Whom Would You Have Me Welease?

I have always had a weakness for irreverent humor. There is something especially sweet about peeving off the sanctimonious and self-righteous. It always struck me that humor should have an edge. Political correctness has never been a friend of mine. My preference in movies has always leaned toward off color comedies. Make it raunchy and blasphemous and I will likely be there. I also like a bit of underlying sophistication layered in the raunch. That makes for a great film in my view.

The British trouple Monty Python have long been known for their cynical and off color humor. They have had a successful career with both television and movies. There is much talent individually with the Python but they create something special when they work together. This cast of John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin and the late Graham Chapman made a few classic movies in their prime.

They are quite willing to make sport of anything. They take on the gospel in Life Of Brian. This movie deals with a contemporary of Jesus Christ named Brian. The film opens with three wise men mistakenly entering baby Brian’s home under the false assumption that he is the Messiah. Here we are introduced to Brian’s mother (Terry Jones.) She is a handful who wants to eject the three wise men until she learns they are bearing gifts. This comical mistake is corrected when the three wise men realize their mistake and move on to the correct Messiah.

Brian (Graham Chapman) will have quite an adventure in his life. He becomes aligned with the People’s Front of Judea and becomes a thorn in the side of the Roman Empire. The end result becomes a classic comedy. The film has some truly hilarious scenes. I have always gotten a kick out of the scene when Brian is tagging a wall with derogatory graffiti toward the Romans. When the guard portrayed by John Cleese catches him, he is confused by the writing. Turns out that Brian wants to write “Romans, Go Home” in Latin. The guard makes him properly conjugate the sentence and instructs him to write it 100 times by sunrise or being punished. Romanes Eunt Domus indeed.

There are many classic scenes throughout this movie. Brian must haggle to buy a disguise. He wishes to make a simple purchase but the dealer (Eric Idle) is insulted with his failure to haggle over the price. This is rather comical. The dealer ends up getting less money than Brian is originally offering. Then there is some haggling over a gourd that Brian has no need for in the first place. “There’s one born every minute.” the dealer exclaims at the end of the negotiations.

He will then become a false Messiah. This is a fact that will irritate his mother to no end. It will also be a source of great frustration to Brian himself. All he wants to do is escape from the Romans. He has no use for people who want to make him into a Messiah. One suspects that the Python is making fun of the way people adopt religious views. It would seem they are suggesting that some beliefs are not exactly based on the most logical reason. Well, that is a viewpoint that might offend some people. Like it or not, there is an element of truth in it. Of course it is hard to deny divinity when you perform a “miracle.”

The film continues along at an irreverent pace. The Python members have multiple roles throughout the film. Michael Palin does a fantastic job in portraying Pontius Pilate with a lisp. He can’t seem to pwonounce his ‘r’s. He is loyal to friends such as Biggus Dickus. He issues the order for Bwian’s Kwucifixion. It is funny watching the guards struggle not to laugh at his lisp. He doesn’t seem to understand what anyone finds so funny.

I won’t give away the ending for anyone who hasn’t yet seen the movie. I would note that it is one of the funniest scenes ever captured on film. It combines music, comedy and tragedy in a brilliant blend. I still get a kick out of it. If I watch this movie, I will find myself singing a certain song for weeks to come.

This movie is not particularly obscene or dirty but the topic might be troublesome for some people. It is a hilarious film but they might be stepping gingerly on some people’s religious toes. For those who like irreverent and politically incorrect humor this is a true classic. This film was made more than 25 years ago and it still holds up. It’s one of those movies you can see again and again and still find funny. I still find new nuances when I watch the film.

It is a film I highly recommend for people who like good belly laughs combined with a lot of subtle and dry British wit. These guys were really at a peak when they made this film. The acting is very well executed and the film is very well paced. This one was directed by Terry Jones and he did a sensational job. This remains one of the all time comedy classics.