The most quoted cult film ever made...

Rating: Null/10 (23 May 2000)

And for good reason. HOLY GRAIL has been referred to as the most historically correct film in regard to life in the middle ages. This is true, if one ignores the blatent and humorous anachronisms which lend the film its charm. This film is a must-see for anyone interested in both the art of sketch comedy and an appreciation of postmodern counter culture.
Within the world of Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur we are presented a series of sketches and cartoons which tell of the quest for the Holy Grail and its conclusion. The knights of the round table are presented as idiomatic, cowardly, inept and often ignorant of their role in the world. While this interpretation is important in terms of the Malory text, it also incorporates elements found in Chaucer and Sir Walter Scott which show that while the knights may be in their best epoch they, themselves, are unable to deal with or attain the high ideal of chivalry to which they must.
From a less scholarly point of view, the film also works in the best Python tradition of iconoclasm. Political structures are attacked with modern sensibilities and dogma, the supernatural is presented as either man-made or farcical, and the major trials faced by the knights serve as metaphors for the coming of age of civilization itself.
This classic movie may also be considered one of the first true independent films. It was filmed in one location on a shoe-string budget and makes use of props and scenery which reflect this choice. It established the Pythons as masters of their genre by redefining it and expanding upon it.
MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL remains an important film, and one that's sure to be seen again and again.