'Tis But A Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (17 January 2019)

Monty Python And The Holy Grail is one of the few comedies that are funny before it even starts. Starting in the opening credits there are already several jokes that clearly show the purpose of the film, to make you laugh. The film is very successful at doing this as it has you laughing from beginning to end. The members of Monty Python are considered by many to be some of the best comedians ever and this film is an excellent of why. Monty Python And The Holy Grail is an amazing comedy that is still hilarious 44 years after its release making it a comedy masterpiece.
Monty Python And The Holy Grail is about King Arthur and several knights who go on a quest to find the holy grail. At first King Arthur builds a group of knights for his holy quest. On their hilarious quest they run into several foes such as the French, a deadly rabbit, the bridge of death and several more. All along their quest they will have you laughing at all the comedic conversations and battles.
Arthur, King of the Britons (Graham Chapman) is a king who leads his knights on a quest for the holy grail. His fellow knights Sir Lancelot the Brave (John Cleese), Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-as-Sir-Lancelot (Eric Idle), Sir Bedevere the Wise (Terry Jones) and Sir Galahad the Pure (Michael Palin) help Arthur defeat (or run away from) many foes on their quest for the grail. The members of the cast work really well together to make this film a work of art that keeps you laughing until the very end. The film is directed by Gilliam and Jones who proved that they can make an amazing film stand the test of time.
The film is an amazing example of how to use music and sound to add humor or intensity to a scene. The costumes and film locations really make the film feel like it takes place in 10th century England. The music before an action scene always fits well with the story. The sound effects, like the use of coconuts to make the sound of a horse, find a way to add humor to every scene. The script is a big reason the film is as good as it is because it is humorous and tells the story wonderfully. The camerawork and effects work seamlessly to make hilarious action scenes that look pretty real.
One scene that exemplifies why Monty Python And The Holy Grail is an amazing film is the "Deadly Rabbit of Caerbannog" scene. In this scene good camera work and effects make the battle between the knights and the bunny intense. This is compounded by the sound effects of the bunny's attacks to make the bunny a surprisingly scary foe. At the same time the dialogue between the characters makes a bloody action scene more into a comedy. This scene is a work of art because it is both an intense action scene and hilarious at the same time.
Monty Python And The Holy Grail isn't a perfect film though. It's biggest flaw is the fact that it is over 40 years old. The age definitely shows with the lack of modern special effects and low camera quality. If you like to watch films because of their jaw-dropping special effects and super high definition video then this film isn't for you. However, if you can get over the films obvious age then you will enjoy the comedic masterpiece that is Monty Python And The Holy Grail.
The Monty Python group has made many more films and television broadcasts than just Monty Python And The Holy Grail. Monty Python is a british comedy group that made it big with the BBC series Monty Python's Flying Circus. This series is much different work than the film Monty Python And The Holy Grail because it's a TV series spanning forty five episodes instead of a 92 minute film. The change in format however made little difference in Monty Python's ability to make amazing comedies as after their BBC series ended they made several great films.
With Monty Python's work in films like Monty Python And The Holy Grail they have cemented themselves as one of the most influential comedy groups. Graham Chapman's stellar performance as King Arthur alongside the rest of the cast drives the film forward while the great sound and visual effects take care of the rest. Everything in Monty Python And The Holy Grail fits together perfectly to make the film a real comedy masterpiece.