About Highlander (1986)
Post 1934:
As one of the most erudite commentators on literature and fiction on the internet today, I feel it is my duty to make sure I’m up to speed on all the classics, new and old.
This, of course, leads me to write about the original Highlander movie. I saw it for the first time in years a few days ago and never looked away. I couldn’t believe how much I liked it, maybe even more than I did when I was a kid.
There are some ridiculous little bits. (The old man in pinstripes doing unnecessary handsprings in the opening action scene, for instance) But mostly, it’s filmed with care and artistry. Gritty guerrilla camera work, grungy 80s New York—it looks good. Some of the flashback scenes might look a little camp, but I don’t mind.
Two main things stood out. First, the bad guy is really bad. He enjoys his badness and is relentless. The Kurgan is coming and he wants to rule the world. He is a real nightmare and he turns more monstrous as the film progresses. It’s good stuff. Second, there is a lot of heart to the character. The sequences showing the seasons change, watching loved ones wither and die while he stays the same, are very poignant. I mean, we have to accept that there are immortal dudes that fight with swords and this has just been a thing, but I’m okay with it.
I try to think of the beginning sword fight if you’ve never seen the film and don’t know the lore. Like, what the h? These fellas are not messing around, what’s with the swords, and can’t they just talk about this? You’re really dropped in the deep end. I think it makes for great tension. The gratuitous destruction is pretty fun. It makes a duel between people you don’t know feel like it means something. That’s not easy.
There are a few more problems. One of the main criticisms I see is the main actor. He talks weird and his acting is strange. I actually think he’s really good. Even if his accent makes no sense, I don’t want another guy playing Connor. Is he supposed to be normal? He’s 500 years old. I’m not even half that and pretty weird myself.
There are a lot of repeating themes. Decent dialogue. Visually striking scenes. A backstory that doesn’t dwell too long on unnecessary details. This is a dang good flick. Probably why they’re gonna try to do another one. We’ll see. Cheers and see you after.
