Monty Python's Life of Brian
The Immaculate Edition
Monty Python delivers the group's sharpest and smartest satire of both religion and Hollywood's epic films. Set in 33 A.D. Judea where the exasperated Romans try to impose order, it is a time of chaos and change with no shortage of messiahs and followers willing to believe in them. As its center is Brian Cohen, born in Bethlehem in a stable next door, who, by a series of absurd circumstances is caught up in the new religion and reluctantly mistaken for the promised messiah, providing ample opportunity for the entire ensemble (Graham Champman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin) to shine in multiple roles as they question everyone and everything from ex lepers, Pontius Pilate and haggling to revolutionaries, crazy prophets, religious fanaticism, Roman centurions and crucifixion, forever changing our biblical view.
Member Reviews
Life of Brian - movie_goer
I recently turned to British Comedy and enjoy the Monty Python classics.
However, The Life of Brian is interesting for the first half, but it falls apart as the film progressively becomes annoying to watch. It just feels so much different than the first two films, even though they try for the same type of comedy.
Being raised a Christian, I find this film very funny, even if it is somewhat controversial to my religion.
The parody on the life of Jesus is anything but, its focused more on the followers. Jesus who is in it for only several seconds on sand dune mute to its crowd while they haggle about big noses and annoying wives. I love how well the followers work off Brian and how blindly they're following someone who has done nothing spectacular at all, which is a very funny premise. And leads to a hilarious outcome, followed by a song ending the movie.The Best Of The Lot - Proggy
Python's best film is a delightfully sharp satire, essentially a bunch of sketches tied together by the story of the central character, Brian, played with earnestness by Graham Chapman.
I once heard a musician describing his rather intense music as actually having a lot of humorous overtones, much in the same way that a lot of Python work was really quite serious. I tend to agree with that assessment of the lads. After all, these highly-educated men were more than sight gags and crude humour. Far more, in fact. And here they present their fans with a clever commentary - not on Christ himself, but on his followers and how they misinterpreted his teachings.
The film is chock full of classic Python material - Michael Palin was rarely funnier than as Pontius Pilate, and Eric Idle's iconic closing song "Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life" remains popular, even at funerals - and requires repeated viewings to truly get all the many jokes contained within. This remains the Python gang's most solid and polished film.I used to find it funny. - Blob
I remember when I first watched monty python, it was the greatest thing since sliced cheese, blessed are the cheesemakers. but now I just can't watch it anymore, and it includes the Life of Brian.
There are some funny bits that still resonate today, but even then it seems to be more enjoyable to remember the bits then to actually see them.
Long story short, if you haven't seen it, you must give it a shot. If used to love Monty Python a long time ago, and want to give it another shot, you might be disappointed.
Member Reviews
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Life of Brian - movie_goer
I recently turned to British Comedy and enjoy the Monty Python classics.
However, The Life of Brian is interesting for the first half, but it falls apart as the film progressively becomes annoying to watch. It just feels so much different than the first ...The Best Of The Lot - Proggy
Python's best film is a delightfully sharp satire, essentially a bunch of sketches tied together by the story of the central character, Brian, played with earnestness by Graham Chapman.
I once heard a musician describing his rather intense music as ...I used to find it funny. - Blob
I remember when I first watched monty python, it was the greatest thing since sliced cheese, blessed are the cheesemakers. but now I just can't watch it anymore, and it includes the Life of Brian.
There are some funny bits that still resonate today, ...