The Prime of Monty Python ...

Rating: 10/10 (16 August 2016)

1969 was a great year for British comedy, the Benny Hill Show started and so did Monty Python's Flying Circus, marking the debut of the surreal comedy group featuring, in order of heights, John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Michael Palin and the two Terries, Gilliam and Jones, and they were so groundbreaking they made the word 'Pythonesque' exist.
But let's still play with numbers, 1969 was the debut and sadly, in 1989, untimely passing of Graham Chapman, marked the end of an era and annihilated any chance for further reunions. So the number '9' is pretty significant in the history of the group, and it's all fitting that the year that goes in-between constitutes the prime of Monty Python, because it was the year of "Life of Brian" and because, I believe this is the film that expressed their yearning to irreverent, absurd, surrealist but ultimately intelligent comedy to the fullest. And I put the emphasis on 'intelligent'.
Indeed, it is commonly know that 'drama' appeals to the heart, while 'comedy' appeals to the intellect. We love to laugh because the mechanism that allows us to do so pass by the brain, and you can't fool it nor take any shortcut, it's a hit-or-miss, So it all comes down to one thing: if something makes people laugh and think, then if it doesn't make you laugh, think of the reason first. Obviously, "Life of Brian" didn't make everyone laugh, because scholars, religious, Catholics thought the movie made fun of Jesus. Well, if one thing, the film is about Brian, not Jesus, Jesus only shows up twice in the film and he's never mocked or ridiculed, his divinity seems quite undisputed on the contrary.
"Life of Brian" is irreverent and has a rather nasty attitude toward religion, but let's make our brain work a little. I discovered the movie in Latin class, because the teacher wanted to show us the "Romane, Ite Domum", moment (which was grammatically accurate) and it was so hilarious we asked him to let the film play for the rest of the hour. I finished the film later, but I owe my discovery to Latin, so it's all fitting that Latin makes me understand the movie too, and here's how. Religion comes from two Latin words: 'relego' as reading a second time, and 'religo': assembling people. And this is what religion is about, interpreting things (reading again), and finding a sort of mystical strength and communion in unity.
For the 'relego', you have the emblematic sequence of Bryan being taken for a prophet and no matter what he says, or he leaves behind, even a shoe, people keep on finding reasons to sanctify him. If he on an old man's foot and breaks his vow of silence, the crowd shouts: "it's a miracle", and they're ready to lynch the old man when he starts hitting Bryan. This is the 'religo' effect on crowds, and "Life of Brian" is perhaps the only film featuring a dialogue between one person and a crowd. And when people shout all in unison "we'll think by ourselves", you have the maddening effect of religion, and perhaps the only one truth of the film: a crowd is incapable to be rational. And that doesn't apply to religion but even the Judean Front rebels kept insulting the Romans while incapable to think of one negative thing the Occupation brought.
That's exactly the sensitive subject "Life of Brian" is dealing with, it's not about Christ, it is about a context, a crazy contest where the value of one's life was so cheap people had to give a meaning to death, and vice versa. You have a foretaste with the hilarious stoning scene where most of the stoners, are women wearing fake beards, so not even women are immune to these practices. Nothing has changed much although civilization allowed people to wise up a little, but even religious guys should gentlemanly reckon that religion calls for more complex reactions than blind faiths, especially if these reaction make people laugh, and not even at the prophet, but just a misunderstood alter-ego.
The film was funny and intelligent enough not to mock for the sake of mocking; this is why I maintain that it is the prime of Monty Python. I read some commentators saying it wasn't as funny as they expected, or not just "Holy Grail". Well, "Holy Grail" was one of the funniest movies of all-time, so it would have been difficult to beat it only four years later, but "Life of Brian" was busy with a plot, it did rely on Monty Python's usual zaniness (a surreal alien space sequence, the bargaining part, Pilate's lisp to the belly-laugh inducing Biggus Dickus part) but it told a story with a beginning, a middle and an end ("Grail" has the two thirds right) and it even afforded the luxury to include a romantic interlude and one dramatic performance, not the least because it's Graham Chapman's. As the titular hero, Chapman is really the straight-man of a world that turned crazy, and his performance is integral to the film's appeal.
While Chapman is the soul of the film (and the only member who doesn't go into hundreds of disguise) the other Pythons are perfect in their respective field, actors and director, and the one with a little more musical talent provided the film's (or the groups') upbeat signature song and one of the most memorable movies' endings. It is ironic in the context of the film, but while they're singing, and whistling, we can't help but think of it as a happy ending, because indeed, we should always look at the bright side of life and so should the critics.
And maybe this is the second truth of the film. The song would be later performer during Graham Chapman's funeral and only the Pythons could make a sad event such a joyful moment, and this the intelligence of the heart.