Blazing Saddles, 1974
7.4
The wonderful (read: unnecessary) thing about reviewing a classic film, a classic comedy no less, is that it is already accepted as great and significant, regardless of what a viewer’s two cents might say otherwise. I’m late to the party, as it were. If I were to praise the film, I would just be adding superfluous fuel to the “blazing” fire. If I were to bash the film, it is quite obvious something is wrong with me. And if I only like the film, and don't grovel at its suggested genius, I would be deemed a Nazi. Luckily there are Nazis in said film, so I don’t feel too bad about that.
The greatest enduring feature of Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles is its gleefully satirical impoliteness. It’s a traditional-looking Western about a corrupt state official, Hedy- I’m sorry- Hedley Lamarr, who appoints a black sheriff to scare away the racist townspeople of Rock Ridge so he can buy the land. Innuendo, and other ways of being offensive without being raunchy, is a lost art in cinema. The best comedies of the last few years, including Superbad, Knocked Up, and The Hangover, all heavily rely on subversive humor that includes penises, drugs, and a whole lot of F-bombs. However, by my count, none of these three films feature a white character calling a black character the N-word (I won’t even type it!). In fact, I don’t even think any major studio has the cojones to do that in a movie these days (except for maybe a period piece in a dramatic context). Brooks’ brash brandishing of the term is not only offensive, but sometimes outright hilarious. Especially when an old lady says it.
Apart from the political incorrectness of the whole thing, Brooks’ style of humor is really something to behold. Satire and innuendo have essentially been eliminated from current mainstream comedies. Brooks also has a way of throwing every type of humor at the screen, including slapstick, breaking the fourth wall, anachronisms, fart jokes, musical numbers, and metaphysics. Once again, not particular of current Hollywood. Speaking of Hollywood, the all too frequent pat-yourself-on-the-back institution gets some satirical justice, which is very welcome and refreshing. Its treatment of the Western genre is equally honoring and critical.
One of the benefits of reviewing a classic is you get to write about the ending, because chances are if you’re reading reviews of a 40 year old movie, you’ve probably seen it by now. The most classic thing about Blazing Saddles is its absurd ending (yes, I know the hangman is classic too). When Lamarr’s gang of bikers, Nazis, Klansmen, Arabs and rapists fight the people of Rock Ridge in a climactic battle, they break out of the film lot where the movie is being shot and wreak havoc on the set of a musical and, eventually, all of Warner Brothers Studios. It’s a perfect ending to a pretty funny movie, a movie that will endure as one of Mel Brooks’ defining classics. And that places Blazing Saddles in some pretty good company.
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