I honestly think Flash Gordon (1980) is a masterpiece

I became aware of this film in high school (late '00s), when I started listening to Queen's greatest hits. But I heard that the film was bad, so I never watched it.

But a few days ago, I saw this video of some of Brian Blessed's commentary, and after looping that over and over, I finally watched it today.

It blew me away.

Blessed, in his commentary linked to above, says "I think this film is about as near perfect as you can get it", and I kinda agree with him. A film is perfect insofar as it succeeds at doing what it sets out to do. Flash sets out to create a low-brow action/adventure, and it does this to a spectacular level. It is truly, in the realest sense, a spectacle.

Interestingly enough, the last great film I saw was Manchester by the Sea, which I might consider my favorite film of all time. It's a very serious film that demands viewers to become very invested in the characters and their very real struggles.

Flash, however, doesn't take itself seriously. Within the first couple minutes, you know that the cast is filled with caricatures. I watched the film through the lens of someone who appreciates operas. Flash is a rock opera, with an emphasis on "opera" -- and an emphasis on "rock" (thanks to Queen). So I saw it as a sort of opera adapted into film, with winged hawk people valkyries, sword fights, mysticism, over-the-top acting, and everything. The climax is one of the most epic things I've ever seen.

This is a film populated by caricatures, not real people. I think confusion about that must be a large source of the negative or less-than-stellar reception of this film. But if you can accept it, then, yeah, it's totally reasonable for Flash to drop that line about "our kids" to a girl he's barely spoken to. Or for the main villain to be killed by that inexplicable spaceship needle. Or for Zarkov to resist the memory draining machine with pure human spirit.

Surrounding the cast is a variety of fantastic costumes. Brian Blessed. Great sets. Great special effects. Great cheesy special effects. And a soundtrack by fucking Queen. It all creates an engaging world that's genuinely intriguing in its own right.

I thought it was an interestingly blend of pre-60's gender roles and modernism mixed with 70's/80's rock and lasers. I think that sort of simple naivete is, in a way, pretty refreshing in our cynical, jaded 21st century society. If we make a new Flash Gordon movie or series, I want the characters to be these 1930's static archetypes who aren't aware of how goofy/backwards they are.

Sidenote: Whoa! Max Von Sydow was Emperor Ming and also the 3-Eyed Raven in GoT?!

I have no idea why people don't talk about this film more.

Submitted February 12, 2017 at 06:33AM by yo_soy_soja http://ift.tt/2l1UzmF