THE LIFE OF BRIAN
UK, 1979, 94 minutes, Colour.
Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, Spike Milligan.
Directed by Terry Jones.
The Monty Python group satirize the biblical and the Roman epic film and take hilarious shots at terrorists, unionists and committees, feminists. They also send up jingoistic Christians and the mindless following of Christ. However, Brian's life echoes that of Jesus in many episodes and incidents (and doubtless some my be offended), but Jesus is respected and the film is not blasphemous (as some have feared). One's taste for Python comedy will determine how hilarious the film will be the actors take several parts each and John Cleese and Michael Palin are outstanding. The satire serves to remind us how over-seriousness leads to eccentric pomposity - personal, social, political and religious.
1. The appeal of Monty Python comedy? British background and style? The animation, the absurdity and Goon traditions? Content - wide-ranging, social, ideological? The broad humour, parody, verbal and visual humour? The popularity during the '70s?
2. The film as a parody of Roman and biblical epics? Point of view, style? Mockery of the extravaganza? The devices for the costume epics and the way these were ridiculed? Audience presuppositions about biblical and Roman epics? The film clashing with these, mocking them?
3. The attitude of the film towards the Gospel? Towards Christ? How irreverent? The respect to Christ as a person? The way that he was visualised? The attitude towards Christianity, towards divisions amongst Christians? To organised religion? The presupposing of audience knowledge about the Gospels, Jesus' life, the words of the message of Jesus? The way these were presented, parodied? To what effect?
4. The importance of the visuals? colour photography, editing? The indication of the Roman style epic with Pontius Pilate's palace, the colosseum at Jerusalem etc.? The contrast with Jerusalem and the terrorists? The landscapes of Palestine? The jokes about the landscapes? The contribution of verbal humour and its contemporary references, the one-liners? The contribution of the score - the title song and the humorous mock-heroic lyrics about Brian? The echoes of James Bond themes? The parody of biblical music? The final song and its being placed at the crucifixion? For the final credits? An attitude for the audience going out from the film?
5. The basic farcical humour, timeless? For example the haggling sequence. the pronunciation of Roger and Sampson by Pilate, the roughhouse brawl humour, language? The interruption of the flow by the parody of Star Wars? the point of the insertion? The relevance to the '70s? The incongruity?
6. The particular humour? the focus on the Jews and their beliefs, attitudes towards the Romans, oppressed people? The Romans as oppressors with their arrogant way of life? The religious and political factions? The unions, the terrorists and revolutionaries? The feminists? Religious types, followers, Pharisees? Snobbery?
7. The humour of the credits with the Roman style but the Python's iconoclastic smashing even to the shooting of the angel? The opening of the film with the Magi and the tone given - reverent and irreverent? The focus on the Sermon on the Mount, on Christ but his being left to focus on his listeners? The mood created for appreciation of the rest of the film? Laughing humour, smiling humour?
8. The Sermon on the Mount and the contrast with the fight over big noses? Men and women fighting? Ordinary people and abuse, smart comments? The parody of the Beatitudes? How was this kind of parody used later as regards the lilies of the field and the birds of the air? The cure of the leper and his complaint about his livelihood?
9. The transition to the stoning? the comment on women, John Cleese as the centurion and acting like a schoolteacher, the women and their buying the stones, lowering their voices, bombarding the centurion? The old man accused of blasphemy? John Cleese's style and the echoes of a teacher - the Latin lesson to Brian painting the graffiti, accusing the old man in the house of being a silly person and a weirdo, his smacking Brian in front of Pilate? The strong arrogant type - also seen in his portrayal of Reg, of the follower of Brian as Messiah?
10. The humour of the revolutionaries - their meetings and union rules, parliamentary procedure? Discussions about Stan's being a woman and his right to have babies? Matthias' house and the way that the revolutionaries hid from the Romans? The sequence at the colosseum - Brian and his selling, the ugliness of the picking up of the pieces from the arena, the runner outdoing the huge gladiator who had a heart attack? The Liberation Front discussing at the colosseum and their rivalries and spurning of their rivals? The attack on Pilate's home to kidnap his wife and the battle with the Galileans? Reg and his leadership, his cowardice? Francis and his ideas? Stan as Loretta? Their following of Brian? The final motion and congratulations of Brian and singing 'For He's A Jolly Good Fellow? Judith and her place within the group - her love for Brian, following him, being persuaded by the group and congratulating him on the cross7'
11. The parody of Brian's mother as a harridan? Her shock at the Magi, her comments on Brian, the discussion about the gifts? Her presence at the Sermon on the Mount, the stoning? Her explaining Brian's Roman nose and her liaison with the centurion? Her following Brian, rousing on him after the night with Judith, her comments to the crowd? Her presence at the cross and abusing Brian? The parody of harsh mothers? (The parallel with Mary - how reverent, irreverent?)
12. Brian and his involvement with the Liberation Front, his escape, the various times he had to hide, the haggling for the beard and its humour, his fall out of the window and preaching the lilies of the field etc.? His being picked up by the space vehicle, his arguments against the crowd and their believing that he was the Messiah, twisting every argument that he used, haggling about the gourd, losing his sandal? (And the humour with Spike Milligan and his comments?) The falling into the pit of the man who hadn't spoken, the blind man who fell into the pit after thinking he was cured, feeding the crowd with the juniper berries? His wanting to be alone? His refuge with Judith, his facing the crowd? The earnestness of hid urging them to be individuals and their programmed replies?
13. Judith and her love for Brian? the human and romantic touch for the film? Its being mocked by her failure to rescue him and her congratulating him at the end?
14. The parallelling of Christ's life? at least in terms of being the Messiah? The parody on the fickleness of the crowd? Brian's first time in prison with the man upside down talking ironically about torture? His being given the cross by the pleasant sentry? (And the joker pretending that he wasn't to be crucified?) The crosses and their being carried, his being crucified with so many others? The parallel with the Crucifixion? and yet sufficiently different?
15. The satire on the Romans with Pontius Pilate - the laughter about Bigus Dickus, his pronunciation of the letter R? The Jewish crowds in hysterics at the pronunciation of R, Bigus Dickus trying to help out with S? The satire on Roman authority? The contrast with the pleasant sentry (and Michael Palin playing both parts?) The dumb warder and the stammering warder? The irony of their being ordinary and putting this on?
16. The crucifixion parade as a military march, the jokes about crucifixion, the kind nun substituting for the criminal, the snobs on the cross wanting to be exclusive, the freedom of Brian and everybody wanting to be Brian? The suicide squad? The song at the end and its affecting the mood of the crucifixion?
17. The film as providing a basically funny plot? The ironies of the parody? Absurdity and the humour of the absurd? Audience capacity to laugh, insight via humour and the absurd? How serious the points behind the humour? The mockery but with the serious presentation of Brian throughout? The contrast with the more rounded characterisation of Brian with the other characters?
18. The contribution of the Python group - their writing, animation during the credits and the Star Wars sequence, the variety of roles that they took? The contrast with the various roles and audience enjoyment of seeing them in different parts? The reason for the extraordinary box-office success of the film?
