The Humanities Film Series Presents
FLASH GORDON
Friday, May 11 at 7 PM
ETC Lecture Hall
Heroic earthling Flash Gordon saves the world from the nefarious Ming the Merciless in this lavish, intentionally campy 1980 adaptation of the famous sci-fi comic strip. The story is as basic as space operas get: Ming (Max von Sydow) has developed a plan to destroy the Earth, and Flash (Sam J. Jones) and his attractive companion, Dale Arden (Melody Anderson), are called upon to stop him. Along the way, Flash must battle Ming’s goons and the temptations of a space princess. Previously the basis for a 1930s adventure serial, Flash’s story is mined here for exaggerated, cartoon humor by screenwriter Lorenzo Semple Jr., a central figure in the similarly campy ’60s Batman television series. (allmovie.com)
But is it just a simple science fiction tale, or an explicit statement of American Cold War ethos? We will examine the plot, characterization, and aesthetics of the film and decide whether the 1980 Flash Gordon feature functions best as a campy sci-fi flick or a Cold War allegory that speaks to 20th century Americans’ deepest fears and anxieties.
Directed by Mike Hodges, Great Britain/USA, 1980, 112 mins.