User reviews

Divided in six segments ("The Stone Age"; "The Old Testament"; "The Roman Empire"; "The Spanish Inquisition"; "The French Revolution"; and "Previews of Coming Attractions"), "History of the World: Part I" is an uneven parody of historical moments, but still worthwhile watching. This film is written, directed and produced by Mel Brooks, who is also the lead actor performing five roles. It is also the debut of Gregory Hines, who died so young. Narrated by Orson Welles, the film has a great cast and cameo appearance of many famous people.

Last but not the least, there is no sequel and Part I is another Mel Brook's joke, since Sir Walter Raleigh wrote The History of the World Volume 1 but was beheaded before writing the Volume 2. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "A História do Mundo: Parte I" ("The History of the World: Part I")

After 30 years, I finally got to see the entirety of Mel Brooks' History of the World, Part I and I gotta say, I found most of it funny though I can understand why many critics were offended by much of it. There are quite a few scatological jokes from Dom DeLuise burping and farting in the Roman sequence to Harvey Korman's peeing in the French Revolution segment. And then there's Mel Brooks, who not only produced and directed this, but also single-handedly wrote it and stars in most of the sketches. Seeing him doing the Spanish Inquisition as a Busby Berkeley-Esther Williams number was perhaps the most irreverent thing he ever did especially when the nuns doff their uniforms to reveal their one-piece swimsuits and bathing caps! Gregory Hines made his film debut here and is a hoot whether doing his dance steps in order to keep him from trouble or making a giant joint to distract the Roman guards! Madeline Kahn and Cloris Leachman also contribute their funny selves to good effect and then there's longtime Brooks associate Sid Ceasar playing a cave man in the Stone Age segment also being his usual funny self. Really, all I'll say now is if you are a die-hard Brooks fan, I highly recommend History of the World, Part I.

Mel Brooks did not invent the comedy spoof movie, but his best work ("Blazing Saddles", "Young Frankenstein", "Dracula, Dead And Loving It", and "High Anxiety") certainly make the most of it - even if some of it gets rather too dirty (literally dirty - "caca" dirty). "History Of The World" is a funny film, but it is not one of his best films. It looks like it was based on bits and pieces of ideas that could have been built up into separate movies: a film about the stone age, a film about the Roman Empire, a film about the French Revolution. I am sure that Brooks was inventive enough to have created three film spoofs, but for some reason he decided to just concentrate on pasting these mini-spoofs together.

It has wonderful moments in it - some are thrown away. The four desperate refugees from the Roman Empire, followed by centurions, pray for a miracle. Suddenly they see an old man - Brooks dressed like Moses (from an earlier sequence in the film). A river is parted like the Red Sea with "Moses" arms in the air. The refugees flee thanking God and Moses. In a moment we see there is a robber in back of "Moses" holding him up (hence his arms in the air), and when the robber leaves the old man starts cursing him.

Similar stuff is throughout the film (typical of Brooks' inventiveness). After fleeing Rome, Brooks has reached Palestine and is the waiter serving the "Last Supper". Besides having a problem when he keeps saying "JEEZUS" causing John Hurt (who is Christ) to ask, "Yes?", there is the problem of the painting being done by Da Vinci (Art Metrano), and how Brooks manages to get into the background of the masterpiece - holding his tray like a halo behind Hurt).

Brooks uses a number of his regulars in the film: Madeline Kahn as the Empress Nympho, Dom DeLuis as the Emperor (one could call him "piggy" after one particular comment about his eating habits), Harvey Korman as the foppish Count du Monet, Sid Caesar as a caveman who is full of awe. He was also lucky to have Gregory Hines, usually a dancer but here a strikingly breezy comic, and Orson Welles doing the narration properly (note his voice's confusion at the start when describing the first heterosexual marriage, followed by the first homosexual one).

The disjointed style is a minor problem in enjoying the film. Judging from the final scenes from the sequel, Brooks could have done a Viking movie, a skating film about Nazism, and a space musical about the Jews. Alas, only those scenes were ever shot. A second part might not have been a great film either, but it would have been quite as amusing.

