Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Lucas M

  
  It's not just a incredible satire to the fanatic religious people, but a masterpiece of the british cinema and comedy. Life of Brian is poignant, contoversial and entertaining "biblical" comedy and, of course an obligatory film to Monty Pyhton fans and English humor.

• KJ P

  
  The Life of Brian is interesting for the first half, but it falls apart as the film progressively becomes annoying to watch. It just feels so much different than the first two films, even though they try for the same type of comedy. I easily admire the attempt at great comedy, but… More
  The Life of Brian is interesting for the first half, but it falls apart as the film progressively becomes annoying to watch. It just feels so much different than the first two films, even though they try for the same type of comedy. I easily admire the attempt at great comedy, but it's just not that at all. Yes it made me laugh quite a bit, and the random scenes of animation definitely added to the atmosphere as great comedy, but I feel that there is something missing. It is the first of the series that I kind of disliked, but it's not for me, so don't go by that. I think it's because I expected more out of it, that I was kind of taken out of the atmosphere most of the time. I liked it for it's stupid characters and dialogue, but the scenes where the same joke goes on for 10 minutes just got boring. The first and second were very clever in accomplishing that, but this sort of fell flat. I wish I could say many more positive things about it, but this is exactly how I feel. I don't think I would ever take the the time to watch it again!

• Spencer S

  
  From the Monty Python comedy troupe comes their second film venture, and their second narrative film. Many people blatantly compare this film to Holy Grail because it was another film with a similar style, and starred Graham Chapman as the titular character. Much like Holy Grail, Life… More
  From the Monty Python comedy troupe comes their second film venture, and their second narrative film. Many people blatantly compare this film to Holy Grail because it was another film with a similar style, and starred Graham Chapman as the titular character. Much like Holy Grail, Life of Brian follows the path of a hero in popular lore with a twist. Both are period pieces and both emphasis the distinctions between the gender roles, maternal instincts, and of course the complexities of religion. Though both fall into the realm of absurdist humor, Grail gets so much right mostly because of its structure. While Grail is an epic journey or quest to find a holy relic, Brian is an actual plot lined story about a man with the same characteristics as Jesus in many ways and none of the same story. Many of the cast are taking on anywhere between three and ten roles, and the fact that this is a character heavy film makes that many people's presences awkward and confusing. I still found a lot of great humor within this film, and it was still absurd, loopy, and immature, just without the same grandiose feel to it that Grail cultivated with interesting character development and scenes that were irregular compared to the affluent films it was parodying. I love that Monty Python never culps to pop culture gaffs or ruins itself by being petty or nihilistic with gross out humor or downplaying to the likes of today's simpleton comedians and their disgusting films of entitlement. No matter how self indulgent these films can be, they are always classic, hilarious, and never take themselves serious enough to care what other people think. With a comedy ensemble that lasted nearly twenty some years, that's pretty special.

• Alexander D

  
  A reading from the Book of Python. Sacrilege at its tragically best.

• familiar s

  
  Wasn't really interested, but watched it anyways. Couldn't ignore it for long owing to the fact that it has secured a place in IMDb Top 250. The movie was good enough, but Brian's mother being played by Terry Jones irritated me to no bounds.

• Christopher H

  
  Not quite as mature as Holy Grail, but still a great farce from Monty Python. The film contains too many funny skits to count. If you are not easily offended, considering this is a religious satire, then this film will be an enjoyably wacky ride from start to finish.

• xGary X

  
  A boy is born in the stable next door to Jesus and is dismayed when he unwittingly acquires a throng of followers who believe him to be the messiah. This parody of the swords and sandals epic from the Monty Python team came under a lot of fire from religious groups who saw it as… More
  A boy is born in the stable next door to Jesus and is dismayed when he unwittingly acquires a throng of followers who believe him to be the messiah. This parody of the swords and sandals epic from the Monty Python team came under a lot of fire from religious groups who saw it as blasphemy at the time of its release, which is ironic because that is exactly the kind of narrow-mindedness that the film makes fun of. Despite the moments of random Python silliness that most remember about the film (and actually produces most of the laughs) Life Of Brian is really a smart social satire promoting tolerance and individuality. It has plenty of laugh out loud moments and one-liners but this disguises the kind of intelligent message that most comedies fail to include. I've perhaps seen it too many times now so Holy Grail still beats it hands down for sheer belly laughs for me, but its still one of the true comedy classics.

