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
Roxanne Hart	...	Brenda Wyatt
Clancy Brown	...	Kurgan
Sean Connery	...	Ramirez
Beatie Edney	...	Heather (as Beattie Edney)
Alan North	...	Lt. Frank Moran
Sheila Gish	...	Rachel Ellenstein
Jon Polito	...	Det. Walter Bedsoe
Hugh Quarshie	...	Sunda Kastagir
Christopher Malcolm	...	Kirk Matunas
Peter Diamond	...	Fasil
Billy Hartman	...	Dugal MacLeod
James Cosmo	...	Angus MacLeod
Celia Imrie	...	Kate
Alistair Findlay	...	Chief Murdoch

Storyline

In New York City, 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 fatally 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, who 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 prize 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 found fragments of an ancient Katana and follows Russell. But the also ...

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Plot Keywords:

immortal | swordsman | scotland | cult film | combat | 

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Taglines:

There can be only one.

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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)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,453,021, 9 March 1986

Gross USA:

$5,900,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$12,885,193

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 Stereo 70 mm 6-Track

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Russell Mulcahy said that the biggest dilemma of this movie was "the visualization of the prize." He said, "Not knowing what to do, we did what we did." A combination of lighting effects and animation was used; the "electricity" seen was to cover the wires holding up Christopher Lambert, and the animation represented "Demonic souls of the past, and all of the immortals who have gone before him."

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Goofs

In the scene where the Kurgan is fighting Ramirez he is using his modern, detachable high-tech sword. Even the fissure where the blade is divided can clearly be seen in several takes.

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Quotes

Motel Clerk: Hey, Rockefeller. I hear you liked Candy. She said you were kinda kinky.
Kurgan: Don't ever speak to me.

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Alternate Versions

In the U.S director's cut the wires that are seen pulling Connor MacLeod up when he receives the Prize are removed compared to the original U.S. release and European cut.

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Connections

Featured in Stairs (1986)

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Soundtracks

Who Wants To Live Forever
(uncredited)
Performed by Queen
Written by Brian May

User Reviews

Largely panned by the critics, but surprisingly a good, ingenious sci-fi offering.

Highlander is an ingenious and very entertaining science fiction film which has come in for rather a lot of (unwarranted) scathing criticism. Although the plot jumps around with reckless abandon, the scripters Gregory Widen, Larry Ferguson and Peter Bellwood manage to pull in all the loose ends by the climax. The word "confusing" has been used to describe the film quite often as well, but if you stick with it the confusing moments are explained quite cleverly towards the closing reels. This is, in fact, not a bad film at all. I'd venture to say it's a pretty good one.

The opening sequence has Russell Nash (Christopher Lambert) at a wrestling match in New York's Madison Square Gardens. He leaves early, and while walking through the underground car park is confronted by a man with a sword. Nash is not perturbed by this - he merely brandishes a sword of his own, and the pair of them fight to the death, resulting in the decapitation of Nash's opponent. Slowly, we learn (via flashbacks) that Nash is an immortal swordsman who has spent centuries duelling with like immortals. The only way they can die is by decapitation at the hands of one of their counterparts. Each swordsman has spent the whole of history pursuing the others, hoping to be the last one alive whereupon he will gain mortality, virility and vast knowledge.

The film is very energetic (what would you expect from a former music video director?) with dazzling camera work and a pounding, Flash Gordon-style soundtrack by Queen. Sean Connery has a pleasant supporting role as an immortal who teaches Lambert the art of swordplay, and Alan North has a funny part as a bewildered cop who can't figure out why headless corpses keep turning up in his city. The film's intentionally muddled structure is slightly irritating on the first viewing, but with repeated viewings it becomes more comprehensible, even clever. Highlander is a good, inventive piece of hokum.... and it's a real shame that those very same critics who are always grumbling about the lack of cinematic imagination these days didn't give it some merit when it was first released.