Highlander (film)

Highlander
File:Highlander 1 poster.jpg Original style-A poster
Directed by	Russell Mulcahy
Written by	Screenplay: Gregory Widen Peter Bellwood Larry Ferguson Story: Gregory Widen
Produced by	Peter S. Davis E.C. Monell William N. Panzer
Starring	Christopher Lambert Sean Connery Clancy Brown Roxanne Hart
Music by	Queen Michael Kamen
Distributed by	20th Century Fox
Release dates	March 7, 1986
Running time	U.S. Theatrical Cut: 110 min. French Theatrical Cut: 112 min. European Theatrical Cut: 116 min. Director's Cut: 116 min.
Language	English
Box office	$5,900,000 (USA)

Highlander is a 1986 fantasy action film directed by Russell Mulcahy and based on a story by Gregory Widen. It stars Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, Clancy Brown, and Roxanne Hart. The film has inspired a franchise that includes film sequels and television spin-offs.

Plot

Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert) was born in the year 1518 "in the village of Glenfinnan on the shores of Loch Shiel." In 1536, his clan is in conflict with the Clan Fraser, and Connor rides along into his first battle. The Frasers are working with a towering monster of a man known as The Kurgan (Clancy Brown), who has recognized that Connor is a fellow Immortal and hopes to use the battle to kill Connor before he becomes aware of his abilities. On the battlefield, Connor wonders why none of the Fraser's forces will attack him, until he comes across the Kurgan and is struck by an odd pain (from sensing the proximity of another immortal, though he doesn't know it at the time). This leaves him open to attack.

The Kurgan mortally wounds Connor and prepares to decapitate him, but the MacLeod kinsmen intervene just before this occurs, with the Kurgan vowing to return. The clan mourn Connor, but he miraculously revives shortly after his "death." Accusing him of witchcraft, Connor's clansmen beat him and prepare to burn him, but his cousin Angus (James Cosmo) persuades them to exile Connor instead. He escapes with his life but is banished forever from his clan and birthplace.

MacLeod eventually becomes a blacksmith in Glencoe, where he marries Heather (Beatie Edney). In 1541, he is located by a much older Immortal, who introduces himself as Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez (Sean Connery). He explains that the pain he feels in the Kurgan's and Ramírez's presence is "The Quickening," which compels Immortals to battle each other. Ramírez appoints himself MacLeod's tutor in the ways of being Immortal, their pursuit of The Prize, and the rules of an age-old "Game," which will end when the few who remain participate in "The Gathering," noting that "in the end, there can be only one." Immortals can only die by decapitation and can only avoid battle on holy ground.

Ramírez later explains that his own name is just his current alias, being Egyptian by birth. He adopted it while serving as Chief Metallurgist for Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (also King of Spain between 1516-1556). His sword is a katana he received in Japan in 593 B.C., made by his (then) father-in-law Masamune. Masamune, a genius far ahead of his time in the forging of swords, was the father of Princess Shakiko, Ramírez's third wife. Ramírez also takes it upon himself to improve MacLeod's swordsmanship, which he declares is "no better than that of a clumsy child."

Connor MacLeod

Ramírez warns MacLeod to leave his wife or face heartbreak, explaining that "I was born 2,437 years ago. In that time, I've had three wives. The last was Shakiko, a Japanese princess... When Shakiko died, I was shattered. I would save you that pain. Please, let Heather go." He also explains that Immortals are incapable of having children.

MacLeod refuses to leave his wife, though he continues to train under Ramírez, who also explains the origins of the Kurgan and the risk for the world if he wins the Prize. One night, the Kurgan arrives at MacLeod's home while MacLeod himself is absent, though Heather and Ramírez are there. The Kurgan and Ramírez duel, with the frightened Heather their only spectator. After an extended duel, which destroys the house, the Kurgan manages to decapitate Ramírez and proceeds to rape Heather. MacLeod soon returns to find his home in ruins, his mentor killed, and his wife alive but traumatized. She never tells him about the rape, and MacLeod never learns of the event until 1985, when the Kurgan mocks Ramírez's memory.

