Remember when parody films were actually good? When they were well-written, respectful and most importantly, funny? When they were actually works of comedic genius rather than convoluted, low-brow excuses to make fun of other films? There have been some great ones throughout the years, but they have mostly faded, at least in the most traditional sense. In terms of great parody films, I think we can all agree no one did it better than Mel Brooks – over the course of his career, he took on nearly every kind of film – horror, western, musical, science fiction – taking elements of the genres’ most notable examples, and turning them into works of sheer comedic brilliance. Brooks’ films are not just funny – they’re intricate comic ballets, well-choreographed pieces of satire that serve to be affectionate love-letters to the giants of the genre, while still remaining some of the funniest films ever committed to screen. Recently, the opportunity arose to finally experience one of Brooks’ most unheralded films, the astonishing High Anxiety, and while he may be best known for any of The Producers, Young Frankenstein or Blazing Saddles, I have to concede that this film has some qualities that allow it to stand right up there with his very best work. Memorable, well-made and containing a genuine laugh at every turn, High Anxiety is a film that just proves Brooks is one of the greatest comedic minds, not only of his generation but of all time.

Richard H. Thorndyke (Brooks) is a world-renowned psychiatrist who has been hired to serve as the head of the Psycho-Neurotic Institute for the Very, Very Nervous, after the tragic (and some would say deeply mysterious) death of the former head. Thorndyke is an agreeable man – he’s got a genial personality that allows him to get along with everyone, he is fiercely intelligent and most importantly, he genuinely wants to help others. This puts him at odds with some of the other staff, including Dr Montague (Harvey Korman), who is furious that he was not offered the position to head up the institute after the death of his former colleague, and Nurse Diesel (Cloris Leachman), the terrifying head nurse who rules over the institute with an iron fist, having everyone under her command. Thorndyke is secretly suffering from a mental affliction known as “high anxiety”, which manifests itself in increased paranoia and intense vertigo. For the most part, he has been able to keep it under control – but when it becomes clear that all is not well at the Institute, Thorndyke finds himself suffering from bouts of high anxiety more frequently, not helped in any way by the clear fact that there are people trying to kill him. With the help of his loyal driver and sidekick Brophy (Ron Carey), his mentor Professor Lilloman (Howard Morris) and the mysterious blonde femme fatale, Vicky Brisbane (Madeline Kahn), he challenges those who are trying to get in his way from finding out the truth about the many secrets lurking in the hallowed hallways of the Psycho-Neurotic Institute for the Very, Very Nervous.

There are certain qualities about a Mel Brooks film that are inextricably related to his style as a director, and as one of the great comedic satirists of our time. The most important element about the films Brooks makes is that despite often being outrageous and quite ruthless to the films they parody, they are never mean-spirited. High Anxiety, which is a send-up of various suspense and thriller originating in the 1950s, was dedicated to Alfred Hitchcock, who allegedly was so honoured to be the inspiration for such a brilliant film, he openly praised Brooks and his work here. A great parody film always needs to have some element of respect for the subject that it is subverting – there have been some outrageous works that brutally tear apart entire genres and film movements, but with nothing but undying affection. Brooks exemplifies the point that you just can’t make a compelling satire without actually caring about the subject. I don’t think we need to be reminded about the spate of recent parody films over the past decade or so that just use the guise of comedy to make inappropriate and vaguely offensive jokes (not all, as there have been occasional parody films in the past few years that have been excellent, but these normally depart from the Brooks model of direct parody and lean more into postmodern genre deconstruction), but as High Anxiety proves, it is possible to be irreverent without being cheap – and there is a lot we can say about Mel Brooks, but he has never been a sell-out when it comes to his creative process.

There are a few elements that go into a great satirical parody, two of them being heavily interrelated. Intelligence and a sense of self-awareness are paramount to any compelling comedy film that endeavours to parody previous works. Without a smart mind behind it, what is a parody film other than a jumble of references and poor imitation? Throughout High Anxiety, we see Brooks use his astute awareness of the genre to pepper in various references, some overt (such as the hilarious Psycho sequence, which is deservedly the most famous moment in the film, or the outrageous pastiche to The Birds), or smaller moments (“Meet me by the north-by-northwest corner!”), and it is equal parts hilarious as well as heartfelt, as Brooks clearly reveres Hitchcock, and created a film that would fondly poke fun at his films without tarnishing their reputation or pointing out their flaws, but through loving parody. In terms of the self-awareness, High Anxiety, like most of Brooks’ films, is clearly the work of someone who doesn’t only understand how to make a good parody, but how to make great comedy overall – its always a spectacular moment when a film can comment on itself and its own artificiality in a way that works – just consider how this film ends by literally breaking the fourth wall, and you’ll understand how Brooks is not only someone who can derive laughter from his intricate commentary on genres, but also by playing around with the form of film itself. It takes a profoundly talented artist to make something so dumb seem so intelligent, and when it comes to smart silliness, Brooks is the king (“its good to be the king”, as he would say)

The third, and perhaps most important, key to a great parody film is also the element that Brooks has seemingly perfected the most – the performances. In the lead role, Brooks proves himself to not only be a great writer and director, but also a terrific actor. He did make his living early on in performing his work, alongside Carl Reiner, so its hardly any surprise that he managed to give a great performance here. His Thorndyke character is also a departure from his roles in his previous films, which were a lot more outrageous, being far more of a straight man in this (I was not surprised at all that this role was written with Gene Wilder in mind, as its remarkably similar to his previous collaborations with Brooks), and essentially exists to be the central focus for the craziness around him. Brooks is very good, but where the film obviously flourishes the most is in the supporting cast, and High Anxiety sees the director reteam with two of his very best muses. Madeline Kahn, an endless source of comedic brilliance, is hilarious as the femme fatale who enters the picture towards the end and proves herself to be another obstacle to our everyman protagonist, who now has to deal with feelings of intense love in addition to being in danger’s way. Kahn doesn’t get a lot to do here (to be fair, neither did any of the proverbial “Hitchcock blondes” that she’s parodying in this role), but what she is given proves to be absolute dynamite. A contentious opinion I’ll always stand by is that Cloris Leachman is the funniest person to ever work with Brooks, and watching High Anxiety confirms that she is an extraordinary comedic force – every single line she has is utterly hilarious, and the fact that she uses the same method as she did for Young Frankenstein, whereby she plays the role as if she is in a very serious film, makes this one of the funniest performance of the 1970s. Perhaps Nurse Diesel is explored to her full potential (and her send-off is a little disappointing), but Leachman delivers such a brilliant performance, making her undeniably the highlight of this film.

There are so many moments of unhinged comedic brilliance lurking within High Anxiety, listing them would not only take too long but also spoil the experience for anyone who hasn’t seen this hilarious and outrageous work of comic genius. I’ve always admired Brooks for his generous spirit when it comes to making these films – they’re not vanity projects, but rather endearing works that affectionately satirize films we all consume, making films that are not just great parodies of popular genres, but also great films within them. Funny, irreverent and brilliantly-constructed, this is a film that keeps you guessing, taking you on a thrilling journey to the heart of great satire. As mentioned in the introduction, High Anxiety is not amongst Brooks’ most distinctive work, but it absolutely is one of his very best films, and it has a maturity and sincerity that is often missing in some of his more juvenile films (this isn’t necessarily a criticism – there are very few directors who can capture childish silliness with the same remarkable elegance as Brooks). It is definitely worth seeking out because ultimately, they just don’t make films like this anymore – dedicated forays into foolishly ludicrous folly with broad overtures of comic brilliance – essentially, just plain fun stupidity, and overall just enthralling, entertaining and unforgettable cinema.