Anyone who's ever seen a Western movie probably knows that the Wild West was a pretty violent place. The only people keeping order in most towns were sheriffs… who often got killed by outlaws who would just ride through and bully people into doing whatever they wanted.
That's why the figure of the sheriff is such a symbol of bravery even today. And who better to show this bravery in Blazing Saddles than our hero Bart, the black sheriff who's hated by the villains he's trying to stop and the townsfolk he's trying to help?
Questions about Violence
- Who is the most violent character in this movie? Why?
- Can you give one example of clever violence in this movie? How about one example of dumb violence?
- Why do Hedley Lamarr's attempts to use violence always fail? Try to be as specific as possible in your answer.
Chew on This
Take a peek at these thesis statements. Agree or disagree?
In Blazing Saddles, we find that violence never achieves its goal unless there's cleverness to back it up.
Blazing Saddles is a story of brains over brawn.