A new railroad is being built, but when the track leads into quicksand, an alternative must be found. When it is planned that the track will go through the sleepy, peaceful town of Rock Ridge, it becomes apparent to the greedy man on top that the land of Rock Ridge will become very valuable. But there is just one problem: the people of Rock Ridge own the land. In an attempt to drive the locals out, Hedley LaMarr, the owner of the railroad, sends Rock Ridge a new sheriff: a black man who should last at least 24 hours and make it easier for him and his men to terrorise the town and force the locals out.
Earning its place in The Book, and filled with memorable moments and characters, Blazing Saddles is really just a piss take of the general Wester genre and, although I did enjoy the movie and laughed a fair bit, I found the comedy to be a little bit dated. You have to remember that this film is from the 70s and, since then, a lot of more clever comical things have been accomplished.
I still enjoyed it though.
A new railroad is being built, but when the track leads into quicksand, an alternative must be found. When it is planned that the railroad will go through the sleepy, peaceful town of Rock Ridge, it becomes apparent the greedy man on top, Hedley LaMarr, that the land of Rock Ridge will become very valuable. There is just one problem: the people of Rock Ridge own the land. In an attempt to drive the locals out of rock Ridge, Hedley LaMarr, with the help of the inebriated and easily distracted Governor, sends the townsfolk a new sheriff: a black man whom he predicts will last at least 24 hours and make it easier for him and his men to storm the town, terrorise the inhabitants, and force them to leave.
As I mentioned before, Blazing Saddles is a piss take of the Western genre where the comedy comes in the form of political, religious, and racial points and arguments. A few modern references such as the car at the end (which could have been the inspiration to the ending of Monty Python and the Holy Grail), the Nazis and Klu Klux Clansmen, and the general final ten minutes of the film, creep into the mix, which brings the visual humour to the film and plays against the verbal humour; e.g. the continuous blanking out the of the N word.
Some of the gags are the result of clever writing, but most are visual and verbal racial and violence humour that would not be as appreciated by a modern audience. I appreciate the fun and the cleverness behind Blazing Saddles, but I think that, since then, Mel Brooks has done some much cleverer stuff e.g. High Anxiety and, to a lesser extent Silent Movie.
Starring Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Slim Pickens, Harvey Korman, Dom DeLuise, and Madeline Khan, Blazing Saddles is just as fun as any old-fashioned dust-filled Western with the addition of political, racial, sexual, and musical humour. Everyone will get some thrill out of it, whether it be from the Klu Klux Clansmen signing up to join a gunslinger group or the mere sight a man randomly knocking out a horse.
Where the white women at?
Where the white women at?
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