I'm kind of surprised at some of the reviews of this film. Mainly the "very poor" and "putrid" ones. This is Mel Brooks having the time of his life. The marketplace scene is hilarious. "Plumbing! Pump s**t right out of your house! Plumbing!

It's a wild romp through early history, with a few side steps into vaudeville and Broadway. I disagree that this film is not a classic. There are enough funny lines to quote out of this film to keep the average frat house laughing through three or four kegs of Bud.

"Boy, when you die at the palace, you REALLY die at the palace!"

Madeline (The Queen): "What happens to the slaves?"

Queen's Maid: "If they're captured, they're hung."

Madeline (The Queen): "Not necessarily."

So I suggest that you take of the Jeffrey Lyons face, sit down with some chips and brews, and watch this movie if you haven't already done so. Slapstick? You bet. Silly? Of course. As I asked before. It's Mel Brooks. What do you expect????

9/10

Although it is aged around the edges, History of the World is one of my favorite comedies. Admittedly, I have a good 100 in my "favorites" list, but HotW is definitely in the top 25. It is pure enjoyment and while sometimes raucous, it is never raunchy. Tactless, but never dumbed down, and that makes for the best kind of comedy.

In true Brooks fashion, this work takes you from a parody of life to a satirical pop-culture vehicle. Unfortunately, the many late 1970's pop-culture references throughout the dialog is what dates this work. Otherwise, it would still be fresh, today.

Led by Mel Brooks's polished stylized direction, this work is not only hilarious, but is clever in its irony. It never takes itself too seriously, and delivers with every scene.

If you liked Wholly Moses, you will LOVE this!

It rates a 6.4/10 from...

the Fiend :.

Though it's not considered a classic like BLAZING SADDLES or YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, there are a lot of laughs to be found in Mel Brooks' HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART I, a zany,if inconsistent look at Biblical times, the Stone Age, Ancient Rome, the Spanish Inquisition, and the French Revolution as seen through Brooks' demented brain. The film is not as all encompassing as its title implies, but Mel gives his own twisted vision to these particular times in earth's history, which includes Mel himself in four different roles, including Moses and his own version of Louis XIV (It's Good to be the King). Mel gathers his usual nutty repertory company together and laughs are provided by Sid Ceasar (very funny as a caveman), Madeline Kahn and Dom DeLuise (hysterical as Cleopatra and Ceasar), Gregory Hines, Cloris Leachman, and Harvey Korman as Count De Money ("That's De Monay!!!). As always in his films, music is key and the Spanish Inquisition is presented here as a mammoth production number that is guaranteed to either amuse or offend,depending on your mood. Hard-core Brooks fans will love it, others be warned...there's something to offend everyone here.

This was actually a lot better than I expected. I'm more from a Monty Python humor background and some of the Mel Brooks humor is pretty campy and dated in a Marx Bros sense but it was still pretty darn good. It's hard not to like a guy who turns the Spanish Inquisition into a musical. I guess there's something for everyone to like (and be offended by).

Criticizing humor seems to come easily for a lot of us non-practitioners. An undercurrent of disrespect accompanies so much scrutiny of the comedic arts, with critics holding even the best, brightest, and most accomplished funny folks to impossible standards (as a number of commenters have done on this thread).

Two thoughts: 1.) many assume comedy to be as effortless as legends such as Brooks make it seem; 2. An audience may feel disproportionate resentment towards a jester when 100% of jokes don't land 100% of the time. It's an impossible standard, and we rarely apply similar critical rigor to other artists.

Great comedy's very essence relies on doing the unexpected, on challenging people's cherished assumptions and dogma, on speaking truth to power, and skewering human "normalcy" from an outsider's perspective.

Exceptional comics take the most risks. In being innovative and in stretching their range, they may not feel as consistent or as easily pleasing as folks who repeat the same set night after night or who cater to the egos of their audience or their patrons, &c. But they're ultimately the smartest and the most satisfying, and they reward rewatching over an entire lifetime. Handed down along successive generations, even.

