After poking fun at all manner of film genres, Mel Brooks turns his attention to the past with HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART I. I've always considered this one of Brooks' second tier movies, never getting as much love as classics such as SPACEBALLS or BLAZING SADDLES. Watching it again for the first time in more than a decade, it's actually better than I remember. Maybe my tastes have evolved or maybe I just couldn't have cared less about jokes on the French aristocracy as a teenager, but I know I wasn't giving it enough credit. HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART I is a collection of vignettes where Brooks satirizes different eras in human history including the Roman Empire, the Spanish Inquisition, the French Revolution, and more. It brings together most of your favorite Brooks' comedy collaborators (no Gene Wilder, unfortunately) and adds a few new faces to the mix. With narration from Orson Welles, watch as Moses (Brooks) presents the world with the Ten Commandments, experience the excitement of an ancient Roman "stand-up philosopher" (also Brooks) and an Ethiopian slave standing up against the lethargic Emperor Nero (Dom De Luise), and learn why it's "good to be the king" as Brooks pulls double-duty as King Louis XVI and his doppelganger Jacques, the man who holds the urine bucket. It's a lesson in world history from the twisted mind of one of cinema's greatest comedy filmmakers where you're bound to learn something, maybe. Don't. Don't watch this for education purposes.
I feel like HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART I is sort of the black sheep of Mel Brooks' filmography. I'd put it in the top tier of his projects but it doesn't get as much vocal love as his classic hits. I hadn't even thought about this movie in years. It had completely fallen off my radar until I bought the Mel Brooks collection. It used to play on cable pretty regularly; I'm pretty sure I'd originally seen it on Comedy Central way back when. Not so much anymore, so this was a fresh start for me. I could remember bits and pieces and a general feeling of indifference toward the movie. I am so glad I got the chance to re-watch it because it's so much funnier than I remember. It's a collection of vignettes so, as with any sort of anthology film, some pieces will be better than others but I'm happy to report that the movie has more highs than lows. The film gets off to a slower start with a segment relating the struggles of early cavemen led by Sid Caesar. It's mostly cheesy slapstick that didn't appeal much to me, with the exception of the creation of the first art critic. After that, the movie is pretty solid. It droops a little again in the final stretch when we're covering the French Revolution because it doesn't appear Brooks could find a whole lot more to skewer than Louis' libido, but even that has memorable moments.
The highlights of HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART I are definitely the Roman Empire and the Spanish Inquisition. The Roman segment is my personal favorite and occupies the majority of the film's first hour. It contains some of the best gags and features Madeline Kahn, Dom De Luise, and Gregory Hines as supporting characters. The Spanish Inquisition, on the other hand, is a short segment where Brooks can indulge in his love for musical numbers. I was never keen on the Spanish Inquisition number as a kid but I've taken a shine to it now. It's a fun, Broadway-style extravaganza with synchronized swimmers and medieval torture. What's not to love? On a similar note, I should point out the fantastic production design on this film. This could almost count as Brooks' own parody of classic epic Hollywood films. Each of these segments (except for maybe the Moses bit, which is all set on a small, contained mountain side set) utilizes some impressive design and use of matte paintings that looks like parts out of BEN-HUR or something of that nature. HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART I is a fun watch, even if it never rises to the top of the pile in Brooks' work. I could even see myself re-watching it again more often than BLAZING SADDLES or YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN just because of its variety. I only regret that Brooks never intended on making a PART II because I've been waiting years to see the "Jews in Space" segment teased before the end credits expanded to its full glory.
I feel like HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART I is sort of the black sheep of Mel Brooks' filmography. I'd put it in the top tier of his projects but it doesn't get as much vocal love as his classic hits. I hadn't even thought about this movie in years. It had completely fallen off my radar until I bought the Mel Brooks collection. It used to play on cable pretty regularly; I'm pretty sure I'd originally seen it on Comedy Central way back when. Not so much anymore, so this was a fresh start for me. I could remember bits and pieces and a general feeling of indifference toward the movie. I am so glad I got the chance to re-watch it because it's so much funnier than I remember. It's a collection of vignettes so, as with any sort of anthology film, some pieces will be better than others but I'm happy to report that the movie has more highs than lows. The film gets off to a slower start with a segment relating the struggles of early cavemen led by Sid Caesar. It's mostly cheesy slapstick that didn't appeal much to me, with the exception of the creation of the first art critic. After that, the movie is pretty solid. It droops a little again in the final stretch when we're covering the French Revolution because it doesn't appear Brooks could find a whole lot more to skewer than Louis' libido, but even that has memorable moments.
The highlights of HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART I are definitely the Roman Empire and the Spanish Inquisition. The Roman segment is my personal favorite and occupies the majority of the film's first hour. It contains some of the best gags and features Madeline Kahn, Dom De Luise, and Gregory Hines as supporting characters. The Spanish Inquisition, on the other hand, is a short segment where Brooks can indulge in his love for musical numbers. I was never keen on the Spanish Inquisition number as a kid but I've taken a shine to it now. It's a fun, Broadway-style extravaganza with synchronized swimmers and medieval torture. What's not to love? On a similar note, I should point out the fantastic production design on this film. This could almost count as Brooks' own parody of classic epic Hollywood films. Each of these segments (except for maybe the Moses bit, which is all set on a small, contained mountain side set) utilizes some impressive design and use of matte paintings that looks like parts out of BEN-HUR or something of that nature. HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART I is a fun watch, even if it never rises to the top of the pile in Brooks' work. I could even see myself re-watching it again more often than BLAZING SADDLES or YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN just because of its variety. I only regret that Brooks never intended on making a PART II because I've been waiting years to see the "Jews in Space" segment teased before the end credits expanded to its full glory.