With the recent passing of Gene Wilder, it was time to revisit Mel Brooks' seminal comedy, Blazing Saddles, a film that was far ahead of its time not only due to its clever deconstruction of the beloved western genre, but also its biting, subversive comedy centered around racism. Satirizing the blatant racism and ugliness that was completely obscured by Hollywood's myth-making tales of the American West, Blazing Saddles tells the story of a sophisticated and charming black urbanite in Bart, who finds himself appointed Sherriff in the small Western town of Red Rock. Hedley Lemar, a corrupt businessman who intends on building a railroad through the town is behind Bart's designation as Sheriff, knowing that Bart's skin color will only be met with vitrol by the white townsfolk, inevitable ruining the small town and giving him the ability to build his railroad. Much to his chagrin, Hedley Lemar's diabolical plan doesn't exactly go as planned though, with Bart's charm and patience being underestimated by this nasty individual. Forming a partnership of sorts with the Waco Kid, a recovering alcoholic gunslinger, Bart becomes Hedley Lemar's most formidable adversary as he slowly overcomes the blatant racism of the town, becoming beloved due to his actions as Sheriff. Full of a host of gags and an overall sense of satire that Mel Brooks has become known form, Blazing Saddles is a witty, clever deconstruction of the Western genre, being a film that shows little restraint in its biting, comedic style. The film is confrontational about the ugliness of racism, presenting it in an abrasive yet hysterical way which truly peels back and reveals the utter absurdity of judging an individual by the color of their skin and not their actions. Blazing Saddles is a great example of the importance of comedy when it comes to tackling the uglier traits of humanity, showing how laughter and satire can expose the absurdity of such ugliness, bringing it into the consciousness of those who are always reluctant to discuss it. Bart as a character faces extremely ugly preconceived notions about himself due to the color of his skin, yet as the film progresses, nearly every character in the town, including two people sent by Hedley Lemar to kill him, become infatuated by Bart's charm, cool-demeanor, and the sense of protection he provides. It's through Bart's actions that the townsfolk becomes to love him, eventually throwing away their preconceived notions about Bart and embracing him as one of their own. While Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles is an outlandish satirical comedy first, a film that offers a heavy slate of satire and self awareness about Hollywood, the thing that stands out the most about Blazing Saddles is its ability to be more than a straight-forward parody-style comedy, offering up a biting, yet important examination of the absurdity of racism through its outlandish comedic tone.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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