My father introduced me to this film at a young age. It’s not appropriate at a young age. On so many levels it is not appropriate. As an adult? It has some very strong themes and points, and it is appropriate.
While there is no doubt that Blazing Saddles from Warner Home Video probably couldn’t be made nowadays, its brilliance shines through the script which has so many different and relevant themes in it. In 1974, tackling racism through a comedy and making it sound well thought through was a rarity. Mel Brooks, Andrew Bergman, Norman Steinberg, Alan Uger, and Richard Prior put together a story that brought plenty of good laughter, and also a thoughtful aftertaste that resonated for decades.
Warner Home Video honors all the laughs and good points with a 4KUHD release of the film. Do they do it justice? Yes, they do. The quality is as clean as a whistle and will be a perfect physical copy on anyone’s movie shelf.
So, sit back, know that Orville Johnson was right, and let’s get this review going, partner.
Official Synopsis
Ribald, tasteless, and hilarious … this classic spoof of the Western genre by director Mel Brooks pokes fun at everyone and everything. A corrupt governor grants a reprieve to an African American convict if the condemned man agrees to serve as sheriff of a small Western town, believing that the new sheriff will only live long enough to serve the needs of the governor and his nefarious railroad-baron backer.
On the surface, the film is very much a comedy. The rules of three are firmly intact, the right characters and players have been put in place to make the deliveries that produce some good gut laughs, and the story is just whacky enough to show off its comedy core. Anytime you have Harvey Korman and Mel Brooks as your lead antagonists, backed up by Slim Pickens as a witless wonder, you know you’re in for some over-the-top villains that are more stupid and ridiculous than serious.
All three actors play the common Western villain trope that you would have found in the genre. Korman’s Hedley Lemarr drives the sinister plot of displacing residents of Rock Ridge so that a railroad could be driven through the town. Brook’s Governor Lepetomane goes along with Korman’s Lemarr, though more driven by stupidity than actually adding anything to the plan. A perfect representation of people in office these days. And Slim Pickens Taggart is just the right tool to make this all go down. Such a tool of a character.
Playing the protagonist is Cleavon Little as Bart, the sheriff sent off to slaughter, and Gene Wilder as Jim, a recovering gunslinging alcoholic. Their quest is to stop Hedley and the governor, save the racist people of Rock Ridge, and turn the opinion of differing skin color into a ‘we’re all one’ type of mentality. This is a tall task for a Western film, as well as a tall task for America at the time this film was made. Their comedic delivery helps to tame the nastiness of the situations in the story, while also making sure to keep the content relevant and in the face of the audience watching them do their thing.
Everything combined, Blazing Saddles delivers a serious subject matter that was relevant during that time to the silver screen, while in the guise of a comedy from Mel Brooks. I would bet money that most people watching this film never knew what hit them until way after the fact. All you can hope for is that the content will hit.
If you have never seen this film, it’s brilliantly written, and acted, and it’s probably not appropriate these days. It’s relevant in its message but the delivery is certainly not comfortable by any stretch of the imagination. But that is what makes it a timeless classic, as it does show the world as it was, while also showing off the world as it should be. Lots of heavy themes for a comedy in 1974.
Gorgeous 4KUHD
Much like North by Northwest and The Terminator, the 4KUHD transfer for Blazing Saddles is gorgeous and brilliant. Warner Home Video proves once again that they can properly oversee the transfer of an older film into a modern format. It’s done so well and without any artifacts showing up in the end result. It’s one for the movie shelf.
On the special features side of the tracks, here’s what it includes:
- Inappropriate Inspiration: The Blazing Saddles Effect
- Commentary by Mel Brooks
- Blaze of Glory: Mel Brooks’ Wild, Wild West
- Back in the Saddle
- Additional Scenes
The commentary and first two features are brilliant and help to make this release even better. The rest are just bonuses and good ones at that.
On that note, let’s wrap up this review.
Conclusion
Blazing Saddles in 4KUHD from Warner Home Video is yet another example of WHV knowing how to handle one of its absolute classics when bringing it to a modern format. The 4KUHD transfer is perfectly clean for a film released in 1974 while delivering good laughs and more powerful content than you might have expected.
