So I watched Highlander for the first time...

[Cikomyr]

Just finished the movie. Man, I understand why it's a cult classic. This movie oozes of the 80s more than Terminator and Wayne's World.


I could have enjoyed it just for the fight scene and the overall mythology, but I perceived some kind of theme behind it. I am not sure how to say it, or how to properly rationalize.. I will try, quickly. You may comment at your leisure.

If we take only this movie as a stand-alone product, forgetting every other Highlander products, you can make the case that the Immortals are... vessels of the essence of people..? I mean, through them, mortals shift and gain theme and emotions. One of the weirdest moment of Ramirez's training montage, IMHO, was also probably one of the most important: connecting with the deer. It's about connecting with people and living beings, giving of you while taking of them.

The Kurgan hangs out in a slum, where drug, prostitution and overall abuse is common. That is where he belongs, that is the kind of emotion he creates in mortals. Where the dogs eat the dogs, because that is his essence. Were he to win the Prizes, that is the kind of world we would have lived in.

Connor McLoud was more about romanticism, about appreciation of spirit, and of living the life you are meant to live. It is much less obvious than the Kurgan, but you can see people around him are thriving and happy.


Do I make sense,,,?

[grolim]

There should have been only one.

[Tiki Snakes]

Do I make sense,,,?

I would say so. It's certainly an interesting concept.

[Winter_Wolf]

There should have been only one.

Agreed. Highlander 2 was, ehm, well words fail me, but there wouldn't be any positive adjectives in there. If there were any after that, I did not watch them.

[Mystic Muse]

Agreed. Highlander 2 was, ehm, well words fail me, but there wouldn't be any positive adjectives in there. If there were any after that, I did not watch them.

I believe there were three after that, and two TV series.

[Grinner]

Do I make sense,,,?

Yeah. Each is the avatar of an aspect of human nature. Their war is the war humanity constantly wages with itself.

It's been a while since I last saw the movie, but didn't Connor say something about this at the movie's end?

There should have been only one.

Hey, I was gonna say that.

[grolim]

Agreed. Highlander 2 was, ehm, well words fail me, but there wouldn't be any positive adjectives in there. If there were any after that, I did not watch them.

If there was anything that could be said about it that was positive it would be that the presence of Sir Connery shortened the bad word list by 3-4.

[Tiki Snakes]

Yeah. Each is the avatar of an aspect of human nature. Their war is the war humanity constantly wages with itself.

I like the idea that whatever kind of person they are having metaphysical implications for their surroundings more than them being aspects of human nature, but it's only a small difference.

[Grinner]

I like the idea that whatever kind of person they are having metaphysical implications for their surroundings more than them being aspects of human nature, but it's only a small difference.

I don't see how the two are mutually exclusive.

Go with what floats your boat, though.

[Cikomyr]

I don't see how the two are mutually exclusive.

Go with what floats your boat, though.

The immortals can definitely be shaped and formed by their surrounding. The environment they live and experience. That is, if they are willing to be... the receptacle of such experience. If they open up.

But it's a 2-ways lane, and they can just as much influence the world around them. The Prize is merely this ultimate connection with the whole of humanity. You could make the case that as more and more the immortals die out, the more of Humanity as a whole they touch.

Which explains the Gathering. It comes a point where they are so connected with humanity, that they cannot continue the existence alongside each other.


Please know, I say this considering ONLY Highlander original. Yes, there can be only One. It's like SFDebris who was happy saying the Matrix franchise stopped after a single movie.

[Brother Oni]

The film also highlights the positive and negative aspects of being immortal, which can be aptly summed up by two songs from the sountrack: Princes of the Universe and Who Wants To Live Forever?

The former is essentially a celebration of how cool and awesome being immortal is. The latter is a realisation of the price of immortality.

Has anybody got a copy of the WoD Highlander:The Gathering? I'd be surprised if some of the mentioned themes weren't explored in the fluff.

[Traab]

The film also highlights the positive and negative aspects of being immortal, which can be aptly summed up by two songs from the sountrack: Princes of the Universe and Who Wants To Live Forever?

The former is essentially a celebration of how cool and awesome being immortal is. The latter is a realisation of the price of immortality.

Has anybody got a copy of the WoD Highlander:The Gathering? I'd be surprised if some of the mentioned themes weren't explored in the fluff.

I also kind of liked Kurgans theme in that as well.

"I am the one, the only one, I am the god of kingdom come. Give me the prize!"

It just seemed to describe his attitude perfectly. To him it was a foregone conclusion, he was going to win and nothing would stop him, so you all might as well lay down and surrender. Queen pretty much freaking nailed that entire soundtrack.

But on the main topic, I like that idea. It shows a subtle influence, or at least, it may just be that as their connection to humanity deepens, they are drawn more to the type of people they prefer. They dont, in kurgans case, "taint" the area they are in and twist it to be like themselves, that just find their own type and gravitate there. It actually makes for interesting suggestions on taking it a step further. Would an immortal that wants to track down and kill others be able to use this connection? Look for areas that tend to be sink holes of specific emotions and states of being? Could a good immortal try to use that to track down the scum bag immortals? Basically scan the areas where the dregs of society are known to be until something pings off his immortal radar?