• Michael E

  
  Though considered one of the best Monty Python films, even gone as far as considered the best and funniest, its not as good as Monty Python and the Holy Grail, but its still an enjoyable film, and of course, very funny. Though being pretty immature with some of the comedy, it is… More
  Though considered one of the best Monty Python films, even gone as far as considered the best and funniest, its not as good as Monty Python and the Holy Grail, but its still an enjoyable film, and of course, very funny. Though being pretty immature with some of the comedy, it is enjoyable, and though being raised a Christian, I find this film very funny, even if it is somewhat controversial to my religion. Though it is considered a parody on the life of Jesus it is anything but, its focused more on the followers than Jesus, who is in it for only several seconds, and I love how well the followers work off with Brian and how blindly they're following someone who has done nothing spectacular at all, which is a very funny premise.

• Tim S

  
  I've spent way too much time trying to decide for myself which film in the Python trilogy (And Now for Something Completely Different does not count) is my favorite. While I will probably never settle on a sort of conrete confirmation, I do know this for sure: Monty Python's… More
  I've spent way too much time trying to decide for myself which film in the Python trilogy (And Now for Something Completely Different does not count) is my favorite. While I will probably never settle on a sort of conrete confirmation, I do know this for sure: Monty Python's Life of Brian is the finest film the team ever made. It never feels for one minute like a set of sketches or skits sewn together in the editing room. It feels like one whole complete story with the back-breaking comedy dropped in. For style, direction, story and social commentary, Life of Brian is the bee's knees of comedy films. On the other hand, I feel that Monty Python and the Holy Grail is the most accessible and funniest of the three films. I'm not putting down Life of Brian at all as it's hilarious in its own right, but Holy Grail to me is the diamond of their comedy routine while Life of Brian is the diamond of their filmmaking abilities. To be succinct, everyone definitely needs to check this one out at least once.

• Bethany M

  
  Really funny!

• Cassandra M

  
  In Life of Brian, Python created what John Cleese called simply "our masterpiece". As a piece of writing, it is the most impressive of the three feature length Python movies. The scenes remain episodic, but there is a much more coherent narrative than in the earlier Holy… More
  In Life of Brian, Python created what John Cleese called simply "our masterpiece". As a piece of writing, it is the most impressive of the three feature length Python movies. The scenes remain episodic, but there is a much more coherent narrative than in the earlier Holy Grail - I loved HG too, but for different reasons. The characters (well about one or two of the characters) have acquired some subtle shading, which is rare in comedy and, alas, rare in British comedy in particular. The plight of Chapman's Brian is one that I really cared about (although his death is also extremely funny, upbeat and one of the truly iconic moments in British cinema). The story must be fairly well known. Brian is born at the same time as Jesus with whom he leads a kind of parallel life, thus allowing the team to lampoon and satirise everything from religious zealotry and mob hysteria to 1950s biblical/sword & sandals epic cinema. It does this by marrying historic situations with more modern attitudes; thus we have revolutionary Stan who wants to be Loretta and have the right to have babies, the old man who can't understand why he's being stoned for saying simply "that piece of halibut was good enough for Jehovah!" the gruff centurion correcting Brian's Latin grammar while he's trying to daub anti-Roman slogans on a wall and the gentle centurion asking each of a line of the condemned "crucifixion? Good" while ticking them off on his clipboard. Interspersed with this is slapstick, pantomime women (I'm not sure there are any real women in Python, which is probably its greatest failing) and a small amount of the trademark Python surrealism (the spaceship, the "prophet" talking about the sons misplacing the things owned by their fathers who had placed them down only just a moment ago... etc). In short, something for everyone - except, perhaps, committed Christians. A lot of attention has been paid to whether LoB is blasphemous. The Pythons claim not and I'm not sufficiently religious to care very much. On the surface, I disagree. There are also occasional sideswipes at ancient Jewish custom - although, to be fair, only stoning which, if you'll pardon the pun, might be considered a fair target. Jesus is not criticised, but the film's central message seems to be; be in the right place at the right time and even a man called Brian can become God. Almost the last line is from Eric Idle saying; "you come from nothing and go back to nothing" which doesn't suggest that the man on the mount at the beginning is a divinity, no matter whether he's talking sense or not. Most importantly though, LoB is refreshingly satirical. There always was an element of this in Python (mediaeval Christian philosophy lampooned in the Holy Grail for example "this new learning amazes me Sir Bedevere, explain again how sheeps' bladders may be employed to prevent earthquakes... so, if she weighs the same as a duck, she must be made of wood, and therefore - a witch". I guess LoB attracted attention because the satire had never been so bold or obvious before. This is also what makes LoB such an incredibly funny film to watch; but put it this way - despite what Rowan Atkinson may have once said - I'd be very surprised if the Python's weren't expecting the Spanish Inquisition. That shouldn't put you off, though. Unless your faith is too weak to survive Python's gentle humanism, watch this movie - you'll probably love it.