MacLeod remains with his wife until her death from old age. Dying in MacLeod's arms, she confides that her only regret was not having his children. After burying Heather, MacLeod burns their residence and wanders the world, journeying as far away as Japan, and finally ends up in America. These travels include an 18th century duel on Boston Common (in which a drunken MacLeod is repeatedly run through by a sword, to no effect, by an insulted husband), and killing a Nazi officer during World War II, rescuing young Rachel, a Holocaust survivor, in the process. His experiences over time leave him a bitter, cynical man.

In 1985 New York City, the few surviving Immortals are participating in "The Gathering", a final series of confrontations to determine the winner of "The Prize". Eventually, the last two surviving are MacLeod, under the alias of "Russell Edwin Nash" and the Kurgan, under the alias of "Victor Kruger." Meanwhile, the spike in what appear to be murders by decapitation has drawn the attention of the police, who find MacLeod leaving the scene of an earlier duel and bring him in for questioning. However, as their evidence is circumstantial, they cannot arrest him, though he becomes their prime suspect. Among the investigators of the case is forensic scientist Brenda Wyatt (Roxanne Hart), who is well-versed in the provenance of swords. Samples taken from the crime scene reveal the sword used is more than 2000 years old (MacLeod is now using Ramírez' sword) and she begins investigating him, primarily over interest in the sword.

Eventually, her investigation reveals MacLeod's longevity through the use of different names, and she confronts him about it. He reveals his true nature to her and she finds herself falling in love with him. This does not escape the attention of the Kurgan, who is now hunted by the police as the wanted murderer after being identified by a mortal he stabbed during a recent duel. He abducts Brenda to force MacLeod into a final confrontation. MacLeod battles the Kurgan, finally defeating him (with a little help from Brenda). He wins "The Prize" which is revealed to be mortality, the ability to sire children, and a telepathic/empathic gift described as being "at one with all living things" with "each man's thoughts and dreams... yours to know". He and Brenda embark on a new life together.

Cast

Actor	Role
Christopher Lambert	Connor MacLeod / Russell Nash
Roxanne Hart	Brenda Wyatt
Clancy Brown	The Kurgan / Victor Kruger
Sean Connery	Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez
Beatie Edney	Heather MacLeod
Alan North	Lieutenant Frank Moran
Jon Polito	Detective Walter Bedsoe
Sheila Gish	Rachel Ellenstein
Hugh Quarshie	Sunda Kastagir
Christopher Malcolm	Kirk Matunas
Peter Diamond	Iman Fasil
Billy Hartman	Dugal MacLeod
James Cosmo	Angus MacLeod
Corinne Russell	Candy
Celia Imrie	Kate MacLeod

"Inspiration"

Gregory Widen is said to have been inspired to write the story after a summer vacation in Scotland in 1980. He was visiting a museum when he stopped to admire a suit of armour and wondered to himself what it would have been like had the knight been alive today. Hence the idea of a movie about an Immortal living on the planet drifting through time.

Production

Gregory Widen wrote the script to Highlander, then titled "Shadow Clan", as a class assignment while he was attending the workshop of Richard Walter, chairman of the screenwriting department at University of California, Los Angeles. Widen sold the script in 1982 for two US$10,000 paychecks. Director Russell Mulcahy filmed it using music video techniques including fast cutting and pacy music. The role of Connor MacLeod was allegedly offered to and turned down by Mickey Rourke. According to Roxanne Hart, Brooke Adams was the original choice for Brenda Wyatt. Rosanna Arquette and Jennifer Beals auditioned for the role of Brenda. Clancy Brown nearly turned down the role of The Kurgan because he thought that the prosthetics required later on in the film would cause him health problems (He is allergic to make-up)

Director of Photography Arthur Smith filmed the scene where fish fall out of MacLeod's kilt, but Lambert's kilt was too short. Smith says, "I stuck part of a drain pipe above Chris's kilt out of camera range, and fed live trout down the tube." Smith also had difficulties shooting the scene where MacLeod meets the Kurgan. It was raining and the crew had to use umbrellas and hair dryers to prevent the water from hitting the camera lenses and appearing on the film. Smith also remembered that Lambert, who is near-sighted, "kept forgetting to take off his glasses as he came over the hill on his horse." The filming of the parking garage scene took place in two different places. According to New York location manager Brett Botula, "the garage exterior is Manhattan, across from Madison Square Garden, and the interior is 'somewhere in London.'" The location for the scene where the MacLeod clan sets off to battle is Eilean Donan Castle, which is in the same general area where the action is supposed to take place, but is really on the shore of Loch Duich, a sea loch near Kyle of Lochalsh and the Isle of Skye.

