Highlander (1986)

An immortal Scottish swordsman must confront the last of his immortal opponent, a murderously brutal barbarian who lusts for the fabled "Prize".

Director:

Russell Mulcahy

Writers:

Gregory Widen (story), Gregory Widen (screenplay)

Stars:

Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, Clancy Brown

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Christopher Lambert	...	Connor MacLeod / Russell Edwin Nash
Roxanne Hart	...	Brenda J. Wyatt
Clancy Brown	...	Victor Kruger / The Kurgan
Sean Connery	...	Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez
Beatie Edney	...	Heather MacLeod
Alan North	...	Lieutenant Frank Moran
Jon Polito	...	Det. Walter Bedsoe
Sheila Gish	...	Rachel Ellenstein
Hugh Quarshie	...	Sunda Kastagir
Christopher Malcolm	...	Kirk Matunas
Peter Diamond	...	Iman Fasil
Billy Hartman	...	Dougal MacLeod
James Cosmo	...	Angus MacLeod
Celia Imrie	...	Kate MacLeod
Alistair Findlay	...	Chief Murdoch

Storyline

In New York, the owner of a sophisticated antique shop Russell Edwin Nash is challenged to a sword fight in the parking lot of the Madison Square Garden by a man called Iman Fasil that is beheaded by Russell. He hides his sword and is arrested by the police while leaving the stadium. Russell recalls his life in the Sixteenth Century in Scotland, when he is Connor MacLeod and is deadly wounded in a battle against another Clan. However he surprisingly survives and his Clan believes he has a pact with the devil and expels him from their lands. Then he meets Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez that explains that he is immortal unless he is beheaded. Further, the immortals dispute a game killing each other and in the end only one survives receiving a price with the power of the other immortals. Russell is released by the police, but the snoopy forensic agent Brenda J. Wyatt is attracted by the case since she founds fragments of an ancient Katana and follows Russell. But the also immortal ...

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Plot Keywords:

immortal | swordsman | scotland | combat | head cut off | 

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Taglines:

Don't lose your head

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Fantasy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong action violence, a scene of sexuality and some language

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 March 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dark Knight

Filming Locations:

The Storr, Isle of Skye, Highland, Scotland, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$16,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$5,900,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment, Highlander Productions Limited, Davis-Panzer Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min 110 min (theatrical)

Sound Mix:

Dolby 70 mm 6-Track

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The low flying aircraft in the final scene was a Sepecat Jaguar T2 belonging to 226 Operational Conversion Unit based at R.A.F. Lossiemouth. This unit is incorrectly listed in the final credits as the "Jaguar Fighter Wing, R.A.F. Lossiemouth." The Jaguar is actually a ground attack aircraft and not a fighter. 226 O.C.U. was a training unit used to train pilots to fly the Jaguar.

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Goofs

Connor and Kurgan fight their final battle on a flat rooftop. After they fall through the skylight, the room they are in clearly has a sloped roof.

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Quotes

Kurgan: Who is the woman?
Ramirez: She's MINE!
Kurgan: Ah! Not for much longer...

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Connections

Referenced in Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine Show: There Can Be Only One

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Soundtracks

Gimme the Prize (Kurgan's Theme)
(uncredited)
Performed by Queen
Written by Brian May

User Reviews

Guilty pleasure #1

Still, one of my favorite movies of all time, especially if I watch the director's cut. Forget the sequel. Forget everything but the first movie. This was Gregory Widen's first screenplay about a world of darkness. It's great fun, but if you're looking for a FILM, just watch the scene cuts. Please, please ignore any of the franchise movies. Highlander succeeds because it's an '80s movie. The special effects, while not novel, were solid. The swords alone are why I watched this movie in my young years. The writing and the acting are why I've come back. As an aside, I know three people who can quote Highlander in its entirety. That's solid, too. It's an epic movie, plowing through the years. Epic battles, and an epic storyline.