• Randy T

  
  Whether you're in the sect of the gourd or the sect of the shoe, you cannot deny the miracle of the juniper bush!

• Phil H

  
  The best of the Python films for sure, this is really really clever and very sharp witted humour. Some of the scenes are classic's, 'a quack legion', spelling lessons on the city wall, the masses chasing Brian etc..it goes on. The film also looks great, quite authentic… More
  The best of the Python films for sure, this is really really clever and very sharp witted humour. Some of the scenes are classic's, 'a quack legion', spelling lessons on the city wall, the masses chasing Brian etc..it goes on. The film also looks great, quite authentic in places. The cast really fit here too, everybody plays there part really well, especially Chapman who plays it seriously making it even more funny. There's no silly animation and nothing is too over the top its just right. 'leave that Welsh tart alone'

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"He has a wife, you know. Do you know what she's called? She's called... Incontinentia. Incontinentia Buttocks."</i> Brian is born on the original Christmas, in the stable next door. He spends his life being mistaken for a messiah.… More
  <i>"He has a wife, you know. Do you know what she's called? She's called... Incontinentia. Incontinentia Buttocks."</i> Brian is born on the original Christmas, in the stable next door. He spends his life being mistaken for a messiah. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> 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.

• Jennifer D

  
  BEST part.... the last song.... of course. ALWAYS love Monty Python.

• Cindy I

  
  I'm sure I'm about to make a lot of enemies here, but I just didn't find this film all that funny. Sure it had its moments -- the stoning scene, the crucifixion scene where everyone is whistling while Eric Idle sings "Always Look on the Bright Side". But I… More
  I'm sure I'm about to make a lot of enemies here, but I just didn't find this film all that funny. Sure it had its moments -- the stoning scene, the crucifixion scene where everyone is whistling while Eric Idle sings "Always Look on the Bright Side". But I don't think it lives up to Python's reputation. Maybe the problem for me is the whole premise of the story. Satirizing something that seems so ridiculous to begin with seems redundant, and a bit dated to be honest. Many MANY efforts, both fictional and non-fiction, have been made since Life of Brian was released to show how stupid (and sometimes dangerous) it is to follow someone based on scant evidence of their credentials. Maybe if I had seen this years ago when I wasn't so jaded, I may have found it funnier. But now all I can say is "good try."

• Film C

  
  HaHaHa this is hilarious!! I was wetting myself all the way through this movie and i love the awesome song at the end its just brilliant! Shouldnt be missed at all!!

• Anthony L

  
  I love this film so much, it's absolutely hilarious. Best not watch it with a bible basher though, as I mistakenly have done in the past. It can get very awkward!

• Thomas B

  
  one of the most politically incorrect comedies in history, life of brian once again delves into the nuttiness which makes monty python so very funny.

• Pierluigi P

  
  The best film of the ineffable Monty Python troupe. It does for religion what Dr. Strangelove did for politics. An apostasy of biblical proportions.

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