Reflections
on “Highlander” (1986)
Directed
by Russell Mulcahy
Written
by Gregory Widen, Peter Bellwood and Larry Ferguson
Starring
Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery,
Clancy
Brown and Roxanne Hart
“Highlander” is undoubtedly one of my favourite action/adventure/fantasy films. It appeals to our imagination, our weakness for romance, and our willingness to be distracted by an involving story. It would be easy to dismiss it as “just” another action/adventure film but this is a beautifully constructed and carefully balanced contrivance of spirit, heart and mind. It sets out to entertain and does so with a knowing humour and self-awareness, yet it also emphasises the importance and struggles of principle, humanity and fraternity in the face of a constant and perhaps eternal battle with self-advancement, ruthlessness and nihilism.
Connor Macleod, the
Highlander of the title, is immortal (though being beheaded leads to a somewhat
abrupt end of life) and is engaged in a life-long, and potentially eternal,
conflict with fellow immortals until they will all be drawn to “the gathering”
where they will battle it out to win “The Prize”, the nature of which is initially
unspecified but it involves vast knowledge and has implied repercussions, good
or evil, for the rest of humanity.
As in most good fantasy
or superhero films, focus is maintained on our hero’s humanity and the price he
has to pay for his “gift”, in this case immortality. At the same time as
entertaining us with spectacular swordplay and light-hearted banter which, on
their own, would provide an amusing but somewhat hollow experience, the film
engages the audience’s emotions and minds by inviting reflection on the implications
of an excessively long life and having to fight constantly for survival and
even, potentially, for the very future of the human race.
We first meet Connor as
he attends a wrestling match at Madison Square Garden in New York. Before he is
drawn away to do battle with another immortal in the car park, we see that he
is withdrawn and disengaged from the action and the overexcited members of the
audience around him. While they are aroused by the violence they witness in the
ring and are virtually baying for blood, Macleod looks on almost disapprovingly
and appears sombre, even depressed. We share brief flashbacks to brutal hand to
hand combat in medieval times in Scotland and these brooding and painful
memories do not sit well with the violence as entertainment on offer in the
ring.
He heads off to meet his
opponent who is known to him and is called Fasil. Macleod wishes to reason with
Fasil but Fasil is determined to try to take Macleod’s head and a dramatic
clash takes place, after which Macleod tries to make his escape but he is
apprehended by the police.
We, the audience, are
intrigued and puzzled by what we have witnessed. We have been offered no
exposition and have joined the dramatic action immediately. We are left with
the impression of an apparently reasonable man ready and willing to defend
himself to the point of taking a life but he is troubled, weary and unhappy.
Gradually, fragments of
his story are shared with us in the form of memories often evoked by the senses
or some shared aspect of the present. Eventually, we are shown extended
episodes which build to provide a fuller picture of his life, full enough to
allow us to understand his actions, reasoning and motivation.
This approach, vaguely reminiscent
of the technique used by Marcel Proust in his writing, allows director Russell
Mulcahy to play with the timeframe so we perceive Macleod through the puzzled
and questioning eyes of the police in the present, while also gaining insight
into his character and experience in the past, allowing us to understand him
and feel we conspire with him in that we share the secret of his immortality
and the frequent deadly conflicts he must endure. Our attention and emotions
are thus engaged on several levels.
Macleod is a relatively
simple man with modest ambitions and desires on whom immortality and its
life-changing complications, as well as its incumbent deadly competition for
The Prize, have been foisted. His natural humility and compassion make him,
however, a worthy and necessary opponent to The Kurgan, an immortal driven by
personal ambition with no regard for the sanctity of the lives of mere mortals,
to whom he considers himself superior. He will stop at nothing to exercise
selfish and pitiless control.
Although Macleod does not
actively pursue The Prize for himself, he will do his utmost to protect humanity
from the clutches of The Kurgan, humanity which is represented, ultimately, by Macleod’s
love interest, Brenda.
Another sympathetic and
compassionate immortal is Ramirez, a Spaniard of Ancient Egyptian origin who
seeks out Macleod to help prepare the naïve and unworldly young Highlander for
his forthcoming clash with barbarism.
Ramirez is a colourful
and highly experienced character who appears to have come to terms with his lot
and he displays no ambition regarding The Prize. He seems content to survive
and pursue adventures, though he recognises Macleod’s potential and the need to
deprive The Kurgan of The Prize which is why he is ready and willing to train
Macleod in swordsmanship and to offer paternal and sincere advice regarding
love and relationships, emphasising the importance of selfless fraternity and
simply helping others on the way through life.
One price to pay for the
gift of immortality is the need to avoid deep and heart-felt relationships, at
least if the pain and anguish of seeing a loved one decline and die are also to
be avoided. Macleod is advised to have no emotional attachments, thus
condemning him to an eternity of isolation and regret.
Swords and swordsmanship
are absolutely fundamental to the film. There can be few martial arts more
immediate and visceral, or in which levels of skill are more visible and
dramatic, and which are more evocative of historic battles and events, and
perhaps even old cinematic heroes. Macleod’s training and all his fights are
superbly entertaining, engaging, and occasionally amusing.
There is no doubt that he
will fight for a valiant and heroic cause but we are drawn to Macleod largely
because of his humanity, pain and emotional trauma. We share his victories and pleasures
as well as his sense of loss and emptiness, and understand his virtual
withdrawal from the world, living quietly under the radar for decades. We also
share his hopes and desires when he enters into a relationship with police
forensic scientist Brenda, a relationship that will ultimately expose both to
danger.
Jumping across time
periods adds an epic feel and the concept of immortality and its potentially
tragic consequences also lends the film depth and scope. It must be said,
however, that Mulcahy’s whole approach to the film, with sumptuous costumes, sweeping
shots, almost constant development of character and plot, stunning segues and
the integration of numerous songs by Queen and original music by Michael Kamen lend
the whole great dynamism and demand audience engagement.
Although the script jars a
little in places, pace and interest are maintained throughout and humour is
inserted regularly to break tension and to make an essential contribution to what
is clearly intended to be a highly appealing piece of entertainment.
Frenchman Christopher Lambert may perhaps be considered a strange choice to play an innocent young Scotsman, while Sean Connery’s Scottish tones hardly reflect his character’s Spanish and Egyptian background, but both play with great energy, sincerity and humour and carry off their respective roles very successfully. Clancy Brown is simply superb as The Kurgan, while Roxanne Hart and Beatie Edney deserve credit for making their roles memorable and appealing.
Although not a box office
success initially, the film has gained well-deserved cult status and spawned a
number of sadly inferior sequels. I hear that a remake has been in the offing
for several years but I have doubts as to whether the charm, romance,
excitement and sheer dynamism of the original can be replicated.
My thanks for taking the
time to read this article. I hope you found it of some value.
Stuart Fernie
I can be reached at stuartfernie@yahoo.co.uk .
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