It’s the 50th anniversary of Blazing Saddles and to celebrate it’s been given the 4K treatment for fans of the film to enjoy. A lot has changed over the past five decades, and let’s be honest, a lot has remained the same; however, the climate for riskier jokes being told is arguably at its highest point in history, and Blazing Saddles is packed with them. I’m never afraid to mention I haven’t seen an incredibly popular film, and Blazing Saddles was one I’d never seen before this viewing. I love Mel Brooks, with Spaceballs being one of my favourite comedies that I’ll randomly quote (usually to myself in response to a thought or something I overhear) quite often, and I love comedies in general. I wasn’t actively trying to avoid Blazing Saddles, it just happened to be one that constantly fell by the wayside.
While I knew it was viewed as a classic, it wasn’t a movie that I went into expecting anything from. Sometimes if a film is hyped up for years (or decades!) by word of mouth then once you get around to it you may just shrug your shoulders. The expectations are just too high. That can happen with even just weeks of hype these days. “Oh, you’ve got to go see this movie. It’s one of the best ever!” says everyone after opening weekend, box-office numbers are up, people are talking about it, news stories are everywhere, but you can’t make it for a few weeks. By the time you can see it you expect the film to just be one of the best pictures you’ve ever watched, and that’s a hard thing to live up to.
With Blazing Saddles I expected some satirical fun and I wasn’t disappointed. It’s a movie that uses heavy satire to reflect racism and spoofs the western genre first and foremost. The film was written by Brooks, Normal Steinberg, Andrew Bergman, Alan Uger and Richard Pryor, and it’s so packed with jokes that if there’s something you don’t find funny you don’t have much time to think about it because the next gag is already right there in front of you. Some jokes don’t hold up, some will be funny to some and not funny to others, but that’s comedy in general. It’s the most subjective genre to exist and Blazing Saddles pushes the envelope in every way.
The acting is spot on from start to finish, with everyone playing their roles perfectly. There are some fantastic sight gags, plenty of witty one-liners, and near perfect comedic timing and amazing deliveries throughout. In short, there’s plenty of entertainment to be had if you’re not easily offended. Now that’s not to say that you’ll find the movie funny even if you aren’t easily offended, as that’s not the case; but this is a movie that uses racial slurs just about every other sentence and doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to any topic.
A joke early on sees the evil Attorney General, Hedley Lamarr (Harvey Korman), trying to figure out a way to scare away the population of a small town so he can steal their land for his railroad. He’s talking to one of his goons, who says they can run everybody out of the town by “killing the first-born male child in every household,” to which Lamarr pauses perfectly for just a moment before responding, “Too Jewish.” I remember hearing my wife audibly exhale after that joke, not in an offended way, but more in a “Wow, nothing is off limits in this one!” sort of way. I’m not even sure she knows she did it, but while there’s some lighter humour, there’s also plenty of these bigger one-liners that don’t hold back over the course of the film.
While the film is regarded as a comedy classic it’s hard to say how it’d be viewed by younger generations today. I feel like there are plenty of people who would watch it the way it was meant to be watched and base their opinions on whether they like it or not on the merits of the film alone. While racism is sadly just as abundant as ever, the satirical nature of the film can easily be glossed over by those who choose to do so, and if you want to be offended by a movie then this one will give you plenty of options as to how you can choose to be, that’s for certain. That’s not to say that you’ll find it to be funny even if you’re not easily offended, as again, comedy is subjective, and this is a specific type that won’t tickle every funny bone the same way.
Blazing Saddles won’t replace Spaceballs as my favourite Brooks’ film, but I laughed quite a bit throughout and understand why it’s held in such high regard for a film released back in 1974, as it basically created its own subgenre of comedy. For fans of Blazing Saddles who have worn out their VHS, DVD and Blu-ray copies over the year due to repeated viewing, then you’ll be thrilled to pick up this incredible looking 4K anniversary edition to add to your collection and begin wearing down. If you’ve never seen the film but want to give it a shot, then this 4K release is the way to go as it’s never looked better when it comes to home viewing.
4K Blu-ray Video and Audio Review:
Blazing Saddles has an incredibly solid 4K transfer here delivered in HDR10. While there’s nothing visually stunning about the film in general, the setting, costumes, and details in general pop beautifully in this release. While it was made 50 years ago, there’s little that sticks out here as poorly designed and all of it stands up incredibly well to the sometimes unforgiving 4K remastering.
On the audio side of things we’ve got a superb Dolby Atmos track, as well as the original audio track for those interested. The Atmos delivery is spectacular, with the musical numbers blasting out wonderfully, and the sound effects and score firing off on all cylinders. The jokes never stop so clean and clear dialogue is a must, and it never gets lost or drowned out by music or effects, so this is a winner on all fronts, from all angles!
Special Features:
Inappropriate Inspiration: The Blazing Saddles Effect – We’ve got a 21-minute feature here that sees various Mel Brooks’ alumni talking about the impact that this film had on them growing up, on their love of comedy, as well as the work they do in the industry. It’s a solid piece that does gush about the film, but also shows the impact it had generations ago on comedians and people alike.
Audio Commentary – We’ve got Mel Brooks delivering a commentary track that fans will have heard before on other releases, but I’m always here for special features being added on to newer formats so that you don’t have to hold on to, or hunt down older releases just to have everything. Always better to have it all in one place.
Blaze of Glory: Mel Brooks’ Wild Wild West – We’ve got a 30-minute legacy feature from the 40th anniversary Blu-ray release, but again, always great to have it included. If you haven’t watched it then now’s a great time to get some extra insight into what Brooks was thinking when creating the film, and how he fought for plenty of jokes to stay in the film. It’s a really solid watch.
Back in the Saddle – This is a 28-minute feature that covers more (and some of the same) ground as the Brooks piece above. This one has other heavy hitters involved as well.
Additional Scenes – Then we’ve got just under 10-minutes of extra scenes and footage for those interested in checking them out!
Disclaimer: A review copy of this Blu-ray was sent to me to cover in honest and truthful fashion.
Warner Bros. Pictures Presents Blazing Saddles. Directed by: Mel Brooks. Written by: Mel Brooks, Normal Steinberg, Andrew Bergman, Alan Uger, Richard Pryor. Starring: Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Harvey Korman, Slim Pickins, Madeline Kahn, Mel Brooks, Alex Karras. Running time: 93 Minutes. Rating: R. Released on 4K Blu-ray: Nov. 19, 2024.
About Brendan Campbell
