From the 1980, Dino DeLaurentiis production, Flash Gordon

My dad picked me up from kindergarten one day. It was before lunch. I thought it must be for a doctor appointment. Strange, though. Mom typically took me to the doctor. I don’t remember him saying a word the entire drive. I dared not to ask as my overall feeling about my father was based on fear. The plot thickened as we pulled into the parking lot of the Gaylynn 2. Into the darkened house, we sat down and Flash Gordon unspooled before me. I was smitten. Unfortunately, I now had a feeling of cinema-induced euphoria mixed with some anxiety strongly associated with playing hooky…

Fun and sexy. Top notch cast: Brian Blessed, Timothy Dalton, Max Von Sydow, Topol, Melody Anderson and the charming Ornella Muti as Princess Aura. The list goes on. Queen is the perfect choice for the soundtrack, bringing the over-the-top rock like no other.

It used to be a point of real wonder for me how some people just don’t enjoy the high camp in this gem of a movie. It seemed so obviously fun. Listening to the opinions of those who don’t appreciate this picture, one point in particular came up again and again. They don’t like the cheap look of the film. I get that. For that same reason, I couldn’t stomach exploitation. Cheap goods can be gross. But this film is not cheap. In poor taste, perhaps. It is camp after all though I must say, camp of the highest order. The production values are off the charts. Good camp should not be dismissed outright.

The set and costume design is absolutely gorgeous. One individual’s work, I’d like to point out especially is Danilo Donati. I realize that the technical side of production doesn’t add up to a pleasurable movie-watching experience for most, but Flash deserves a second look at least on a number of counts. Consider the luscious look of the cinematography, lensed by none other than Gilbert Taylor, the director of photography on Star Wars.

Dino DeLaurentiis is a major figure in film history and wanted a massive hit. He was prepared to secure any sum to possess it. At least, that’s how it appeared growing up in my time. As it relates to Generation X, Dino brought King Kong, Flash Gordon and Dune to the silver screen. Empirically speaking, these films are looked upon as flops for the most part, despite what commercial success they may have generated. But what I am trying to accomplish with this post is what has been done for me and that is to see diamonds where once there was only coal, to appreciate more about art than just face value. ‘Does it pass or fail’ just isn’t satisfying. It’s like looking at Lichtenstein and dismissing the work as juvenile. A useless gesture into the vacuum of the all-powerful Internet, I’m sure. Though I have not the talent for persuasion, I do try.

In other words, Flash Gordon may not be what you call art, but the artistic value in the picture is immeasurable. Flash Gordon as figure in science fiction, as a starting point of investigation is essential. From Flash you quickly get to David Lynch, Alex Raymond, Ingmar Bergman, institutionalized racism, gender inequality, white superiority, jingoistic propaganda and xenophobia in the US. The water gets deep quickly.