Blazing Saddles

Mel Brooks, USA 1974, 93 minutes

The finest Mel Brooks film (ignore Spaceballs, Men in Tights etc), this film sees Brooks at his directorial best. The plot concerns a small town in Oklahoma who find out that their town is to be demolished by evil railroad tycoons. As the citizens rally, the tycoons foresee trouble and send in what they consider to be a disruptive element: a sheriff. The difference here is that the sheriff is black. As the town residents hate the railroad anyway, their prejudices are almost too great to overcome.

While admittedly this hardly sounds the stuff of great comedy, Brooks takes what is essentially a rather nasty scenario and turns it into infectious, riotous, anarchic comedy. The script is credited to five different writers and accordingly the humour ranges from guttural to high brow, but the jokes never stop. From the little, white haired old lady who greets the new sheriff with `Up yours, Nigger' to the alarming flatulence scene to Gene Wilder's fastest gunman in the west, the comedy flows thick and fast. Indeed half of the humour is missed as so much is going on in so many different styles that one has a problem keeping up. Even the actors have a hard time containing themselves, going through the whole film struggling to contain their laughter.

Gene Wilder and Slim Pickins decide on the complete abandonment of reality technique, throwing themselves wholly into the role. Madeleine Kahn was Oscar nominated for her scenestealing performance. Cleavon Little meanwhile plays the whole film in complete amazement at what is going on around him. The cast obviously love what they are doing and so the performances benefit from one of the greatest boons to acting - enjoyment. The absence of Mel Brooks from the lead role also immensely benefits the film (the Woody Allen paradox perhaps).

All said, Blazing Saddles can never be given justice by any review. The only way to truly appreciate it is to go and see it. You will enjoy it.

Review by Andrew Hesketh
Taken from EUFS Programme 1997-98

The good people of Rock Ridge are under threat from the ruthless railroad maker, Hedley Lamarr (Harvey Korman), who wants to destroy their town. They select Cleavon Little as their Sheriff, giving him the unenviable job of fighting the tyrant. Little is Mr Squeaky Clean, and is also black. In fact, there are a ton of references to race in the film, the Chinese also come in for a bit of stick.

Gene Wilder is terrific as a down-and-out drunk who, it transpires, used to be a quick-on-the-draw gunfighter. Madelaine Kahn, in a Madene Dietrich type role. is tremendous singing English the way that a German would. The famous campsite scene is a favourite of mine, but I'll say no more about it since I don't want to spoil it for first time viewers. Another brilliant scene involves a mock-up being made of a town in order to put off Hedley Lamarr's baddies and the Hell's Angels and KKK who have come to join them.

I wouldn't say that Blazing Saddles is Mel Brooks' finest film, but, in the world of spoof westerns, it certainly must be rated as one of the all-time greats.

Review by Percy Quill
Taken from EUFS Programme 1993-94