Monty Python &

The Life Of Brian

Monty Python's Life Of Brian movie review

Monty Python's Life Of Brian

Despite promoted The Life Of Brian with the epithet:

"...He's not The Messiah, he's just a naughty boy...",

...the movie catapulted the cult comics to international Devildom when it was first released in 1979. You see, while it's historically accurate that prophets and so-called messiahs were popping up all over The Holy Land at around the birth of Christ, some being mystics, some frauds, some freedom-fighters, Christian fundamentalists considered that the Life Of Brian's depiction of someone to whom similar things happened as to Christ, was sacreligeous.

And what a furore it created around the world getting banned in Ireland, Italy, Norway and parts of the UK & the USA, creating some priceless publicity in the process.

The Life Of Brian trailer

In hindsight, The Life Of Brian never confuses Brian with Christ and stated its case very clearly, which is:

Don't follow anyone blindly &
"...You're all individuals..."

It centers around Brian Cohen, an everyman, who like many young men of the time resented the Roman invaders. While attending Jesus' Sermon on the mount, pointedly misreported even at that early stage, where "...Blessed are the meek..." becomes "...Blessed are the cheesemakers...", Brian spies Judith Iscariot (Sue Jones-Davies), a young revolutionary and falls madly in love with her. Attempting to impress her, Brian falls in with her group of freedom fighters and from there his now-doomed life quickly spirals out of control.

Along the way, Python take shots at:

revolutionaries & splinter-group rivalries
political correctness
learning Latin
gullibility
mob sadism & hysteria
employment (the ex-leper who complains that now he's been cured he can't make a decent living) & finally
over-optimism (the outrageous crucifixion scene and Eric Idle's Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life sing-along)

Monty Python's Life Of Brian DVD

"...When I was 16 years old, I proudly crossed a picket line of outraged fundamentalists to see Monty Python's Life Of Brian. I was a big Python fan at that time and remain one to this day. I got a lot more from a recent viewing than I did as a teenager.

With relentless, deceptively intelligent silliness, Britain's most famous comedy troupe skewers the cliches of countless Hollywood biblical epics while finding the lighter side of public stonings and crucifixion. Some of the sharpest scenes skewer divisive resistance movements that are long on talk and short on action. This is a terrific comedy..." Amazon reviewer David Bonesteel

"...This movie was always out at the movie store so I decided to buy it online...I laughed till I cried!...Great movie!! Funny!!.." Amazon reviewer Joanus "crazy movie man"

"...On a friend's strong recommendation, I just got done viewing the Life of Brian. I am glad I did. He had raved about how funny the movie is, so I finally relented and gave it a try. There are many laugh out loud moments in this film. Very witty and smart dialogue, and satirical looks at the way people conduct themselves when in a large group of people..." Amazon reviewer Happy Chappy "An Avid Reader"

With deleted scenes, two commentaries (one with Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam & Eric Idle, the other with John Cleese and Michael Palin), an hour long documentary and some radio ads, this Criterion edition is sensational value for money.

It's odd recommending a film like The Life Of Brian. To a generation of us, it was something that everybody we knew had seen, much like Star Wars or Terminator 2 (make that Titanic for the girlies). However, if you're not of that era and don't know it, do get it. It's one-of-a-kind and if even you're a thinking Christian, trust me, it won't insult your Faith in the slightest.

The Life Of Brian screenplay

"...Here it is MP fans, the screenplay from The Life Of Brian. Being out of print since 1979, I'm glad that Methuen Publishing has stepped up to get this screenplay back in circulation by putting it out in 2001. Illustrated with 19 b&w photos from the film, all your favorite lines from the movie are here to enjoy all over again...And there was much rejoicing. Yea!!!..." Amazon reviewer M.R. Zoglio

Whilst a little dry for the average reader, Monty Python: The Case Against is still a fascinating read, detailing the ridiculous controversy that sprung up around The Life Of Brian

Monty Python: The Case Against

Kim Howard Johnson: Monty Python's Tunisian Holiday

"...In 1978, Kim “Howard” Johnson ran away to join the circus - Monty Python’s Flying Circus, that is. The Pythons converged on Tunisia to film their timeless classic, Life of Brian, and Howard found himself in the thick of it, doubling for nearly all the Pythons, playing more roles in the film than John Cleese and managing to ruin only one shot. He became:

the unit journalist
substitute stills photographer
Roman soldier
peasant
Biggus Dickus’s double

a near-stalker and, ultimately, friend and confidant of the comedy legends. He also kept a detailed journal of what he saw and heard, on set and off, throughout those six weeks. The result is a unique eyewitness account that reveals the Pythons at work and at play in a way that nothing else written about them could do..." Amazon blurb

"...'Kim Howard Johnson' was invented by Graham Chapman during an idle moment on the set of The Life of Brian. 'Let’s invent a person,' he said.

'An American fan from the Midwest,' chimed in Michael Palin, 'who keeps a daily diary of Python filming and then doesn’t publish it for years and years.'

How we laughed, and each day we’d make up stuff this 'person' would write about us..." Eric Idle

"...If anyone can remember more about making the Life of Brian than me, it’s Kim 'Howard' Johnson. He came, he saw, he got into costume. While the rest of us were fighting to upstage each other, Howard had a notebook hidden in his toga..." Michael Palin