Review of Blazing Saddles (1974) by Brandon W — 25 Apr 2011

Mel Brooks is very hit or miss for me and his work has greatly deteriorated over time. He started out a fairly witty satirical filmmaker but by the late 80s and even the 90s he'd descended to the level of childish shlock. Honestly though this is easily accounted for, the studios tamed him Brooks wrote this film originally a far more racist titled Tex X with black comedic genius Richard Pryor, in "writing jam sessions" that lasted well into the night with a shit ton of drugs involved. Pryor was originally slated to star in the film but Warner Brothers already expressing concern in his writing habits believed him too not bankable and unstable for the role and so instead Cleavon Little who was known for little beforehand and has done little sense was brought in. Similarly counter cultural cult favorite Gig Young of "The Rogues" fame was fired after barely day in favor of Gene Wilder instead. The stories of Warner Brothers hatred of this film are legendary including how they wanted nearly everything in the film removed and failed save for one scene in which it is implied Lilli is sucking Cleavon's elbow mistaking it for something else. Brooks managed to sneak most of the questionable content into the film and it became a HUGE, raunchy and incredibly infamous cult hit and has remained so to this day even though most TV stations censor it probably failing to see the irony in doing so. But does it hold up? Is it actually funny or just a memorable outburst of dirty humor in a world that had nothing but the safe kind? Let's take a look nigga.

The movie centers around a Black, wily and Bugs Bunny like rail road worker in the Old West named Bart (Cleavon Little, who does a fine job but damn I'd love to see what Pryor would have done with the role). The track runs into quicksand and the route must be changed but unfortunately a small boom town where everyone has the last name Johnson is in the way. But Machiavellian pervert Heddy...er Hedley Lamarr (the late great Harvey Korman in his greatest role) has a plan fulfill their requests for a new sheriff with a black man that should drive them out. Smooth talking Bart about to be hung for punching out his foreman (Slim Pickens of Dr. Strangelove fame) however manages to ease his way into the role with the help of legendary Gun Slinger the Waco Kid (Gene Wilder in a great supporting role of his) who is known as "Jim" (they did this joke before Python actually) and it seems the plan is a bust. Until Lamarr riles up a group of miscreants, racists and criminals and shit gets real!

This film is crude but good natured and very funny. "Where the White Women at" and a large dimwitted henchman named Mongo may offend certain groups but they have a very cartoonish quality about them so I don't feel so bad laughing my ass off. I'll admit certain things like Mel Brooks cameo as a "Jewish Native American" still not sure what that's about and the entire ending sequence are a little stupid and don't hold up that well for me overall this is a fairly effective film and I'll be damned if they ruin the movie. Hell, I'd never say Mel Brooks is better than Monty Python but to compare their similar and at the same same time period parodies of period films I'd take Blazing Saddles over Holy Grail any day. The movie is incessantly quotable, joyously politically incorrect and gut bustingly funny few scenes have made me laugh as hard as when Bart arrives to greet his new constituents so to sum it up, this carries my personal seal of approval.

I don't think this movie could be made today, and if it were due to the shlock that we see it wouldn't have as profound an effect but it paved the way for cruder comedy and was funny as shit while doing it. You could of course make the argument this is not a good thing looking at shit like Epic Movie but watching this you can feel yourself at that time on the brink of something new shocking and incredibly alluring. And who could forget that famous theme song sung with such painful sincerity by Frankie Lane who apparently thought it was being done for a real western, Madeline Kahn's hilarious accent and oddly sexy performance and even if it ended up going backwards and up its own ass, not jaded the first time you saw it, the beginning of the Big Western Fight spreading onto the Warner Brothers Lot was pretty damn funny and clever. Though he declined a cameo fearing it would tarnish his family friendly image apparently John Wayne, The Duke himself loved the film and claimed he would be first and line to see it. You can't get much more credibility on a Western Comedy than that. One of Brooks greatest work this is as funny now as it was than so give it a view.