song they are seated and watching the brothers intently. As the scene progresses we will see the audience grow with excite and love for the band.
Character Placement: The main characters of the image are the brothers. They are placed in the center of the image. They are placed there because this is their show, and the characters in the rest of the image are there to see them. The officer is placed closer to the camera diagonal from the brothers. This emphasizes the danger the brothers are still in and foreshadows the events to come. The audience is placed on the top and bottom of the image to emphasize the success the brothers have had. The band is placed slightly behind the brothers. The band is there to support the brothers and it illustrates how the band is there for the brothers.
