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Revision as of 20:47, 16 July 2007
1980 film| Flash Gordon | |
|---|---|
 Original poster for theatrical release of Flash Gordon | |
| Directed by | Mike Hodges |
| Written by | Michael Allin, Lorenzo Semple Jr. |
| Produced by | Bernard Williams (executive) Dino De Laurentiis |
| Starring | Sam J. Jones Melody Anderson Topol Timothy Dalton Max von Sydow Ornella Muti Brian Blessed |
| Cinematography | Gilbert Taylor |
| Edited by | Malcolm Cooke |
| Music by | Queen |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
| Release dates |  December 5, 1980  December 19, 1980 January 28, 1981 February 20, 1981  February 21, 1981 February 25, 1981 |
| Running time | 111 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $35,000,000 (estimated) |
Flash Gordon is a 1980 science fiction film, based on the eponymous comic strip character Flash Gordon. The film was directed by Mike Hodges and produced by Dino De Laurentiis. It stars Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Topol, Max von Sydow, Timothy Dalton, and Ornella Muti. The screenplay was written by Michael Allin and Lorenzo Semple Jr. It intentionally uses a camp style similar to the 1960s TV series Batman in an attempt to appeal to fans of the original comics and serial films.
Flash Gordon was one of the earlier high-budget feature films to use a score primarily composed and performed by a rock band. The film's soundtrack was composed and performed by the rock band Queen. An orchestral score was also composed by Howard Blake. Frank Herbert was a script consultant for the film.
Publicity for the film used the taglines: He'll save every one of us! and Pathetic Earthlings... Who Can Save You Now?.
Synopsis
The story opens with the voice of an alien ruler, Emperor Ming the Merciless (Max Von Sydow), complaining of being bored. He asks his second-in-command, General Klytus (Peter Wyngarde), if he has a plaything to offer him. Klytus has an immediate answer: "an obscure body in the SK system, known to its inhabitants as Earth". Using his power ring, Ming starts a series of Earthly disasters: tidal waves, earthquakes, and even “hot hail”. When asked if he would destroy the planet, Ming replies he likes "to play with things awhile before annihilation”.
Meanwhile, on Earth in a town called Dark Harbor, New York Jets football star “Flash” Gordon (Sam J. Jones) is waiting to board a plane to head home when the “hot hail” begins, but he pays little attention to it. Moments later he meets Dale Arden (Melody Anderson). After they board the same plane, the disasters become progressively worse, caused by the moon being out of phase, sending moon fragments plummeting to the Earth, according to the research of disgraced scientist Dr. Hans Zarkov (Topol). Zarkov was secretly working on a rocket ship in which he set the coordinates for the source of the attacks. The Earthly anomalies worsen. Flash and Dale rush to the cockpit and take control of the plane, and promptly crash land in Dr. Zarkov’s greenhouse. The scientist and the two reluctant travelers become allies and board Dr. Zarkov’s rocket to the planet Mongo, where the three are promptly taken prisoner.
Mongo comes across as an Imperial police state, run along the lines of autocratic regimes such as Nazi Germany but with a retro looking high tech aesthetic. Ming and Klytus, the head of the secret police, maintain their hold on power by surreptitiously encouraging conflicts between neighboring moon colonies, especially Arboria, a swamp-like moon ruled by Prince Barin (Timothy Dalton) and Prince Vultan (Brian Blessed) who rules the Hawkmen.
Flash, Dale and Zarkov are brought before Ming. Aiming his power ring at Dale, she goes into a trance. Ming orders her to be removed and prepared for his pleasure, but Flash openly defies Ming and picks a fight. Ming orders Zarkov into Klytus’ custody for reconditioning and repays Flash’s defiance in kind by ordering his execution. Following the execution, Princess Aura and Ming’s Chief Surgeon (one of her numerous lovers) arrive at the temporary mausoleum where they open Flash’s casket and resurrect him. Aura and Flash quickly retreat to Arboria, kingdom of Prince Barin, yet another lover of Aura’s.
During the flight to Arboria (Latin: Arbor translated as tree i.e. Arboria: land (or planet) of the trees), Flash coerces Aura to teach him to use a telepathic communicator so that he can contact Dale and let her know he is still alive. Relieved, Dale informs Flash she is locked in Ming’s bedchamber. Dale tells Zarkov that Flash is still alive. Dale and Zarkov subsequently escape. Soon after they are captured by Prince Vultan’s Hawkmen and taken to his kingdom. Klytus informs Ming of Flash’s resurrection and asks Ming’s authority to pursue the investigation; Ming agrees. Aura and Flash arrive at the forest moon Arboria. When Aura leaves, prince Barin throws Flash into a cage and lowers him into a swamp.
Barin decides to lure Flash into a trap by sending one of his Tree men into the cage with a key to get out. Flash eventually tricks Barin and escapes into the swamp, and Barin soon follows in pursuit. He catches up with Flash, but before he can kill him, the two are taken prisoner by more of Vultan’s Hawkmen. Aura returns alone to Ming City only to be taken prisoner and violently interrogated by Klytus and General Kala.
