Highlander
For a movie known for the phrase, “There can be only one,” there seem to be several running around. Of course, it’s explained in the movie, but it’s always amusing when a disparity like that comes up in a film. “Highlander” being a franchise is kind of wild now that I’m watching the 1986 film for the first time- it’s a fantasy premise that takes place in a nominally “real world,” and the big name of the film is barely in half the movie. But, it made enough of a splash to inspire three sequels and one TV series. I’m surprised we haven’t seen a modern reboot yet. I wonder if part of that is because of the soundtrack.
I think this is the first first time with a Michael Kamen score I’ve had in a while. We’re almost 20 years removed since he died in 2003, and re-experiencing his orchestrations of the songs for “Pink Floyd: The Wall” and his music for “Highlander” within a month makes me miss what he did all the more. I don’t know if I would put him in the pantheon, but he was the right composer at the right moment in film history- a classically-minded composer who could also adapt to modern rock aesthetics, with his work on the “Lethal Weapon” films probably being the best example of that. Of course, here we also get songs from Queen, and it’s fascinating that the two movies their music is prominent in are goofy, very theatrical genre films. I’ve been familiar with their songs for the film for 30 years, but hearing them in the context of the film- especially “Who Wants to Live Forever”- is a wonderful experience. This might be one of the most perfect soundtracks of the 1980s, even if the movie is not.
My wife got me into watching “Outlander” while we were still dating. It’s about an English woman who gets sent back in time and falls in love with a Scottish freedom fighter, and- its over-reliance on rape as a plot device aside- it’s been a popular show on STARZ. This is part of why I’m kind of surprised “Highlander” hasn’t been revisited for a modern audience. The story centers on Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert), who fought a battle in the Scottish Highlands in the 16th Century, but whom we first see at a wrestling match at Madison Square Garden in 20th Century New York. How is that possible? And why does Sean Connery- an actual Scotsman- show up as a Egyptian immortal? (He says he’s Egyptian, at least. His name when he meets MacLeod is Ramirez, and he still speaks with that Scottish accent.) I feel like that was a cheeky decision on the part of Connery and director Russell Mulcahy to upend audience expectations, and honestly? It works, because Connery is effective as a mentor to MacLeod, whose life is turned upside down when he realizes his immortality after being stricken on the battlefield by the Kurgan (Clancy Brown), a supernatural warrior who will be the one Connor must defeat at the Gathering, where only one can win the Prize, that being the power of all immortals. Yeah, this is kind of a silly premise, isn’t it?
“Highlander” has an energy and visual language that keeps it moving at a strong clip, even when the film gets ridiculous in the same way a lot of films did in the 1980s. The action scenes are good, but the thing we engage with most is the idea of how Connor tries to live among humanity without engaging with humanity, lest he lose his loved ones. That’s why the “Who Wants to Live Forever” moment is so powerful; it illustrates, simply, the tragic idea of living with love, knowing one day, you will keep going, but those you love will be gone. When Mulcahy and the music are in sync with their notions of this story, “Highlander” is hugely entertaining. It’s also very much a product of its time, and Lambert- who is effective when silently stoic or in action- might not have been the strongest lead for this movie. At least he inspired Mel Gibson’s look for William Wallace, though. All kidding aside- I had fun discovering “Highlander,” and it made me appreciate what a good soundtrack can offer when what’s onscreen is kind of ridiculous.
