Highlander was a high concept modern fantasy film that has earned its cult classic status and beloved by many. Wikipedia and IMDB classify Highlander as a British film so it is worthy of a Britflix retrospective.
Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert) is an immortal man who has lived since the 16th Century. By 1985 he lives as an antique dealer in New York just as an event known as The Gathering starts and Connor has to face his centuries-long enemy, The Kurgan (Clancy Brown).
Highlander was a quintessentially ‘80s films. It had a simple, high concept that was rife for exploration and a grungy look mixed with stylish direction. It was a perfect storm that the sequels were never able to replicate. It was the film that brought Christopher Lambert to the attention of English-speaking audiences, made Russell Mulcahy’s name as a director, gave audiences the iconic line, “There can be only one” and a Queen soundtrack featuring songs like “Princes of the Universe” and “Who Wants to Live Forever.” It was easy to see why the film had an appeal to ‘80s and ‘90s kids.
Highlander had a due storyline. One focused on Connor’s origins and getting tutored by the ancient Immortal Ramirez (Sean Connery), the second being about Connor in New York. The storyline in the past was when Highlander was at its best. This storyline was more focused as it showed Connor discovering his immortality, getting exiled from his home, falling in love, and Ramirez telling Connor about the rules of immortality (i.e. Immortals can’t have children and they can only be killed by beheading.) This was where Highlander built up its mythology and had its heart because of Connor’s relationship with Heather (Beatie Edney) and friendship with Ramirez. It’s amusing to think that the film has a Frenchman performing as a Scotsman and had a Scottish actor playing an Egyptian pretending to be Spanish.
When Highlander moved to the modern-day the plot became a lot more fractious. The story went in many different directions like Brenda’s (Roxanne Hart) investigation into Connor, The Kurgan terrifying New York, and Connor trying to keep his head down. The film was trying to do too much, making Highlander unfocused and meandering. Something should have been cut or reduced to help the film flow better.
Clancy Brown as The Kurgan was the standout of the film. He was deliciously evil as the powerful fighter that needed to be prevented from winning the prize. Brown gave the character a deep, gravelly voice and combined with neck scar and leather clothing made The Kurgan an intimidating figure. There was menace whenever The Kurgan spoke. One of the most powerful moments in the film was when The Kurgan tells Connor he raped the Highlander’s wife and taunts Connor that they can’t fight on holy ground. It is weird to think that Brown ended up voicing Mr. Krabs in SpongeBob SquarePants.
Highlander was Russell Mulcahy’s second feature film as a director. He had previously worked on music videos and he brought in techniques from that media. This was most evident with the flashy transitions between the past and present. Highlander provided plenty of drama and action. There was plenty of swordplay considering the premise of the film and one of the most thrilling moments was The Kurgan’s terrifying drive with Brenda.
Highlander was also famous for its soundtrack by Queen. It was a treat for fans of the band.
The producers of Highlander should have listened to the iconic line “There Can Be Only One.” Highlander ended with no avenue for a continuation, but the producers kept trying to make sequels, including the infamous follow-up Highlander II: The Quickening. That was the template on how not to make a sequel.
Highlander doesn’t quite stand up to some of the bonafide classics of the ‘80s (i.e. The Terminator, Predator, RoboCop, etc…) but it was a fun relic from that decade.
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