Back to the 80s Month: Ghostbusters (Dir Ivan Reitman, 1h 45m, 1984)

 

I've never seen Ghostbusters. Well, correction. I have now seen Ghostbusters. No, I will not turn in my film critic card for having never previously seen the 1984 supernatural comedy in which Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson do battle with the apocalyptically inclined Gozer the Gozerian. Hell, part of this whole lockdown backtracking i've been doing since early March, and will likely continue until the multiplexes of the UK work out how to balance bums on seats and safety-at time of writing, they haven't got a clue-is entirely to fill gaps in my cinematic knowledge, both high and low brow.

What I will freely admit is that, even in the pantheon of 80s cinema, no film more deserves the crown as the epitome of the era's cinema (with the possible exception of Raiders, Back to the Future, and Blade Runner) more, from its endlessly quotable dialogue, to the chemistry of its central quartet with each other and the film's supporting characters, to its comedic chops, to its impact upon how a film is marketed, packaged and merchandised, from the iconic logo, a film reduced not only to a instantly recognisable pictogram but perhaps one of the single most influential logos in cinema, to one of the most famous theme songs of all time, courtesy of Ray Parker Jr. Moreover, nearly four decades on, even in the dated charm of mid 80s special effects, there is a rare quality, a timelessness to Ghostbusters.

Much of this comes from the script; written by Aykroyd and Ramis, Ghostbusters wastes no time in introducing us both to its version of the paranormal, as a librarian is menaced by an unseen ghost ins surprisingly suspenseful and positively Hitchcockian terms, seemingly trapped in a maze of bookshelves, and to three of its four heroes, as the womanising and cynical Venkman (Murray), the wide eyed and ethuastiastic Stanz (Aykroyd), and the bookish scientific realist Spengler (Ramis), with the trio soon racing to deal with the ghost.

It is here that the trio's personalities begin to come to the fore, as they bounce against each other-Spengler is the scientific centre ground between the optimistic Stanz, whose boyish fascination with the paranormal drives him on, and the cynical, worldly Venkman. Even in throw-away lines, the relationship between the trio is perfectly established, Spengler at one point noting that drilling a hole in his own head would have worked had Venkman not stopped him, his quest for the scientific occasionally questionable, whilst Stanz's excitement for the paranormal occasionally lands him in dangerous situations.

Venkman, arguably the closest this film has to a main character, certainly seems the most developed-whether this is due to the role originally being developed for Aykroyd's partner in crime, John Belushi, (the basis for Slimer, one of the ghosts that appears in the film), or simply due to the film's narrative needing a centre. Certainly, in his scenes with Dana (Sigourney Weaver), a client who takes on the nascent Ghostbusters, and eventually proves to be the target for its villain, Gozer, there is a great sense of chemistry, of the cynical Venkman slowly building a relationship with Dana despite the supernatural events surrounding them. This, of course, adds excellently to the film's comedy, as, once Dana is take over by Gozer's henchman, Zuul, Venkman attempts to negotiate with Zuul and get through to the woman he clearly cares for. 

 Not only this, but the relationship between Dana and Louis (a scene-stealing Rick Moranis, as a neurotic accountant), is at points spectacularly funny, as their faltering relationship is slowly developed until they come under the control of Gozer. In particular, it is the attack on Louis, in which one of the monsters appears in his cupboard during a party and pursues him outside, eventually attacking and taking him over in a scene that manages to be at once hilarious and frightening at the same time, as he attempts to escape its clutches.

And it is this balancing act, between the comedic and the supernatural that is best seen in not only the hotel scene where the trio track down and capture Slimer, giving us two of the best lines in the entire film, in a sequence that nimbly manages to capture both the comic and the action-packed as our heroes finally capture the ghost. From this, the Ghostbusters begin to grow in popularity, appearing on television shows and radio phone ins through a smart montage that ends with both the introduction of the fourth member of the group, Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson), the everyman and outsider of the group, and the force of authority in the form of EPA inspector, Walter Peck, who threatens, and eventually undoes, the work of the Ghostbusters, releasing the ghosts into the skies of New York, and triggering the forces of Gozer.

Cue perhaps one of the best finales of the 1980s, from snappy dialogue to visual gags, with the quartet taking the stairs to their final battle, to their positively rock-star entrance to their final battle, complete with crowds, to perhaps one of the most brillaintly bizarre moments in the entire film, in which a colossal, Godzilla-aping Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man is summoned up by Gozer's powers, as the Destroyer, and the unwitting Stanz, and storms across New York; never is the film more visually spectacular, from the towering gothic edefice in which the final battle takes place, to Gozer (played by Slavitza Jovan)'s costume design, to the otherworldly realm that Gozer arrives from. It is a final battle that manages to balance, perfectly, the comedic, action and supernatural elements that make Ghostbusters one of the single best film of the 1980s

One could (and indeed, have) write entire books on the enduring legacy of Ghostbusters-there is even a documentary, Cleaning up the Town that explores its production and afterlife, but even now, nearly four decades after its release, it feels...fresh, a film that has a sense of comedic chops, excellent chemistry between its stars and effects that still seem charming. And I for one, cannot give this film any higher plaudit that the fact that I should have seen it years ago. It is, in short, a perfect comedic masterpiece.

Rating: Must See (Personal Recommendation)