Mel Brooks is a powerhouse writer, actor, director, producer, satirist, activist, and historian. This is a classic comedy and a masterpiece for far more reasons than a missed joke here or there could possibly outweigh.

This may well be one of the worst movies ever made - surely the worst Mel Brooks movie. It starts out with masturbating monkeys and goes downhill from there. Nothing rises above the level of grade school potty humor. What a waste of a terrific cast! Mel Brooks was never known for subtlety, but in "Young Frankenstein", "Blazing Saddles" and especially "The Producers", there are many bits of brilliant adult satire to balance out the groaners. "History' is all groaners. You can actually feel your brain melting while watching this thing. You can almost detect the actors trying to rise above the material, without success. Skip it.

This is one of Mel Brooks' best. This irreverent look at some major historic world events through the eyes of Brooks and his cast is very, very funny. From the Old Testament to the French Revolution we recognize the basic structure of the stories, but the details are very uniquely Brooks. The real strength of this irreverent laugh fest is the cast, including Brooks, Harvey Norman, Gregory Hines, Dom Deluise, Ron Carey, and Brooks regular, Madeline Kahn. This is not for the easily offended, We have waited forty years for a sequel, and it seems it is finally coming, despite the majority of the cast having left us. This one has good songs and music, as well. It holds up.

The film concerns about history of the world in various parts, from the dawn of human being until the distant future in French Revolution and narrated by Orson Welles. The first part during the Stone age with a sympathetic cavemen(Sid Caesar, Ron Carey) inventing the music. The second about Roman Empire with a filthy emperor Nero(Don DeLuise) with flatulence,a lecherous empress(Madeleine Khan) a slave(Gregory Hines) and of course, Mel Brooks. The following , the Spanish Inquisition , again with Mel Brooks as Torquemada making a spectacular dances, including a beautiful swimmers. The third part about French Revolution with a lascivious Luis XVI(Brooks),a conspirator count of Monet(recently deceased Harvey Korman) and a gorgeous Mademoiselle Rimbaud(Pamela Stephenson).

Mel Brook's direction keeps things moving with laughs, he directed this sometimes hilarious, but mostly crude and bad taste spoof of history with ridiculous episodes, as how to test eunuchs or the lasciviousness of Luis XVI's court. The jokes come with machine-gun rapidly , though don't always work, there are so many of them that this comedy ends up with enoughs laughs for quite entertaining. It's a stupid movie but also funny and remains like a laugh-filled amusement. The movie hasn't the thematic unity of 'The producers, Blazing saddles and Young Frankestein', the Mel Brooks's best . The stars race around like maniacs and appear several famous uncredited, actors and directors, such as Hugh Hefner as Roman entrepreneur, Paul Mazursky as roman officer, Barry Levinson as column salesman, Art Metrano as Leonardo and John Hurt as Jesus in a bemusing sketch about the 'Last supper', among others. The film is classified 'PG', parents guide, as displays objectionable material, for occasional adult content, crude language and profanity. If it weren't in such bad taste and dirty humor , it would be perfect for the children.

Classical comedy satire..Mel Brook's best film. Once you've seen this film, you will not forgot it. The punchlines keep rolling from the beginning of the film, and even past "the big ending". There is not much of a plot, but that is to be expected in a movie that contains a bunch of skits. If you like Monty Python, then you should love this movie. This movie is not for everyone, especially if you are easily offended. However the opening scene should tell you if you would have a problem watching the rest of the movie. This movie does currently rank in my top 10 comedies of all time.

I had watched this as a kid, a popular but not highly-regarded Brooks effort. It is wildly uneven but, also, undeniably funny at times (even if most of the gags are, unsurprisingly, of the vulgar kind).

