In this satirical take on Westerns, crafty railroad worker Bart (Cleavon Little) becomes the first black sheriff of Rock Ridge, a frontier town about to be destroyed in order to make way for a new railroad. Initially, the people of Rock Ridge harbour a racial bias toward their new leader. However, they warm to him after realizing that Bart and his perpetually drunk gunfighter friend (Gene Wilder) are the only defences against a wave of thugs sent to rid the town of its population.
I don't think I have actually seen this film before, but I have certainly seen clips of it here and there being reposted on the usual meme hubs (such as Reddit and Imgur). In that sense, I've seen perhaps 5% of the film at different times and places. That tells you a lot right there, that 45 years after the film was released, it is still being shared around.
What is most delightful about the film is how it lacks any form of political correctness. The racism on display is done in such a successfully satirical way that it manages to come off hilarious and inoffensive. The success of the comedy coming from showing how absurd these racist ways of thinking actually are. The writing is superbly done. The lack of political correctness does mean that Blazing Saddles would not be a film that could be made in this day and age, especially when jokes about race or sexuality can end careers (this could be why the animated film Blazing Samurai, which was inspired by this film, was completed in 2017 but has yet to see the light of day).
Prepare for flagrant use of derogatory terms from c***k to n****r to f****t, but done in an obviously satirical way, and that is the only reason the film works. It is directed and scripted in such a way that there is no question in the audience's mind that the people behind the film are specifically mocking the people that have these intolerant views. The use of humour, irony, exaggeration, and ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices is certainly on display, and there is nothing about this story that isn't over-the-top.
As far as the story itself, Blazing Saddles starts off very strong. Straight off the bat, you get a sense of the tone, and the protagonists and antagonists are quickly identified and developed (sometimes through song, so do pay attention to the lyrics). The first act or two do a great job building the relationship between Sheriff Bart and Jin the Waco Kid, and Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder are hilarious in their respective roles. Little's positive outlook despite the negativity thrown at him, compared to Wilder's general apathy and comedic timing make them a great duo onscreen.
Admittedly, as the film heads towards the final act, the comedic material starts to thin out a bit, and the sketches start dragging longer than they should do, which can get a little tiresome at times as it slows the pace of the film. The final act itself just loses all sense of normality and takes satire to the extreme, breaking the fourth wall in multiple ways, becoming self-referential at times.
But overall it's a winner. Many of the scenes are absolute classics, and the creativity in the writing really shows through. Blazing Saddles never forgets what it is, and it pushes the boundaries of satire with a great mix of physical comedy and tongue-in-cheek one-liners.
It's quite shocking to see how little has actually changed in the world with so much division still existing in the world. Blazing Saddles is just as important today as it was back in 1974 to remind the audience how their xenophobic actions look from the outside.