Thursday, May 7, 2009

Monty Python's Life of Brian

Monty Python's Life of Brian (Criterion #61).
1979 Handmade Films & Python (Monty) Pictures.
Written By and Starring: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin
Also Starring: Carol Cleveland, Kenneth Colley, Neil Innes, Charles McKeown, John Young, Spike Milligan, George Harrison (uncredited)
Director: Terry Jones
Amazon listings: Life of Brian, Criterion Collection. The Immaculate Edition (two discs). Also part of the Monty Python Holy Trinity box set.

Quite possibly Monty Python's finest hour, or finest 94 minutes.

Brian Cohen (Chapman) is born in a stable just down the alley from the one that Jesus Christ was born in, which initially confuses the three wise men. They tolerate Brian's mother Mandy (Jones) until they realize they are in the wrong stable. Brian himself grows up an idealistic person who resents the Roman occupation of Judea.

While attending the Sermon on the Mount, Brian becomes infatuated with an attractive female rebel, Judith (Sue Jones-Davies), which leads him to join the People's Front of Judea, one of the many separatist movements that spend more time feuding with one another instead of fighting off the Romans. Brian is assigned to scrawl graffiti ("Romanes eunt domus") on the wall of the governor's palace, which he does, only to find himself ordered to write the grammatically correct message, "Romani ite domum", or "Romans go home" 100 times. By dawn, the walls are covered in text, and Brian evades capture with Judith's help. After a failed kidnapping mission, Brian is arrested and summoned before Pontius Pilate (Palin) where he pleads his case, and manages to get away after the court becomes a laughing stock thanks to a lead guard's ill timed joke about a man named Biggus Dickus.

Later on, Brian notices that he has unintentionally started a movement after spouting off pseudo-religious babble while in a lineup of would-be mystics and prophets. To his annoyance, Brian is now being followed by several people who have proclaimed him as the Messiah, which becomes a crowd of thousands literally overnight. Brian desperately tries to persuade the people to follow their own destinies, but the people use every word he says as a point of doctrine.

Brian is eventually captured after he tries leaving the PFJ's headquarters, and scheduled to be crucified. Brian's followers gather outside the palace, and Pilate gives them the decision on who should be pardoned in a bold attempt at fending off a revolt. After being fed numerous names beginning with the letter R, and Biggus Dickus (also played by Chapman) attempts to take control of the situation, where his speech impediment causes the masses to collapse in laughter, Pilate orders Brian's release. However, after numerous crucified people proclaim themselves to be Brian of Nazareth, the wrong prisoner is released. One by one, Brian's "allies", including Judith, step forward with their reasons why they are leaving the "noble freedom fighter" to die on the cross. Despite their fate, Brian and his fellow sufferers break into "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life".

Highly, highly recommended.

P.S. For a day by day diary of what was happening on the set of Life of Brian written by Python superfan Kim "Howard" Johnson (who played several very small roles in the film), check out his book Monty Python's Tunisian Holiday. It's an excellent read.

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