Brooks managed to rope in Orson Welles to provide indifferent narration over his lampoon of various historical eras (the film's one-liners, too, read better than they play). Still, "The Stone Age" (featuring Sid Caesar) offers a nice parody of the "Dawn Of Man" sequence from Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968) – while the brief but hilarious "The Old Testament" sees Brooks himself as Moses accidentally lose a third of God's original 15 Commandments! "The Roman Empire" – the longest segment – features Brooks veterans Dom De Luise and Madeleine Kahn, the film's single best joke (the Senators' spontaneous reply, in unison, to a fellow members' concern over the plight of the city's poor), plus wonderful conclusion involving John Hurt as Jesus Christ. "The Spanish Inquistion" is, again, brief but surely one of the film's highlights with its tastelessly inspired depiction of this infamous period as a Busby Berkeley-ish production number (though Brooks' typical Jewish jokes seem baffling in this context). Just as Monty Python had done the definitive parody of the Roman Empire with LIFE OF BRIAN (1979), "The French Revolution" follows on from the "Carry On" gang's DON'T LOSE YOUR HEAD (1966). The results are just as middling (involving the inevitable impersonation of the King by a commoner) – but highlighting two established presences in Brooks' films, Harvey Korman and Cloris Leachman. Easily the funniest bit from this segment is the King's outrageous shooting practice.

Still, at the end of the day, Brooks can't avoid repeating himself: the "Walk This Way" gag from YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (1974) turns up here as well; Brooks' lecherous French king is virtually a copy of his Governor characterization in the Western spoof BLAZING SADDLES (1974); and the surreal nick-of-time escape at the very end, which also derives from the latter film.

Mel succeeds admirably in his outrageousness almost throughout the film despite occasional signs of the feebleness of the "Jesus-yes?" dialog in the Last Supper and the overextended French Revolution scene.

But in most of the film, real outrage rears its head over man's inhumanity to man especially in the Inquisition scene and, though perhaps less so, in the Roman scene. Even his trademark Hitler spoofs, such as the "Hitler on Ice-coming attraction" here show his own obsessive and strong reaction to that horrible period in history.

Some of the jokes have cobwebs such as the "Alms for Oedipus" beggar and Gregory Hines response "Hey there, m.f! But it works because it's carried off with energy.

In the long run, the film is probably more serious than it seems on first glance and has more bite than the really feeble attempts to follow such as "Spaceballs", "Robin Hood" or "Dracula".

History of the World Part I (man, I wish they had done a part II!) is one of my all-time favorite comedies. In fact, this is my favorite Mel Brooks film.

One of my favorite scenes is Mel Brooks as the King of France, playing chess with real people. He yells through a loudspeaker, Pawn jump Queen, Rook jump Queen, Bishop jump Queen...everybody JUMP Queen, (well you get the idea!) Then you see him on the very top of the pile. This gets me in stitches every time! In the same skit, Harvey Korman exclaims to the King, "you look like the pee (sic) boy." In which, Brooks says "and you look like a bucket of turd (sic)." Of course, Brooks is also playing the pee (sic) boy, which is why there is a resemblance.

The movie is a series of skits from the times of the caveman up to the French Revolution. The Roman Empire skit is also hilarious.

Brooks' comedies are brilliant and this is one I highly recommend. I believe that ratings should be subject to what the film is trying to accomplish. This film wants you to laugh and have fun, and that is exactly what I do every time I see it. This is a film I can enjoy over and over again. Rating 10 of 10 stars.

Good not great Brooks... That means you get slightly more kitsch, vulgarity and old gags to the dollar than you can take but for every old-as-Methuselah gag (he even gets the old "Walk this way" staple in there), there are enough compensatory puns and sight gags present, with more than a few in-jokes at the expense of past Hollywood historical blockbusters along the way. Me, I'm the kind of guy who laughs at a line like "Judea Judea Judea" delivered in knowing Cary Grant style and there are plenty more where that came from. The extended scenes in Ancient Rome and Revolutionary France work best (and are cinematographically well rendered too, something people often overlook with Brooks) as his stereotypically skewered band of characters have fun with more double-entendres than even Sid James would cackle at. Of the cameos, Pamela Stephenson (Mrs Billy Connolly now) thrusts her chest about wo - manfully and Gregory Hines does something similar with an equally libidinous part of his anatomy. I enjoyed the film, a funny romp and one senses the players did so too.

