“Blazing Saddles” is a madcap comedy classic. The high joke density and sheer audacity make it one of Mel Brooks’ most memorable films. It also features a wonderful performance from the late Gene Wilder.
This movie takes place in the Wild West of 1874. The evil Hedley Lamarr conspires to steal land from the citizens of Rock Ridge. The citizens ask for a new sheriff to protect them, and Lamarr convinces the governor to send a black railroad worker named Bart. The all-white town of Rock Ridge doesn’t take kindly to Bart at first, but he eventually becomes their best chance for survival.
The jokes in “Blazing Saddles” are constant and varied. They range from classic movie references to what is arguably the funniest farting sequence in American cinema. Somehow, this mix of styles come together to form a cohesive whole of chaotic humor.
This mixture might be traced to the fact that five writers worked on the screenplay. Brooks came out of the variety shows of the 1950s and created a writers’ room to rework Andrew Bergman’s original script because he missed working in one. The most famous writer was Richard Pryor, who created the character “Mongo” and had hoped to play Bart.
Instead, Cleavon Little was cast for the role of Bart. He carries the film and has a cartoon-like flexibility that allows him to sell some of the film’s more outlandish gags. It would have been a benefit to cinema if Little had starred in more films.
“Blazing Saddles” has a lot of racist language that will never age well. But it is never used just for the sake of offending. It reflects the bigotry of the time period and shows you how many obstacles Bart faces in his life.
Gene Wilder gives one of the best performances in this movie as the recovering alcoholic Jim, who used to be a gunman named “the Waco Kid.” Gig Young was cast as the Waco Kid but was unable to play him due to his real-life alcoholism. Wilder quickly took over the part and made it feel like it was written for him.
He uses his gift for comedic pauses to draw humor out of simply saying his name. He adds a poignancy to the Waco Kid that makes him more sympathetic. He doesn’t steal scenes so much as enhance them.
The supporting cast is excellent. Madeline Kahn makes the most of a ridiculous German accent. Harvey Korman is splendidly over-the-top as Lamarr. Every performance helps give the film its fast tempo.
“Blazing Saddles” remains a zany and daring comedy. Wilder’s performance shows his gift for comedy infused with melancholy. The great energy that powers this film culminates in an ending that takes a sledgehammer to the fourth wall. It is not a film that you will soon forget.
