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Monty Python's Life of Brian
Our choice of the best 100 comedy films EVER.
Year
1979
Running Time
93m
Country
UK
Media
col
Director
Terry Jones
Producer
John Goldstone
Screenplay
Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam,
Eric Idle, Terry Jones & Michael Palin
Photography
Peter Biziou
Editor
Julian Doyle
Music
Geoffrey Burgon
Art Director
Terry Gillliam
Studio
Hand Made (Warner/Orion)
Cast
Terry Jones
The Virgin Mandy
Mother of Brian
Ratbag
Colin
Simon the Holy Man
Saintly Passer-By
Graham Chapman
1st Wise Man
Brian Called Brian
Biggus Dickus
Kenneth Colley
Jesus the Christ
Gwen Taylor
Mrs. Big Nose
Woman with Sick Donkey
Young Girl
Terence Bayler
Gregory
Revolutionaries and Masked Commandos
Dennis
Carol Cleveland
Mrs. Gregory
Elsie
Charles McKeown
Man Further Forward
Revolutionaries and Masked Commandos
Roman Soldier Stig
Giggling Guard
A False Prophet
Blind Man
Terry Gilliam
Another Person Further Forward
Revolutionaries and Masked Commandos
A Blood and Thunder Prophet
Geoffrey
Jailer
Sue Jones-Davies
Beautiful Revolutionary
John Young
Stonee
Bernard McKenna
Official Stoner's Helper
Centurion
Andrew MacLachlan
Another Official Stoner's Helper
Neil Innes
Samaritan at the Forum
Chris Langham
Alfonso
John Case
Pilate's Wife
Charles Knode
Passer-By
Spike Milligan
Spike
George Harrison
Mr. Papadopoulis
Review
"Blessed are the cheesemakers," a wise man once said. Or maybe not. But the point is Monty Python's Life of Brian is a religious satire that does not target specific religions or religious leaders (like, say, Jesus of Nazareth). Instead, it pokes fun at the mindless and fanatical among their followers--it's an attack on religious zealotry and hypocrisy--things that that fellow from Nazareth didn't particularly care for either. Nevertheless, at the time of its release in 1979, those who hadn't seen it considered it to be quite "controversial." Life of Brian, you see, is about a chap named Brian (Graham Chapman) born December 25 in a hovel not far from a soon-to-be-famous Bethlehem manger. Brian is mistaken for the messiah and, therefore, manipulated, abused, and exploited by various religious and political factions. And it's really, really funny. Particularly memorable bits include the brassy Shirley Bassey/James Bond-like title song; the bitter rivalry between the anti-Roman resistance groups, the Judean People's Front and the People's Front of Judea; Michael Palin's turn as a lisping, risible Pontius Pilate; Brian urging a throng of false-idol worshippers to think for themselves--to which they reply en masse "Yes, we must think for ourselves!"; the fact that everything Brian does, including losing his sandal in an attempt to flee these wackos, is interpreted as "a sign." Life of Brian is not only one of Monty Python's funniest achievements, it's also the group's sharpest and smartest sustained satire. Blessed are the Pythons.
--Jim Emerson