The funniest movie ever made, according to Mel Brooks: “Sometimes, you get lucky”
Iconic filmmaker and arguably the king of fart jokes, Mel Brooks has developed a prosperous career out of his ability to make people laugh. Even as he approaches the winter of his career, the star power of his appearances are a reminder of just how intrinsic to comedy he is.
One of only 19 people to have received Oscar, Emmy, Grammy and Tony awards, an achievement that is a testament to his skill as a comedian and incredible sense of humour, Brooks is one of a kind in almost every sense of the word.
Brooks started out as a stand-up comedian and rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of successful films, often starring in them alongside his close friend and colleague Gene Wilder. The movies have gone to not only achieve cult status, but within the confines of that membership are some of the world’s leading comedians today, meaning he may well be one of the most influential performers of his generation.
His 1974 work Young Frankenstein was critically acclaimed for its clever satire of classic Universal horror films, and in 1977, with High Anxiety, he received Golden Globe nominations for his hilarious homages to a number of movies by Alfred Hitchcock. Of course, Hitchcock actually helped Brooks write the script for High Anxiety and later dubbed the final product “a wonderful film”.
But in a conversation with David Fear for Rolling Stone, Brooks named his 1974 satire of the classic western, Blazing Saddles, “the funniest movie ever made” – a film that almost didn’t get made at all, with Hollywood allegedly wanting to bury the project at the time for its ‘disgusting’ content.
The absurdly hilarious and outlandish Blazing Saddles features Brooks’ longtime Cleavon Little, and longtime collaborator Wilder as an unlikely duo defending the frontier town of Rock Ridge against corrupt, racist politician Hedley Lamarr. With its unique blend of humour and searing socio-political critique, Brooks attributes the film’s continued success to the timelessness of its themes, stating, “It’s not like racial strife and prejudice has gone away, clearly. All that shit is still there”.
The film pokes fun at classic western tropes, racial stereotypes, and Hollywood conventions, often breaking the fourth wall with absurdist humour. Notably, Blazing Saddles pushes boundaries by addressing racism head-on, often through the use of satire that highlights the absurdity of racial prejudices. The film’s use of language and humour is intentionally provocative, with many jokes that might have been considered offensive, serving to expose the ignorance and hypocrisy of racism itself.
Brooks then goes on to compare the perpetuity of Blazing Saddles to Chaplin’s City Lights and Sturges’ Sullivan’s Travels, stating that “some movies are diamonds, and a wise man once said, diamonds are forever”. Not exactly humble, but to be fair, Brooks does follow it up with the admission that “sometimes you get lucky.”
Indeed, there is a certain universality to the film’s irreverent, slapstick humour that ensures its continued relevance in the comedic landscape of today. Of course, the film’s impact has only grown over time, with Blazing Saddles frequently cited as one of the greatest comedies of all time. Comedy gets a tough rap, and very rarely is it given the kudos it deserves, but it is when the genre can traverse its confines that it really hits homer, and Brooks’ production certainly did that.
Its bold commentary on race relations, combined with its willingness to use humour as a vehicle for confronting uncomfortable truths, has allowed the film to endure, though it is recognised that some of its content may be seen as more controversial in today’s social climate.
Though controversial, Blazing Saddles‘ fearless approach to satire has cemented its place as one of the most important and enduring comedies in cinema history.
