Young Frankenstein
Mel Brooks is the unchallenged master of the parody . While Monty Python and the Zuckers have crafted wad of faultless takeoff , no one can accurately repair the cinematic motifs of a musical style while simultaneously lampoon the tropes of that genre quite like Brooks .
His clearest masterpiece isBlazing Saddles , an acute critical review of the western that acknowledgesthe genre ’s questionable racial politicsand anticipate attention to the ruse of celluloid as a whole . But a nigh second isYoung Frankenstein , Brooks ’ pitch shot - perfect riff onthe classic black - and - white Universal monster moviesthat look at Mary Shelley ’s literary chef-d’oeuvre from a unique satirical angle .
BLAZING SADDLES: Its Take On Westerns Is Spot-On
There ’s a rich history of the western genre . All film genres have rich histories , really , but the westerly is unequaled in that it dominated American movie house for decades before slowly dying out when audience realized how skewed its historical myth were . It was around this meter that Mel Brooks made his spot - on burlesque of the genre .
From Frankie Laine ’s to a fault dramatic title birdsong to the infamous baked beans chronological succession , blaze Saddlesconsistently takesfamiliar elements from westernsand gives them a ridiculous makeover .
YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN: It Perfectly Recreates The Look Of The Universal Monster Movies
In everything from the production conception to the firing to the musical score to the scenery transitions , Young Frankensteinperfectly recreates the style of the sometime shameful - and - white Universal monster moving picture it parodies – particularlyFrankenstein , The Bride of Frankenstein , Son of Frankenstein , andThe spook of Frankenstein , which is specifically spoofs .
Brooks even managed to get a hold of the lab equipment props fromthe original 1931Frankenstein , which reach this otherwise goofy spoof a really authentic looking at .
BLAZING SADDLES: It Sheds A Light On The Racism Sanitized By Old Westerns
Old Hollywood westernspropagated myth about gunman in the Wild Westthat conveniently glossed over the ugly racial setting of the historic setting . In lieu of this , HBO Max recently add a disclaimer toBlazing Saddlesexplaining its social commentary , but the movie does a fine job of doing that itself .
The story concerns a white governor appointing a Black sheriff in a deliberate bid to break a town , but that sheriff proves to be so competent at his line that he takes on the governor himself and disclose his schemes . Minus that , Blazing Saddlesexposes how ridiculously stupid racism really is by pitilessly mocking it .
YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN: It Brilliantly Lampoons The Classic Novel
Mel Brooks was n’t sell on the idea of aFrankensteinparody until Gene Wilder tell him his story idea . Here , a descendent of Victor Frankenstein want to outstrip himself from his softheaded congener and claw back believability in the scientific community . This premise provided the foundation for a perfect spoof of the Mary Shelley definitive .
Frankenstein ’s descendant is eventually trace into his ancestor ’s landing field of workplace , which make for on Shelley ’s themes of the hubris of man and science . There ’s also a meta stratum added here , with the entire Frankenstein clan being tarnished by everything that transpire in the dateless sequels to the original 1931 photographic film take aim by James Whale .
BLAZING SADDLES: It Put The Final Nail In The Western’s Coffin
Spaghetti Western legend Clint Eastwood managed to single - handedly keep the westerly active until hegave it the double-dyed swansong in the early ‘ 90s withUnforgivenbut for the most part , the western ’s heyday was all but over by 1974 .
Blazing Saddles ’ sales talk - perfect scoff of the genre ’s manipulative mythmaking hammered the final nail into its casket , relegating what was once the epitome of masculine fable into a vacuous self - parody that no one could take seriously .
YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN: Dr. Frederick Frankenstein Is One Of Gene Wilder’s Best Characters
Although Gene Wilder ’s most iconic function might be Willy Wonka , roles like Leo Bloom inThe Producersand Skip Donahue inStir Crazytook full advantage of his uncanny power to play neurotic , exasperated , and fickle characters .
One of his best characters – and arguably the one that makes the best use of his talents – is Dr. Frederick Frankenstein , the descendent of mad scientist who ’s desperate to hightail it his menage name but end up being crazier than his antecedent . This was a role Wilder created for himself , which makes him all the more perfect .
BLAZING SADDLES: It Has One Of The Comedy Genre’s Quickest Joke Rates
The writers ’ room forBlazing Saddlesconsisted of five guys all yelling over each other to have their ideas heard in the hope of getting their jokes into the picture . The result was a surplus of comedic textile , and only the funniest stuff made the cut .
Along withAirplane!andMonty Python and the Holy Grail , Blazing Saddleshas one of the immediate joke rate in clowning pic history . The joke keep coming from beginning to cease , without a muted minute in passel .
YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN: Marty Feldman & Peter Boyle Give Iconic Supporting Performances
underpin Gene Wilder ’s revelatory turn as Dr. Frankenstein are hilarious backing performance by Marty Feldman as Igor and Peter Boyle as the monster , severally .
They ’re both comedy legends who are perfectly suited to their purpose , and they were have plentifulness of great amusing material to toy around with . Without them , Wilder ’s performance would n’t be as hilarious and beloved as it ’s remembered today .
BlLAZING SADDLES: The Fourth Wall-Breaking Finale Is Spectacular
In the third human activity ofBlazing Saddles , Mel Brooks does n’t just soften the fourth wall ; he bulldoze it . The final conflict spills over onto the set of a Hollywood melodious and eventually into the studio cafeteria . Sheriff Bart face up Hedley Lamarr outside Grauman ’s Chinese Theater , then buys a ticket with the Waco Kid to watch the conclusion ofBlazing Saddles .
With the artifice of the movie now out in the open , Bart and the Waco Kid watch themselves on the screen as they mount off into the sunset , then get off their Equus caballus and get into gondola . It makes forone of the greatest comedy flick endings of all time , up there withThe ApartmentandLife of Brian .
YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN: “Puttin’ On The Ritz” Is Comedy Gold
When Dr. Frankenstein unveil his monster to the scientific community , they perform a delightful rendition of “ Puttin ’ on the Ritz . ” It ’s one of the most gleefully curious moments not just fromYoung Frankenstein , but in the whole of the funniness genre .
This melodic number is pure , gross , 24 - karat comedy gold . Everything about it is just perfect , particularly Gene Wilder and Peter Boyle ’s performance .
NEXT : Airplane ! : 5 way It ’s The Zuckers ' Best Movie ( & 5 The Naked Gun Is A Close s )