Filming began in April 1985 and ended in August 30 1985.

Original draft

The original draft of the movie was very different from the movie version in many ways. The first draft of the script was darker and graphically violent. The main characters are also different in a number of ways; Connor was born in 1408 instead of 1518. He lived with his mother and father. In the draft, Heather (Connor's beloved wife in the film) does not exist; Connor was promised to a young girl named Mara whom he loved with all his heart, but who later rejects him after he becomes immortal. Connor leaves his village instead of being banished. His alias in the draft was Richard Tupin and his weapon was a custom broadsword. Ramirez was a Spaniard born in 1100 A.D. instead of being an ancient Egyptian born 2437 years ago. The Kurgan was known as the Knight using the alias Carl William Smith. He was not a savage but a cold blooded killer. Brenda was known as Brenna Cartwright.

Immortals could have children; in the draft Conner is said to have had 37. In a flashback in the first draft, Connor attends the funeral of one of his sons. His wife (in her 70's) and his two sons, who are in their mid 50's, see him revealed as an immortal.

There are no quickenings in the first draft. When an immortal kills another, nothing happens. There is no mention of the Prize either. When Conner finally kills the Knight, he feels a sharp burning pain. We are not told if he is still immortal or not.

Reception

The film was directed by Russell Mulcahy and scripted by Peter Bellwood, Larry Ferguson, and Gregory Widen. Upon initial U.S. release, it was not well-received, but it gained wide and persistent popularity in Europe and on other markets, as well as on home video. It has since obtained status as a cult classic film in both domestic and non-domestic markets, leading to four sequels, a television series, and various other spin-offs.

"Connor" became a popular boy's name in the United States soon after the movie was released. In 1986, Connor was the 538th most popular name for boys, but by 1991 it was 133rd. It has been in the top 100 since 1992.

Danél Griffin of Film as Art awarded the film four stars (out of four), saying: "The key to Highlander's success is in its approach to its subject matter. What could have been a premise that breathes cliché is given a fresh approach due to Mulcahy’s unique directing style and a cleverly-written script. [...] Highlander is certainly a classic film that will continue to be cherished and watched as the world of movie making continues to grow and change. It is a triumphant example of the art of cinema, and watching it reminds us all of why we like going to the movies in the first place." Christopher Null of FilmCritic.com gave the film four and a half stars out of five, "Highlander has no equal among sword-and-sorcery flicks." Null later called Highlander "the greatest action film ever made," saying that it features "awesome swordfights, an awesome score, and a time-bending plotline that only a philistine could dislike."

Matt Ford of the BBC gave the film three stars out of five, saying: "From the moody, rain-soaked, noir-ish streets of late 20th century America to the wild open spaces of medieval Scotland, Mulcahy plunders movie history to set off his visceral fight scenes with suitably rugged locations. [...] What the film loses through ham acting, weak narrative, and pompous macho posturing it more than compensates with in sheer fiery bravado, pace, and larger than life action." Dean Winkelspecht of DVD Town also gave Highlander three stars out of five, saying: "The film's slow pace and dated look will turn away many a new viewer [...] However, there is a certain appeal to the film that brings back many for a second or third helping. I have learned to appreciate the film over the years, [and] the film's story is unique and entertaining."

Also giving the film three stars out of five, Adam Tyner of DVD Talk said, "The screenplay spots a number of intelligent, creative ideas, and I find the very concept of displacing the sword-and-sorcery genre to then-modern-day New York City to be fairly inventive. The dialogue and performances don't quite match many of the film's concepts, though. The tone seems somewhat uneven, as if Highlander is unsure if it wants to be seen as a straight adventure epic or if it's a campy action flick." IGN, awarding Highlander a score of 8 out of 10, said: "This 80s classic has a lot going for it. The hardcore MTV manner in which it was filmed is common these days, but was groundbreaking then. This movie features some of the best scene transitions committed to celluloid. [...] To this is added some fun performances by Connery and especially Clancy Brown."

