The Life Of Brian (1979)
The Monty Python team are synonymous with a dark, subversive
humour that defies comparison to anything else. Although often
attempted, no-one since this legendary British comedy troupe has
ever been able to be as extreme, accusatory, blatant, offensive,
and off-the-wall funny, while maintaining intelligent
entertainment value throughout.
Asked what their follow-up to Monty Python And The Holy
Grail would be, Eric Idle said Jesus Christ - Lust For
Glory on a whim. And so it came to pass . . .
One of the Python’s most controversial films was, without a
doubt, The Life Of Brian, a film that makes fun of the root
of Christianity itself, and turns a dim-witted nobody into an
unwitting (and unwilling) Messiah during the times of Christian
birth.
On the night of Christ’s birth in Judea, in a stable next
door, another boy is born by the name of Brian. Immediately after
his birth the three holy man mistake him for the son of God and
offer their presents, only to take them away from the furious
mother minutes later when they detect the real Messiah.
Brian grows up a dim-witted peasant, but for some reason
throughout his life he constantly crosses the path of Jesus over
and over again, until one day the people of Judea actually mistake
him for the Messiah once again and follow his very footsteps.
The film doesn’t have a very elaborate story, it is more a
series of absurd events that make up Brian’s life. He encounters
the most ludicrous characters and finds himself constantly caught
in the midst of the most bizarre events - including an alien
abduction and crash landing.
When Brian becomes politically involved with the People’s
Front Of Judea (not to be mistaken with the Judean People’s
Front, the Popular Front of Judea or the Judean Popular People’s
Front) you know it will end in tears.
The scene with a Roman centurion correcting Brian’s Latin
spelling while he tries to smear the walls with “Romans Go Home”,
is sublime. Like a naughty schoolboy the centurion grabs Brian by
the ear and forces him to go through all forms of the Latin words
needed to construct the sentence - so reminiscent of old public
school days that it hurts.
The real genius of Life Of Brian is that it's a string
of great sketches - the stoning scene, the haggling scene, the
Biggus Dickus scene - all worked into the plot to provide an
instant greatest hits package.
Ultimately, Brian ends up like so many others of the time,
hanging on a crucifix. A chap from an adjacent crucifix advises
Brian to look on the bright side of life and the immortal sing
along commences.
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