“Monty Python’s Life of Brian” (1979)

Monty Python’s Life of Brian

Grade: A-

Great Britain’s greatest comedy troupe delivers an unholy religious takedown that remains funny and relevant all these decades later. It’s one of the greatest satires in cinematic history, even if it isn’t quite as gut-busting (on a joke-by-joke basis) as The Holy Grail or The Flying Circus season 1. A few more notes on Monty Python’s Life of Brian:

Directing:

Terry Jones directs this farce with a distinctive raggedy style, recreating Judea circa 33 A.D. as a cesspool of dirty claustrophobic clutter. Yet the cheapness is part of the charm, and the setting is more realistic a portrayal of low-class biblical life than anything by Cecil B. DeMille or William Wyler. The mise en scène is impressive in how unremarkable it is — an unsightly vision that amplifies the profanity of both ancient and modern society.

Acting:

Graham Chapman stars as the titular Brian Cohen, a would-be messiah who is born in the stable next door to Jesus. He does a terrific job playing the clueless big dummy, but the most memorable performances are by John Cleese and Eric Idle, who inject their distinctly British personalities into every role they inhabit, from the angry Roman centurions to the pesky Jewish hagglers.

Writing:

Life of Brian is less sketch-driven than all previous Python efforts, but that only makes the overall message more insightful. Yet for all its narrative cohesion, the best humor still comes from the non-sequiturs and surreal observations that the group is famous for. Take, for instance, the scene where Jesus delivers his sermon on the mount, which then pans to the bottom of the mountain and the throngs of people who can’t even hear him. “Blessed are the cheesemakers?” they wonder. Or the Roman officer who catches Brian graffitiing the palace of Pontius Pilate and then corrects him on his Latin grammar. Or the lovable chap at the end of the film who enjoys being crucified. Life of Brian is filled with clever comedy that has allowed the movie to age gracefully.

Music:

The orchestral score by Geoffrey Burgon is appropriately cheesy, but the musical legacy of Life of Brian is Idle’s concluding “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life,” a catchy tune with an ironically optimistic message and a hook that you’ll be whistling to yourself long after the film is over.

Ending (SPOILERS):

140 crucified prisoners singing “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” is a perfectly sardonic way to end the film. Did Jesus sing while he was up on the cross? Probably not. But the gospel according to Eric Idle inhabits the entire meaning of life in just a few verses and one memorable chorus.

“It’s worth 10 if it’s worth a shekel.” – Harry the Haggler

Why Monty Python’s Life of Brian gets an A-:

I believe Holy Grail is the funniest Monty Python film, while Meaning of Life is the most profound. Nevertheless, Life of Brian is still a relevant social satire that contains some of the troupe’s most memorable sequences.

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