Blazing Saddles (1974)

 

If you know Mel Brooks, you probably know what to expect. 

Except with this one, you won't. See, this is one of his earlier works and he goes no-holds-barred in making this film painfully hilarious in exposing racism and bigotry on every level and at the same time you will be pissing yourself in laughter, because it's just so darn funny. 

Well done, mr Brooks, well done. 

This is, in almost every way, a classic western. A company is building a railroad with many a worker being coloured (black, Asian, ...) and always on the receiving end of exploitation and gnarly racist remarks by the white cowboy overseers. But there is a problem with the railroad, in that it has to make a detour to avoid quicksand. This prompts Hedley Lamarr, Attorney General to governor William J Le Petomane, to try and get the people of Rock Ridge to leave so he can buy that land and become filthy stinking rich. He tries getting rid of them with thugs, but his masterstroke will be appointing a new sheriff, who happens to be black. And this being a border town, it is full of bigoted people. 

Our hero Bart meets the Waco Kid in prison. This used to be the fastest gunslinger in the West and they take a liking to one another. Together, they manage to clean up the town, thus prompting Lamarr to send Lili Von Schtupp to seduce and destroy Bart, but that doesn't turn out as he had envisioned it either. 

In the end, Bart saves the day and the town and gains some respect from the townspeople, who still are fairly prejudiced. But hey, you can't win everything all at once?

It's tough to say why this film works so well. There are clever and subtle jokes (like the Gucci saddlebags), but there are farts and full on double entendres as well. Brooks runs the entire gamut of his comedic prowess and filled the film with actors that are excellent at keeping a straight face and making the lines work. You have the regulars like Harvey Korman, who is excellent as the scheming and slimy Lamarr and the late, great Madeline Kahn doing her best Marlene Dietrich-impersonation as Lili Von Schtupp. But the two people that work the best off each other, are Bart (Cleavon Little) and Waco Kid (Gene Wilder). Heck, some scenes where Cleavon genuinely has to laugh are kept in, because they work so well. 

One thing that might take a lot of people by surprise, is the abundant use of the n-word. Yes, it is played for comedy and to show that racists are a bloody stupid bunch, but if you're not ready for this, it might feel a little weird, hearing so many people use it in so blatant a fashion (even old ladies!). Of course, this is done intentionally and it just adds to the jokes, that nearly all land every time. Heck, by the time you get halfway through, you might feel exhausted from laughing, but then there is still a lot more to digest. 

Okay, if there's one thing that doesn't work as well, it's the final act that suddenly switches to modern day Hollywood. Yes, it's absolutely absurd and in that respect a nice touch, but it comes out of left field and doesn't quite mesh with the rest. 

'Blazing Saddles' is a true comedy classic. This is Mel Brooks at his peak and even though he would still make quite a lot of excellent comedies, this one is one of his best.