LogFAQs > #972195349

16. Monty Pythons Life of Brian (1979)
Directed by Terry Jones
Score: 150

Tangy: 4
Forty: 6
Mythiot: 8
John: 9
GavsEvans: 13
Vis: 18
Poke: 18
Suprak: 22
Plasma: 25
Karo: 27

4. Tangy
I first watched Life of Brian back in HS shortly after seeing Holy Grail and I find it super interesting that my preference between the two has switched. I think what does it for me, is the presence of an actual plot. I also think religion offers more variety in terms of jokes. Scenes like Blessed are the cheese-makers and the "Stoning are great examples, because its not coming after religion its coming after the people that misinterpret religion and act like idiots because of it. In that way I think it stays super relevant and probably will for a very long time to come. Also the fact that this movie was controversial at the time is hysterical, if anything it just proved the movie right, further cementing its place in history.

Biggest Laugh: Im only joking, Im not really Brian.

6. Forty
Hes not the Messiah! Hes a very naughty boy! When I was in high school I took Latin, and one year the class convinced the (female) teacher to watch Life of Brian because, yknow, theres some Latin in it and Romans and stuff. Needless to say, when the penis scene came on it was really awkward and Im pretty sure that was the point when she turned it off. Anyway, while I think it has a funnier premise than Holy Grail, it doesnt reach that level of greatness and overall hilarity. Still, its Monty Python so to me its funnier than about 85% of all movies ever. Considered by some to be highly blasphemous when it came out, it relies somewhat on controversy to fuel the humor and I always appreciate that. And never forget: Always look on the bright side of life.

8. Mythiot
Monty Pythons send-up of biblical epics and blind faith is more organized than Holy Grail and almost as funny. Graham Chapman is a Judean everyman whose failed attempts at rebelling against the Roman Empire (the scene where a centurion deliberately corrects Brians poor Latin grafitti is fantastic) leads him to be mistaken for the Messiah. Everything to do with the Peoples Front of Judea, apart from one cringy transphobic scene, is pure gold. I have thought about the This calls for immediate discussion, countless times over the past few years. And of course, everyone loves the hilariously macabre ending with all the crucified singing Always Look on the Bright Side of Life while dying, except for the religious conservatives who protested the film without even knowing what it was about.

9. John
Watched this back to back with Holy Grail, and while the humor was similar enough between the two, Life of Brian just clicked a lot more. Frankly I'm not sure why this movie isn't as widely parodied as Holy Grail, because there are plenty of scenes that are funny on their own. Brian's terrible preaching in the square, the centurion guard harassing him for his bad grammar in his grafitti. After one watch I already know "it's the meek who are the problem" is going to stick with me long after viewing. And because this movie hasn't been spoiled as much as Holy Grail has, scenes like the spaceship ex machina were startling enough to have me rolling.

13. Gavs
Now this is more like it. After my disappointment with The Holy Grail, I was worried that Life of Brian, which I have seen before, would no longer hold up for me. Luckily, I didnt have to worry about that for the most part.

The main reason this film worked better for me than The Holy Grail was that it felt more focused. There is more of a plot here, rather than a framework for individual sketches, and as a result, the jokes are more closely tied to the narrative. Theres less wackiness, with the one major exception being the scene where Brian is abducted by aliens, which I didnt care for because it lasted too long and Brian was right back where he started once it was over. (Theres a TV Tropes page for that Big Lipped Alligator Moment)

This film offers a satirical take on the life of Jesus Christ, but theres a key difference between Jesus and Brian. Both men are recognised as messiahs, but Brian is far more reluctant about it. He would much prefer to be left alone, and grows continually more frustrated as events spiral out of control. Ironically, Brian is highly influential when he doesnt want to be, but he is totally ignored when he does want others to listen to him, as with the numerous false hopes to save him from the cross. Then again, maybe its for the best that he wasnt saved. Brian died so that we could have one of the all-time classic funeral songs!

18. Vis
The first half of this movie is funny, but largely standard comedy. Theres a plot involving anti-Roman sentiment among the Jewish population of Jerusalem, but overall, it doesnt really resonate THAT much. Its not the portion of the movie thats especially memorable, is what I mean. There are SOME fun moments, namely the parodies revolving around Jesus and the nativity, or the Sermon on the Mount, but the plot is very average, and lacks some of the Monty Python troupes stronger sense of zany comedy. HOWEVER, the back half of the film, starting with Brian attempting to fake sermons to avoid getting arrested (which leads to him sparking a following and being touted as the Messiah), genuinely made me laugh harder than I ever expected. THIS is what I consider satire: just taking the inherent craziness of unfounded religious zealotry (and the multiple interpretations people can have of scripture), and having the Messiah character react to the stupidity of his own followers. It makes the film stronger overall, and I think if that plot carried through the entire film, Id rank it even higher.

25. Plasma
British humor isnt my jam, but theres some worthwhile social commentary here that explores how we build culture and attach meaning to people, events, etc. Its a brainier movie than Holy Grail, yet it feels less inspired. D

27. Karo
The misadventures of Jesus Christ's next door neighbor, Brian of Nazareth, and his struggles to just be left the fuck alone. Despite his protests that he isn't the actual messiah, people follow him to the point where he ends up randomly murdered in the most jolly crucifixion ever.
It certainly is more coherent as a narrative than the first one, but it is sorely lacking in humor. So many of the 'jokes' in this movie compel me to search out the nearest wall and start banging my head repeatedly against it.
The film is a cartoonish and dull affair that seems to try for an R rating just for the fuck of it. None of the jokes are especially dirty, but rather it is just random F-bombs and dicks flopping out that screams out a sad attempt to be 'edgy'.
Unlike Holy Grail there are no memorable scenes in the entire film, and it feels way too long despite only having a runtime of an hour and a half. I don't know what the hell happened here, but Monty Python should be ashamed to have their name on this piece of shit.