[dehro]

despite the first episode (and the last movie?) I've always regarded the tv show as a separate product from the movie..it's a decent watch. as for the other movies..they don't exist..that's my story and I'm sticking to it

[Brother Oni]

But on the main topic, I like that idea. It shows a subtle influence, or at least, it may just be that as their connection to humanity deepens, they are drawn more to the type of people they prefer. They dont, in kurgans case, "taint" the area they are in and twist it to be like themselves, that just find their own type and gravitate there. It actually makes for interesting suggestions on taking it a step further. Would an immortal that wants to track down and kill others be able to use this connection? Look for areas that tend to be sink holes of specific emotions and states of being? Could a good immortal try to use that to track down the scum bag immortals? Basically scan the areas where the dregs of society are known to be until something pings off his immortal radar?

Possibly, but you need to take into account the age of the Immortal as well.

Living in a bad neighbourhood in 80s New York is going to be luxury compared to living on the Steppes in Medieval Europe. The Kurgan may well find a slum full of crack houses and gangbangers too civilised for him - he used to toss children into pits containing half starved dogs, because he enjoyed watching them fight for the 'meat'.

Even if a hunting immortal does trawl areas, by the time of the first movie, the only ones left are the strongest, smartest and most powerful immortals. They're not going to be that easy to catch especially since the 'radar' works both ways.

[Cikomyr]

It's funny, I just had a very new epiphany about interpretation of that movie, and it occured during my American Foreign Policy class.

We were talking about the end of the Cold War, and how america ended with "the Prize", and it struct me:

Connor was born in Britain, and moved to America early.
He is facing an Eastern-European/Russian.
Only both of them remains at the end, and they have a final showdown.. With the American winning the final struggle. Winning the Prize.

Seeing as this movie came out in 1985, maybe I'm seeing too much into it.

[KillianHawkeye]

I believe there were three after that, and two TV series.

Is that including the cartoon?

There should have been only one.

It is posts like these that make me wish I could 'like' peoples' posts.

[Brother Oni]

Seeing as this movie came out in 1985, maybe I'm seeing too much into it.

Given how noticable Christopher Lambert's accent was during the film, I suspect you are.

In the event that you're interested in analysing it more thoroughly, there are a number of now cinematic cliches you can hunt for, like the ethnic minority friend dying part way through the film.

[Cikomyr]

Given how noticable Christopher Lambert's accent was during the film, I suspect you are.

No offense, but Connor McLoud lived in America longer than any american. I consider him to be a bona-fide American of Scottish origins. He is one of the men who actually built the nation rather than merely living in it.

[dehro]

but the accent is french,

[Mystic Muse]

Is that including the cartoon?

Yes it is. There may have been more and I just don't recall, which would not be surprising, as I've never watched any of them.

[Raimun]

Man. And I thought it was a movie about a bunch immortal guys fighting with swords.

[Traab]

but the accent is french,

Yeah, but when you have been around that long, probably having to move every decade or so to avoid notice, you likely pick up a ton of languages, and choose whatever the hell accent you want. If conner wanted to, he could probably switch between a half dozen accents in a single sentence.

[dehro]

Yeah, but when you have been around that long, probably having to move every decade or so to avoid notice, you likely pick up a ton of languages, and choose whatever the hell accent you want. If conner wanted to, he could probably switch between a half dozen accents in a single sentence.

probably so (although I know people who have, like me, lived in a number of countries and who sound awful in every single one of them except their home country.. despite knowing the languages very well)..
anyway.. that's going to require a bit of extra thinking, vis à vis the casting of the main character in the reboot/remake.
btw..does anybody know if the new one they're planning is going to be a reboot or a remake?

[Brother Oni]

No offense, but Connor McLoud lived in America longer than any american. I consider him to be a bona-fide American of Scottish origins. He is one of the men who actually built the nation rather than merely living in it.

Like dehro said, that's why I said the actor's name, rather than the character's name.

As for the 'longer than any american' comment, the indigenous population have been there for at least 12 thousand years, pre-dating even the oldest known Immortal (Methos from the TV series), unless you don't count Native Americans as Americans.

[Avilan the Grey]

There should have been only one.

There WAS only one. There is false propaganda arguing otherwise but pay no attention to that.

[dehro]

Like dehro said, that's why I said the actor's name, rather than the character's name.

As for the 'longer than any american' comment, the indigenous population have been there for at least 12 thousand years,

well..yes.. but not the single individuals..
he's been in the States for longer than any individual native american who happens to be still alive in movie-time.

[Cikomyr]

Like dehro said, that's why I said the actor's name, rather than the character's name.

As for the 'longer than any american' comment, the indigenous population have been there for at least 12 thousand years, pre-dating even the oldest known Immortal (Methos from the TV series), unless you don't count Native Americans as Americans.

Series? What is this series you speak of? There is only Connor, Ramirez, The Kurgan, the black guy and the unknown guy

[comicshorse]

Series? What is this series you speak of? There is only Connor, Ramirez, The Kurgan, the black guy and the unknown guy

Iman Fasil

[Brother Oni]

Series? What is this series you speak of? There is only Connor, Ramirez, The Kurgan, the black guy and the unknown guy

Sunda Kastagir.

[Cikomyr]

Oh, and I forgot about the guy who was decapitated in New Jersey. Him too.