Fun, wild, out-of-control. It is the Wild West with a taint of insanity that beats the comedies of today, 11 June 2007
Author: diac228 (diac1987@netscape.net) from Orlando, Florida
There are movies that push the envelope. There are movies that push the envelope off the table. Then there is Blazing Saddles, a film that not only pushes the envelope, but also eats it, digests it, and disposes of it. Decades later there still isn't a movie quite like this, and could not be released in the sensitive time period of today. Whether it's the extreme racism, the humorous abuse towards animals, or total lack of remorse towards any minority whatsoever, Blazing Saddles bends, breaks, and eats the rules of courtesy. Becoming the highest-grossing picture of 1974, and emerging into one of the greatest comedies of all-time, this is one of those movies that everyone has to see at least once. Here we see Mel Brooks and Richard Pryor at their prime.
In this western satire and criticism, we find a black man being appointed sheriff, must to the disdain of the white citizens of Rock Ridge. What none of them know is that the reason for the hiring is that Rock Ridge holds some very valuable land and a greedy political figure by the name of Hedy Lamarr (oops…Hedley) is doing whatever it takes to obtain it after wiping out the citizens. Unfortunately for Lamarr, the new sheriff Bart, armed with a drunken partner the Waco Kid, is winning the hearts of the folks in the town. Throughout the movie it's a constant struggle to run out the citizens of the town and end Bart's reign as the top cop of the area.
There are very few spoofs that carry a good plot as well as an abundance of comedic material. Written by Brooks and Pryor, they were determined to hold no punches back as they weave a slew of unheard of humor into the film. They range from modern physical humor involving body parts, to racist wisecracks, to animal abuse that would make PETA go psycho, to below-the-radar analysis of the mythology of the Wild West. Blazing Saddles went out to prove that the West wasn't as simple as heroes against villains; we have corrupt politicians, Manifest Destiny ideals that desecrated Natives, Blacks, and Asians, and we have gullible people left and right accepting all the wrongdoing going on. Besides all the racy material, Brooks and company were daring in terms of challenging an entire genre and its portrayal of a beloved time period.
The one-liners, gags, and subtle moments are thrown at you from the beginning to the very end. Thankfully and luckily for Brooks, there was a very talented staff to hold it all together. Standing out amongst the actors was Cleavon Little as Bart, and Gene Wilder as the Waco Kid. The two have excellent chemistry together and play their parts with such ease. Everyone else delivers in once scene or another, most notably the brute Alex Karras as the dumb yet physically overpowering Mongo. His first interaction with a horse stands as one of the funniest moments in cinema history—and certainly one of the most shocking. Madeline Kahn was decent in her Oscar-nominated portrayal of Lili Von Shtupp, as she gives a musical number worthy of yawning over.
Not for the easily offended, Blazing Saddles makes Borat look like Sesame Street. Packing a heavy punch of vulgar language, no religion or minority is safe, as we see insults towards the Blacks, Whites, Hispanics, Irish, Germans, French, Indians, and folks from Kansas. We see Nazis, Ku Klux Klan members, renegade Mexicans, cowboys that violate animals, and worst of all flamboyant musical dancers. Not all jokes hit, but when they do miss, it usually is ricocheted by an even better joke. For example, contrary to popular opinion, the low point of the movie is when it slows down to make way for the major musical number; but afterwards we get a funny sequence involving breakfast and sausages.
The fourth wall isn't broken here either; it's pulverized. At first it is lightly cracked, but when the third act and the main climax approaches, you'll feel like the actors and actresses are parading across the screen and into your world. Adding to the mayhem is one of the longest yet most ridiculous and satisfying fights in history. Starting out in a small setting, it expands into places so unpredictable; it can wind up confusing the viewer. Blazing Saddles has something for everybody, as long as you are willing to laugh at offensive material that exists merely to prove a point.
Bottom Line: One of the funniest movies of all-time, Blazing Saddles holds up well even after all these years. The writing is what excels here, but great acting and good directing also helps. The pacing is a bit slow like the average Western, but with so much humor flying at the screen you won't care. By the time the movie is over you'll see it all; from exploding horses to farting cowboys. See it once for the humor; see it again for the commentary. This is Brooks at his creative peak, and Pryor in one of his few successful cinema stints.
"Someone's gotta go back and get a ****-load of dimes!"
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