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“Life of Brian” – movie review


It’s Jerusalem, Roman Empire. Brian is up for crucifixion and he inquires with the jailor “can I speak to someone, I think there has been a mistake” and the jailor responds “do you have a lawyer….I am sorry, we are in a bit of hurry today, you go on now….out of the door, lying on the left, one cross each”

It isn’t for no reason that they call “Life of Brian” the greatest British comedy movie of all time. You only have to watch the opening credits to realise the genius of these men waiting impatiently to explode on the screen, their penetrating eye for comedy. I cannot imagine how the people of Britain and world at large must have felt when they had seen the movie at the release time, back in 79.

And Now for Something Completely Different (1971): when I first saw the movie, I had no idea of the pythons. Even today, the pythons’ series wins hands down, unparalleled in uniqueness and unequalled in sheer ability to capture the mood of the time, bottle it up and release it in a manner conceivable to even the lamest of man.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975): by now, I fanatically revered the pythons. They are so likable, their movies evoke plain impulsiveness. Through them, the viewers watch naivety; nubile cultural endearments, in their hands, underwent transformation and the result left the audiences gasping with a feeling that was forming in their heads- inchoate. The prurient called them uncouth, while for the rest of us, uncouth was just fine. In fact, this was exactly what we were waiting for. But were never able to describe what the longing was, for all these years.


Monty Python's Life of Brian begins with the scene (in 33 AD) where a revolutionary activist is passing a sermon to his people from atop a hill and a little away from the hill is Brian and his mom chatting up. A man and his wife are arguing about the man’s habit of picking his nose. And Brian is impatient “do you mind. I can’t hear a thing he is saying”. 21st century comedy, I must say, cannot recreate what The Pythons did. Such purity of comedy is adorable.

“Did anyone catch his name?” inquires a man, referring to the sermoniser

Revolutionary groups discussing as to how they can overtake the Roman Empire, sit around the table and discuss their plans. The discussion is made to look like an advertising agency’s discussion with a corporate client on competitive analysis and where they stand. All this, in 33 AD.

As the men are being sent to crucifixion, jailor in charge is speaking to each prisoner as if a doctor would do in a hospital. “Out of the door, lying on the left, one cross each please” and the prisoners walk out frolicking and fun filled, enthusiastic, bubbling with joy. You have to see the movie to appreciate it. Perhaps, the most daring yet delightful, radical yet affectionate tales ever told. The pythons have stripped all sophistry naked.

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