Alternative versions

The European version of the film contained scenes not found in the U.S. cut. The Director's Cut is based upon this cut, and runs eight minutes longer than the U.S. cut. Even so, there is some missing dialogue that was in the theatrical version, such as the chants of "Kill the MacLeod!" at the beginning, "I want to go home," after Connor receives The Prize and does not contain a short scene shot from inside Det. Bedsoe's car as he stakes out Brenda's apartment during MacLeod's visit. It includes;

• A flashback to World War II that further develops the character of Rachel Ellenstein.
• A scene where the Kurgan can be seen in the background trailing MacLeod and Brenda at the zoo.
• MacLeod having a short flashback about his first battle in Scotland during the wrestling match.
• Longer sex scene between Conner and Brenda.
• Much longer fight scene between MacLeod and the Kurgan at the end of the movie.

While the U.S Director's Cut is based on the European cut, there remain differences in dialogue. In the American cut, when Connor falls from the boat and ends up on the sea floor, he says "I'm alive", whereas the European version expands upon that: "I'm alive... I can breathe... ." Shortly followed by "I'll split you in half!", spoken while drawing his sword under water.

The French theatrical version of "Highlander" is mainly the same version as the U.S theatrical. It does add the World War II flashback but it also removes the interior shot of detective Bedsoe in his car while on a stakeout. This has been issued on 2-disc and 3-disc DVD sets in France with French dialog only.

Home video releases

The video was a domestic hit in the United States. The theatrical release of Highlander II: The Quickening in 1991 significantly increased the rental activity on Highlander even though the sequel was not a box-office success. Highlander was first released to DVD in the United States in 1996, in a "10th Anniversary Edition" Director's Cut that contained the International uncut version of the film. A "15th Anniversary" edition was released worldwide in 2001, which also contained the International cut of the film. Highlander was again released in 2002 in two editions: a special edition "Immortal Edition" with several extra features and a standard edition, both of which contain the International uncut version. On the 6 July 2009 a Blu Ray version was released in the UK.

Soundtrack

The original orchestral score was composed by Michael Kamen, but the soundtrack includes several songs by Queen, like "Princes of the Universe," which was also used in the Highlander television series title sequence. Queen wrote many of the songs specifically to match the mood of the scenes when the songs were played, notably Brian May's "Who Wants to Live Forever", concerning the doomed love of Connor and his wife Heather.

While an album specifically tied to the Highlander movie was never released, Queen's 1986 album A Kind of Magic features most of the songs from the film, as well as other music on the same theme. Notably, Queen's version of "Theme from New York, New York" (playing while The Kurgan drives Brenda through New York) was never released by the band.

All of Queen's songs in Highlander were purposely written for the movie, except for "Hammer to Fall", which had been previously released on their album The Works in 1984.

Novelization

A novelization of the film was written by Gary Kilworth. It expaned more on the movie by telling how The Kurgan met his first death, his training with an Immortal Arab only known as "The Bedouin" and eventually killing him. The novel also reveals how The Kurgan gets his customized Broadsword and his battle with an Immortal Mongol before meeting MacLeod in 1536. The novel also expands on Connor's friendship with the African Immortal Sunda Kastagir. There is a flashback of them during the Zulu Natal Wars of 1879 in which Connor was captured by Zulu King Cetewayo's men and Kastagir helps his friend escape and showed Conner the way to the closest British camp.

References in popular culture

References to Highlander are common in entertainment, such as in the Cartoon Network animated series Aqua Teen Hunger Force, wherein a character (Master Shake) within it considers the film to be an actual documentary, and that the events happened in real-time. Also, in the Adult Swim cartoon "The Venture Brothers", #21 becomes convinced that Hank Venture is an Immortal, saying that "I've personally seen you die, like, ten times." In the film Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Will Ferrell's character, Ricky Bobby, compares the intense rivalry with NASCAR driver Jean Girard (Sacha Baron Cohen) with the plot of Highlander. While explaining the movie to Girard, a Frenchman, he states that it won the Academy Award for "Best Movie Ever Made." Later in the film, Girard claims he had seen the movie, and said "it was shit."

