MONTY PYTHON'S LIFE OF BRIAN: "He wanks vewy high up in Wome!"

For the last few years, I have grown to become a very big fan of Monty Python. The Holy Grail is one of the funniest movies of all-time and while The Meaning of Life was not as hilarious as its predecessors, it still has elements of heavy, intense laughter. However, it is hard to deny that Life of Brian is the best of the Python films, despite its sacrilegious and controversial nature. The film is absolutely hilarious from start to finish and even after many repeated viewings, it still is funny. But more on my admiration for the film later.

If I could sum up the film's plot, I guess I would have to say that this film is essentially about a man named Brian (Graham Chapman), who was born in the manger next to Jesus. The film progresses through his life as a young Jewish man, growing up with his rude mother Mandy (Terry Jones). Despite having Roman blood, Brian is anti-Roman, which leads him to join the People's Front of Judea, an anti-Roman revolutionary group led by Reg (John Cleese). Also in this group is Judith (Sue Jones-Davies), the only woman in the group and the woman Brian falls in love with. However, life after joining the group becomes ironically similar to the life of Jesus Christ and from here, it is easy to guess what happens.

Despite the plot's predictability (it's meant to be predictable anyway), this film's screenplay (written by the Monty Python group themselves and as it always is) is scattered with skits and gags right the way through the film. Although this film may be very similar to other Monty Python films in terms of producing laughs, a lot of the gags in this film fit perfectly with the film's plot, unlike The Holy Grail which had quite a few random, out-of-place scenes such as the ending and the scene where the animator gets a heart attack (not that these scenes were not funny). Every scene in this film takes a poke at something related to Roman-occupied Jerusalem in the first century.

Examples of these scenes include the stoning scene ("No one is to stone anyone until I blow this whistle, even...and I want to make this absolutely clear...even if they do say Jehovah!"), the haggling scene ("you're supposed to haggle!") and the preparations for crucifixions ("Crucifixion? Good. Out of the door, line on the left, one cross each"). These scenes perfectly depict events that took place during the time the Romans were ruling Jerusalem and seeing the Monty Python troupe making fun of these events is always a funny sight for any audience member (unless, in the case of this film, you are offended by mocking anti-religious views).

On top of that, there are just the other funny scenes that are unrelated (but not completely random) to the period in time the film is set in such as Eric Idle's character Stan's confession of wanting to be a woman named Loretta and the Biggus Dickus scene which sends the guards in laughter. These scenes, although not fully related to the period it is set in, still has its relevance to the plot, which is good for any film (or comedy).

The film's screenplay also cracks fun at terrorism and the film also shows how seemingly easy it is to convince people to join a movement. Despite the fact that the groups (among them, the People's Front of Judea and the Judean People's Front) are fighting against the Romans, they all hate each other (all the anti-Roman groups seem to have an innate hatred towards the Judean People's Front). Funnily enough, there are terrorist groups that do show hatred toward each other, which is what makes the revolutionary groups in the film all the more hilarious. The way Brian becomes the Messiah is also outrightly absurd. From denying his divinity (after all, only the true Messiah can be THAT humble) to the "miracle" of healing someone's sight, this portrays, as John Cleese sums up, the film's aim of "satirizing closed systems of thought".

The screenplay is also scattered with some of the funniest one-liners and the best example of this is the lines given to the character of Pontious Pilate (played by Michael Palin), whose R's end up becoming W's. So something like, "I have a very good friend in Rome named Biggus Dickus" ends up becoming "I have a vewy good fwend in Wome named Biggus Dickus". Every time this character speaks, I cannot help but laugh my butt off. Also, there is a scene in the beginning where a huge crowd is trying to hear Jesus speak, but a person in the crowd misinterprets the phrase "blessed are the peacemakers" into "blessed are the cheesemakers". This line, to this day, still cannot do anything to prevent me from laughing. And of course, there is the famous "he's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy" line that has caused so much controversy and laughter throughout the years. These lines are spread throughout the film and cause audience members like me to fall on the floor from all the fits of laughter.

As for the characters, there are many hilarious characters in the film where the Monty Python troupe act as most of the characters and having written these characters, the troupe are able to portray them perfectly. Of course there is Brian, who Graham Chapman instill as much sanity into (as he does with most of his characters). As mentioned above, there is also Palin's Pontious Pilate and his fwend in Wome, Biggus Dickus (who, funnily enough, has a really bad lisp; or is that lithp?; oh, and he's played by Graham Chapman). There is Terry Gilliam's memorable portrayal of the weird jailer and that mad thunder-and-blood prophet. There is the rest of Michael Palin's other characters such as Big Nose, the unwanted prisoner and the ex-leper. Terry Jones, as has become customary in most Python films, plays the female role (in this case, Brian's mother) and does it well. Also, he appears as a Good Samaritan and a man attempting to be silent for as long as possible in the middle of a desert. Then there is John Cleese, who is memorable as the Jewish official at the stoning, Reg, the centurion and one of Brian's followers. Eric Idle, who plays a range of characters such as a Jew who seems to mock everyone, "Loretta" and the singing crucifee (oh, Idle writes the songs he sings in these films and the song he wrote in this film, Always Look on the Bright Side of Life is a very catchy song, especially with the whistling). Along with some good supporting actors, most notably John Young as the old man Matthias, the troupe pull off some great performances with their characters.

Terry Jones directs this film and paces it perfectly. Along with some decent editing, the film is very coherent right the way through and the film never loses any momentum. Jones does not give the audience any room to stop laughing and this is perfect for a Python comedy. Also, other Python members that get to show off other skills include Terry Gilliam and his brilliant animations at the beginning and during the alien scene. Speaking of design, the set and costume design were also more than suitable for this film.

What else can I say? This is the best Python comedy out there and I would highly recommend anyone to see this film. Some say it may be offensive, but this only applies to people that have strong religious beliefs. But hey, who knows? I'm a Catholic, but I found this film to be absolutely hilarious. Maybe other Catholics may feel the same way too.

As for the DVD features, I rented an all-region DVD of this film, which contains biographies of all the Monty Python troupe and 3 additional skits from 3 other Python presentations (Four Yorkshiremen from Monty Python Live at Hollywood Bowl, I Want a Hearing Aid from Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus and The Black Knight from Monty Python and The Holy Grail). These are all definitely worth looking at, particularly the skits.

Thanks for reading the review.