RATED 8/10 Language: English Source: Nil RECOMMENDED

The real stress buster movie. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. The stone age spoofs are ultimate and non stop fun. I wanted more of this portion, but the Roman period took most of the portion.

To enjoy the fun, I have to pause the movie and read the history like what is Spanish inquisition and French Revolution etc.

After watching this, searching for the part II but don't know why it is not made. This is one of the best spoof movie I had ever seen. Beware it has some adult scenes.

Now I need search all Mel Brooks's movies and add it into my watchlist.

Mel Brooks delivers funny movies. 'The Producers', 'Blazing Saddles' and for me especially 'Young Frankenstein' belong the funniest I have seen. They told a story from tart to finish and the jokes found their way into that story. 'History of the World: Part I' is again funny, but it is very flawed as well. This movie does not tell a story with gags in it, it tells gags with a couple of stories around it.

Mel Brooks seems to have chosen a couple of events in our history, at random, as long as his jokes would fit there. We start with the dawn of men, the stone age and a story around the ten commandments. These segments are not that long and I found them hilarious. The narrator, Orson Welles, explains us how things started back then, things like singing and painting. It is the kind of humor that requires a certain taste, but if you like it Mel Brooks is as good as it gets. Most of the time.

We continue with longer segments including one in the Roman Empire which starts great but after a while it overstays its welcome, a musical number dealing with the Spanish Inquisition that has the same problem, and one during the French Revolution that is not that funny at all. Especially in these sequences we see how Brooks has the idea of a funny gag, puts a story around it without really doing something with both the idea of the gag and the story. It is like watching Jim Carrey doing funny faces without a reason for doing that. His funny face can be funny when it is serving something, it is not simply funny on its own.

Near the end Brooks finds his way again and shows us what we could expect in Part II. I laughed like I did in the first half of the movie and that gave me the feeling the movie is funnier and better than it actually is. Fans of the genre will enjoy this enough, there is some real Mel Brooks magic here, but if you are still finding out whether you like this or not I would start somewhere else. 'Young Frankenstein' would be a nice choice.

This is, without a doubt, one of my favorite comedies of all time, coming as it does from Mel Brooks as it successfully skewers such movie staples as the big-budget epic, musicals and, of course, sequel-itis.

Mel (in my humble yet informed opinion) has never been in better form during the '80s as he was here: lashing out in full force as writer, director and actor against the stoic straightness of history with a sardonic smile and twisted wit.

He surrounds himself with a more-than-capable cast, including such mega-star comics as Caesar (whose caveman seemed to develop all of man's first inventions all by himself), Kahn (his eternal diva and a sassy diva at that), Greene (pompous, puffed-up and ready to pop), DeLuise (making slobbery a pure art form), Korman (Hedley Lamaar in royal French garb - and still as funny), and even such loyal stand-bys as Carter, Murray, Milligan and DeLuca offer able-bodied support.

But let's not forget Hines. In his first major motion picture role as Josephus, he shucks and jives, sand-dances and withstands the fiery dancing of Caledonia like a pro. Just an inkling of what his career had to offer later on, and a perfect calling-card for a future in show business.

And the jokes! There are some classic Mel bits here that have stood the test of time and will continue to do so. Such classic bits as "The Inquisition", Comicus' first gig at Caesar's Palace, the Caveman's critique of that cave painting, "Count duh money, count duh money!", that obscene French chess game, even the coming attractions offer a few smiles.

But how can anyone cite certain favorites? The whole movie is a grab bag of jokes, many off-color and sure to offend. As if Mel made "Blazing Saddles" to please everyone...yeah, right.

In the end, "History" was the passing of an era, since Mel has made fewer movies as "R"-rated, raunchy, raucous, dis-respectful and belly-laughable as this one. He's still good, mind you, but just watch this one and see if you don't agree: what a wonderful "World".

Ten stars and a true sense of "awww" for "History of the World, Part I". Just ask Mel, he'll tell you - it's good to be king.