Flash and Barin are taken to Prince Vultan’s (Brian Blessed) kingdom, where Flash and Dale are briefly reunited. Klytus arrives to arrest Barin and Zarkov for treason. Flash and Barin double-team Klytus and kill him. The Hawkmen flee, leaving Barin, Flash, Dale and Zarkov behind. Ming’s ship arrives shortly after Vultan and his Hawkmen leave. Ming orders that only Barin, Zarkov and Dale are to be taken aboard his ship. He then disembarks to parlay with Flash, offering him a kingdom of Mongo to rule. But when Ming hints the kingdom Flash is to receive is his own planet Earth under Ming’s rule, Flash refuses. Ming returns to his ship and gives the order to destroy Vultan’s kingdom with Flash still on it. But as the bolts of energy tear the place asunder, Flash finds one of the Hawkmen’s rocket cycles, and uses it to escape.
Back on Mongo, Dale is being prepared for her wedding to Ming in Ming City. Just as the wedding is about to begin, Flash approaches alone on the rocket cycle. General Kala, orders weapons to open fire at him. Kala orders Ajax, an Imperial rocket, to go after Flash and bring back his body. After a huge battle, the Hawkmen, heavily outnumbering Ajax’s crew, seize control of the rocket and, with Flash taking the helm, make their way toward Ming City. In Ming City, Princess Aura overpowers her guard and makes her way to the execution chamber, freeing Barin and Zarkov. To disguise her actions, Aura rushes to her father’s wedding while Barin and Zarkov head for the control center, where General Kala orders all weapons to fire upon Ajax as it is out of its proper flight pattern, and also orders Ming City’s protective lightning field to be charged up.
On Ming City, Ming and a defiant Dale’s wedding has just begun. Just as Ming places the ring on Dale’s finger, the lightning field deactivates to reveal Ajax plummeting toward the temple. There is a frantic dash for safety as Ajax smashes into the sanctuary, and its lance-like bow impales Ming right through his midsection. The impact throws Flash clear of the rocket, dazed but uninjured. He grabs a dead guard’s sword and gives Ming an ultimatum: call off his attack on Earth or die. Ming aims his power ring at Flash, but it seems to have no effect. With his power fading, he aims his ring at himself and vanishes. Barin and Vultan and his Hawkmen arrive, Flash is again reunited with Dale, and a huge victory celebration ensues. Vultan announces to the multitude that Barin is the rightful heir to the now-vacant throne. The newly-appointed King Barin shows his gratitude to Flash, appoints Vultan as the new Army General, and decrees that everyone live together in peace.
The last scene focuses on Ming’s empty power ring, and an unidentified hand picking it up as the words “the end” fade onto the screen, followed by a question mark- and Ming’s evil laughter.
Reception
With its camp style, exaggerated costumes and synthesized music, Flash Gordon had a poor box office performance (though it had surprising success in the UK, where it is still one of the top 100 films of all time when adjusted for inflation), although Max von Sydow (Ming) received a good deal of praise for his performance. The film nonetheless went on to become a cult classic; many of the film's lines are intentionally tongue-in-cheek, and this knowing sense of humor contributes to the collective affection with which the picture is remembered by its fans. Despite its shortcomings, it maintains a 80% fresh rating at RottenTomatoes.com and is ranked #88 on the Rotten Tomatoes Journey Through Sci-Fi List (100 Best-Reviewed Sci-Fi Movies).
A sequel was also considered and according to Brian Blessed on the R2 DVD commentary for Flash Gordon - Silver Anniversary Edition, the sequel was going to be set on Mars, as a possible update of the Buster Crabbe serials set on the same planet.
According to Empire Magazine, Sam J. Jones had troubles of some sorts with the director, which resulted in almost all of his dialogue being dubbed by a professional voice actor. The identity of this actor is still unknown.
Awards
In 1981 the film got Saturn Award nominations in the categories: Best Costumes, Best Science Fiction Film and Best Supporting Actor (Max von Sydow). In the same year it was also nominated in 3 categories for the BAFTA Film Awards: Best Costume Design (Danilo Donati), Best Original Film Music (Queen) and Best Production Design/Art Direction (Danilo Donati). Sam Jones was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award for worst actor in 1981.
Media
The film is available on VHS and DVD. In the DVD version the commentary by Brian Blessed won the "Commentary Of The Year" award by Hotdog Magazine in 2005. He was highly praised by fans for his humour and enthusiasm while commenting on the making of the film. On August 7, 2007, Universal Studios Home Entertainment will release Flash Gordon (Saviour of the Universe Edition) on DVD. This special edition will include interviews and a Flash Gordon 1936 Serial Episode: Chapter One of Planet of Peril.
Main cast
Other notable cast members
- Peter Duncan - Young Treeman
- Richard O'Brien - Treeman
- Robbie Coltrane - Guy at the airport
Notes
- "...David Lynch's Dune, and even Dino de Laurentiis' film Flash Gordon, on which Frank had worked in London as a script consultant." pg 18, Preface, Brian Herbert/Kevin J. Anderson, The Road to Dune.
See also
- Flash Gordon
- Flash Gordon (album)
- Flesh Gordon (erotic parody)