Monty Python and the Search for Religion

Rating: 7/10 (13 February 2005)

The British comedy troupe Monty Python had always been on the edge of controversy ever since their show "Flying Circus" appeared on the BBC in the late 1960s, but nothing had prepared the world for what Life of Brian had brought. In Life of Brian, the comedians go after the one institution that has always had trouble accepting satire: religion, specifically the Christian Church. Seen as blasphemous, Life of Brian needed an eleventh hour rescue for Beatle George Harrison to finish the film. The church was wise to wonder what the Pythons were doing. Life of Brian is filled with questions of the role of religion in society, why people often feel they need religion, and the age old question of "What would happen if the 3 wise men went to the wrong stable on that night they brought gifts to the young savior?" There is typical Python silliness throughout the movie, set up early where listeners at one of Jesus' sermons (held at "tea time," of course) think they hear that "blessed are the cheese makers." But the most important part of this film, and it's charm, are the questions of religion. No matter your faith, you will find scenes in Life of Brian unsettling, provocative, and humorous, possibly all three at once. While not wall-to-wall as funny as Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Life of Brian is a humorous look at civilization's oldest and dearest institutions, and asks us to consider what we are doing.