LIFE OF BRIAN (1979)
Director: Terry Jones With: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam
In the BBC's satirical show "Not the 9 o'clock news", there was a sketch in which an anglican bishop has to defend himself from accusations that the general synod's latest movie "Life of Christ" is a blatant parody on Monty Python. The Life of Brian stirred up some controversy when it first came out, in Norway it was initially banned for blasphemy, and only released in 1982. What was all the fuss about? The second full-length motion picture from the English comedy-group Monty Python (Chapman, Cleese, Idle, Jones, Palin and Gilliam).
Their first film, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" tackled the Arthurian cycle from the Middle Ages. For this one, they turned to the new testament. A brilliant idea, and one certain to raise controversy. Some people will always think that the Bible simply shouldn't be a topic of comedy. Monty Python thought differently, and the result was a hilarious movie that is - at least to my mind - free of any real blasphemy. Christ himself is never treated with disrespect, indeed he is only a peripheral figure in this film. The comedy is mainly at the expense of ordinary people, in high places or in low, and the things that they do. And some of it is just plain crazy.
As one would expect, the film is basically one long sequence of sketches, tied together by the story of Brian (Graham Chapman). Brian is born in a stable in Bethlehem in the year 0. (Not _the_ stable though, that's the one next door!) His life is completely ordinary, until he joins the People's Front of Judea, an extreme terrorist organization, devoted to driving the Romans out, toppling the Roman Empire and then taking over the world. Romani ite domum! Eventually he is captured by the Romans, escapes and, completely randomly and involuntarily, gains a large following of people who believe he is the Messiah. And all he ever wanted to do was make an impression on the beautiful Judith...
Monty Python's style of comedy is one that you either love or hate. More precisely, you either become a fanatical devotee, and start tracking down tapes of all the TV-shows and movies, or you just don't understand what's so funny. The latter group seems to be in a minority though, and understandably so. Monty Python's comedy has something for all. One part physical comedy (John Cleese hopping, Terry Jones naked), one part verbal humour and word-plays, ("Blessed are the cheesemakers. Well, he was obviously referring to makers of dairy-products in general!") gently sprinkled with Terry Gilliam's crazy animations. And the diversity of characters: everything from the snobbish Romans to the dominating mother, to the haggling shopkeeper, to the would-be revolutionaries - all character-types we can instantly recognize from our own lives or our own societies.
Who should see this film: Anyone who has ever laughed, or wanted to laugh, at a comedy. A note to Christian fundamentalists: Remember that crucifixion _was_ a common punishment in the Roman Empire.
My verdict: 6 (out of 6)
By Øystein Brekke -- oysteib@stud.ntnu.no
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