After poking fun at all manner of film genres, Mel Brooks turns his attention to the past with HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART I. I've always considered this one of Brooks' second tier movies, never getting as much love as classics such as SPACEBALLS or BLAZING SADDLES. Watching it again for the first time in more than a decade, it's actually better than I remember. Maybe my tastes have evolved or maybe I just couldn't have cared less about jokes on the French aristocracy as a teenager, but I know I wasn't giving it enough credit. HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART I is a collection of vignettes where Brooks satirizes different eras in human history including the Roman Empire, the Spanish Inquisition, the French Revolution, and more. It brings together most of your favorite Brooks' comedy collaborators (no Gene Wilder, unfortunately) and adds a few new faces to the mix. With narration from Orson Welles, watch as Moses (Brooks) presents the world with the Ten Commandments, experience the excitement of an ancient Roman "stand-up philosopher" (also Brooks) and an Ethiopian slave standing up against the lethargic Emperor Nero (Dom De Luise), and learn why it's "good to be the king" as Brooks pulls double-duty as King Louis XVI and his doppelganger Jacques, the man who holds the urine bucket. It's a lesson in world history from the twisted mind of one of cinema's greatest comedy filmmakers where you're bound to learn something, maybe. Don't. Don't watch this for education purposes.

I feel like HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART I is sort of the black sheep of Mel Brooks' filmography. I'd put it in the top tier of his projects but it doesn't get as much vocal love as his classic hits. I hadn't even thought about this movie in years. It had completely fallen off my radar until I bought the Mel Brooks collection. It used to play on cable pretty regularly; I'm pretty sure I'd originally seen it on Comedy Central way back when. Not so much anymore, so this was a fresh start for me. I could remember bits and pieces and a general feeling of indifference toward the movie. I am so glad I got the chance to re-watch it because it's so much funnier than I remember. It's a collection of vignettes so, as with any sort of anthology film, some pieces will be better than others but I'm happy to report that the movie has more highs than lows. The film gets off to a slower start with a segment relating the struggles of early cavemen led by Sid Caesar. It's mostly cheesy slapstick that didn't appeal much to me, with the exception of the creation of the first art critic. After that, the movie is pretty solid. It droops a little again in the final stretch when we're covering the French Revolution because it doesn't appear Brooks could find a whole lot more to skewer than Louis' libido, but even that has memorable moments.

The highlights of HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART I are definitely the Roman Empire and the Spanish Inquisition. The Roman segment is my personal favorite and occupies the majority of the film's first hour. It contains some of the best gags and features Madeline Kahn, Dom De Luise, and Gregory Hines as supporting characters. The Spanish Inquisition, on the other hand, is a short segment where Brooks can indulge in his love for musical numbers. I was never keen on the Spanish Inquisition number as a kid but I've taken a shine to it now. It's a fun, Broadway-style extravaganza with synchronized swimmers and medieval torture. What's not to love? On a similar note, I should point out the fantastic production design on this film. This could almost count as Brooks' own parody of classic epic Hollywood films. Each of these segments (except for maybe the Moses bit, which is all set on a small, contained mountain side set) utilizes some impressive design and use of matte paintings that looks like parts out of BEN-HUR or something of that nature. HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART I is a fun watch, even if it never rises to the top of the pile in Brooks' work. I could even see myself re-watching it again more often than BLAZING SADDLES or YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN just because of its variety. I only regret that Brooks never intended on making a PART II because I've been waiting years to see the "Jews in Space" segment teased before the end credits expanded to its full glory.

You can admire Mel Brooks and his kind of humour (and I actually do), but History Of The World was such a disappointment! And I was so looking forward to it...

We see a couple of stages in history, like Moses and his 15... erm 10 Commandments (the best joke of the movie) and some scenes from the Roman era as well as the Spanish Inquisition.

Not enough (good) jokes, way too long, this is not the standard one would expect from Brooks. Let's just hope and pray Part II will indeed never come...

2/10.