As well, parodies have been made of the film, copying the plot and visuals while comedically substituting known personalities as the characters in the film. Among these, another Cartoon Network animated series, Robot Chicken, parodies the film using Hollywood as the setting, and several teen idols such as Lindsay Lohan, Amanda Bynes and Hilary Duff as Immortal characters.

Marie-Pier Côté, a 12-year old Canadian, published a novel called Laura l'immortelle. On March 13, 2007 the French-language newspaper La Presse published an article noting a list of similarities between Laura l'immortelle and Highlander. Côté later admitted that the story was a plagiarized Highlander fan fiction originally written by a Frenchman.

In the USA Network show Psych the movie was referenced, keeping with the show's trend of referencing "obscure 80's movies." The main character, Shawn Spencer and his father, Henry Spencer are investigating a robbery, when his father says, about the house that was robbed, "This house was chosen for a reason." Shawn then replies by saying "There can be only one," (as Christopher Lambert) and then telling his father he thought they were doing lines from Highlander. He then imitates Sean Connery (Ramirez in the movie). His father then replies, "Everybody can do Connery, your Lambert sucks."

Trivia

• Christopher Lambert had just barely learned to speak english when he took the role of Connor Macleod.

• According to the DVD commentary, the films climax was originally intended to take place on top of the Statue of Liberty. Then it was changed to an amusment park, and finally changed to the rooftop of the Silvercup Studios building.

• The opening sequence was originally intended to take place during an NHL hockey game. But the NHL refused to allow the crew to film there because they were intending to emphasize the violence of the match.

• Lambert and Brown played different versions of the Mortal Kombat character Rayden. Lambert played Rayden in the 1995 movie while Brown voiced the character in Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm. Both films were released in the same year.

• The fight scene between the Kurgan and Sunda Kastagir (Hugh Quarshie) was filmed in an alley in England even though the film is set in New York. The director was reluctant to set off the explosion in the alley because the windows were full of Victorian glass. But he was given permission to do so because that particular site was scheduled for demolition in a few months anyway.

• The church scene was shot at night with the permission of the priests in charge. Still, Brown's lines were ad-libbed and were considered so sacreligious that the priests off-camera were making the sign of the cross as he said them.

• All of Sean Connery's scenes were filmed in a week due to Connery's schedule.

• A duel sequence that introduced an Asian immortal named Yung Dol Kim was cut from the film and the footage for the scene, along with certain other deleted scenes, was later destroyed by fire. A few stills from the sequence, some in color and others in black & white, did survive and were later used in the collectible card game based on Highlander for cards featuring the Kim character. All that is known about Kim is that he was working as a night security guard in a New York City office building at the time of the Gathering, where he was challenged and ultimately beheaded by the Kurgan. In the continuity of the film, the Kurgan's duel with Kim takes place before his duel with Kastagir.

• In the scene where MacLeod rescues Rachel, the SS-Officer is speaking German, but in the English video versions no subtitles are provided. The text goes as follows:

German: "You should be dead!"

MacLeod: [in English:] "Move!"

German: "No! First you'll have to shoot me!"

MacLeod: [laughs; in English:] "Whatever you say, Jack. You're the master race." [shoots him]

• According to the scene where the computer compares the signatures on the deeds to Macleod's house, His previous aliases were

Adrian Montagu

Jacques Lefebert.

Alfred Nicholson

Rupert Wallingford.

• During the filming of this movie, Sean Connery and Christopher Lambert got along even better than their on screen counterparts, even going as far as to call each other by their characters' names when not filming. The two were (and continue to be) such good friends that Lambert threatened to back out of the sequel unless Connery's character was added to the film.

Box office

The movie made $2,453,021 on its opening weekend and ended up making $5,735,847 domestically. Internationally, the movie made $12,885,193.

Remake

On March 2008, Summit Entertainment announced that it had bought the film right to the Highlander franchise and are making a remake of the 1986 original movie with Iron Man writers Art Marcum and Matt Holloway writing the script scheduled for release in 2010. Actor Kevin McKidd is in talks to play Connor Macleod. In October 2009, Fast & Furious director Justin Lin was announced as director of the film while Neal H Moritz will co-produce.

External links

• Highlander Official web site
• Highlander at IMDb
• Highlander at AllMovie
• Highlander at Rotten Tomatoes
• Highlander at Box Office Mojo