Review of Highlander (1986) by Alastair M — 26 Jul 2010

Where to begin with this movie?

Okay, so there is this French man (Christopher Lambert) playing a Scotsman, Connor MacCleod, the titular Highlander, who has to go around cutting peoples heads off. It also features (for about 20 minutes) Sean Connery, a Scotsman, playing an Egyptian, pretending to be a Spaniard. With a Scots accent. And it's all set to Queen. Of course, we all know that other movie that features a Queen soundtrack, that which should not be named: FLA-------.

Ok, this probably requires more of an explanation. The movie plays out with a dual narrative. One: 16th century Scotland: Conner MacCleod (of the clan MacCleod) discovers he is immortal, is exiled from his home, and is taught the ways of the Immortals by Sean Connery. Two: The 1980's. The quickening is happening. All the Immortals on earth are being drawn together to fight until there is only one. He who triumphs will collect 'the prize'.

Now, the thing about Highlander is that it could have been really good. By that, I do not mean that it could have been Oscar worthy, but that it could have been one of the definitive fantasy movies of the 80's. As it is, thanks to some questionable casting, scripting, shooting and editing, it ends up as a rather odd, often gaudy, cult classic.

First off, the premise. I really like this. Sure, the idea of a secret section of society doing it's own thing, unbeknown to the wider world, is not exactly original. However, in Highlander, it is pulled off quite well, to the point where it forms the B-plot of the movie, after the two A-plots, as the police try to investigate where all these beheaded corpses are coming from. Unfortunately, it seems several pages were lost from the script, as the police B-plot just dissapears half an hour from the end. Sadly, this example is indicative of Highlander: for everything it does right, it does something wrong.

At times the film is well shot, with interesting locations and camera work, but it is marred by dodgy editing and frequent continuity gaffes. The script is...well, bad. At least, beyond the concept. The dialogue is mostly okay, but frequently comes off as very awkward, particularly the interactions between MacCleod and the love interest. The plot itself is where the script REALLY starts to go off the scale. The film seems not to know what it wants to be, with some scenes played ramrod straight and serious, whilst other scenes are played for laughs. In theory, I have no problem with comedy relief in almost any genre of film. The comedy does, however, have to be in the right context. You cannot have a scene played totally for laughs immediately after a life and death duel where someone is decapitated. It just does not fit. Any and all plot advancement is through 'fancy meeting you here' convenience. I honestly have no idea how all the characters in this movie know where the person they want to find is (apart from the hapless police). The movie fails to explain anything.

Having just said that, I am now, as a reviewer, forced to shoot myself in the foot. In spite of it being one of its greatest weaknesses, the movies lack of explanation is also one of its strengths. Although never explained, I found the mystery behind the immortals to be highly compelling, something that any Highlander related material since has consistently failed to learn. When you explain it, as they did in Highlander 2, it all seems rather stupid and creates plotholes large enough to fit transatlantic cruise liners.

The acting is a mixed bag, something I would chalk up to, in some cases, poor casting, but also weak directing and a characterless script. Clancy Brown, who you may remember as the psychotic head guard from The Shawshank Redemption, here plays the main antagonist, Kurgan. In certain scenes, he is, in a word, awesome. The problem is he seems to be suffering from some sort of Arnold Schwarzenegger variant of bi-polarism. In some scenes, he is The Terminator, the stoic, fearful, enormous figure. In others, he is the mad barbarian Conan. Seriously, it's like two different Schwarzenegger tribute acts performed by the same actor in the same movie. In fact, the more I think about it, the more the scenes involving him in Terminator mode seem like thinly veiled copies of some of the scenes from the Terminator. Hurm, food for thought. As for the rest of the cast: Christopher Lambert does an okay job for a Frenchman immitating a Scotsman. In fact, for the flashback scenes, he manages to put on an only mildly insultingly bad Scots accent. As for Sean Connery, well, he is Sean Connery. This wasn't the performace he will have had nightmares about for the last 20 years. The female lead and love interest, Roxanne Hart as Brenda Wyatt, is rubbish. I would say it was poor casting, but it is hard to imagine anyone who could have made her part the least bit interesting, let alone compelling. As for any of the other actors, I have little to say, since the any other characters get so little screen time and so little characterisation as to make discussing them irrelivant, a most disconcerting thought for a movie that is nearly two hours long.

Highlander is, ultimately, a product of the 80's, and should be approached as such. Whilst it could be a better movie, it is almost right that it isn't. Its flaws and quirks are what give it it's place in movie history. Perhaps it was never destined for greatness. It certainly wasn't when you have a casting team who hire a Frenchman to play a Scot and a Scot to play a Spaniard. I would say see it, it's a unique piece of cinema.