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Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979)
"Life of Brian"
Director: Terry Jones
Producer: John Goldstone
World Premiere: New York City, 17 August 1979
Running Time: 1:34
"Life of Brian" tells the story of a young contemporary of Jesus who through happenstance suddenly finds himself to be an adored holy figure. The film marked maturation for the group, for while "Brian" lacks the breezy innocence that "Holy Grail" exuded (and is much less self-conscious that it is a movie), it is a complex, thoughtful and ultimately moving portrait of a character and his period. It is also very funny.
Synopsis
As the film opens to a choir of the heaven host, Three Wise Men follow a star and arrive at the modest abode of an infant and its mother, who gratefully accepts the gold and frankincense (and even the myrrh) that are presented to her child, named Brian. These gifts are then briskly confiscated when it's discovered that a certain Son of God is lying in the manger next door.
The infant grows into a young man (played by Graham Chapman), who is initiated into a revolutionary group trying to free Judea from the Roman occupiers. Brian stumbles into the role of spiritual leader when he is mistaken for the promised Messiah, and the masses trail after seeking blessings and guidance. Burdened with the celebrity of his new position, and now a target of the ruling class, Brian tries to rid himself of his followers by professing that they do not need leaders for their faith. "You are all individuals!" he shouts.
"Yes! We are all individuals!" they shout in unison.
Imprisoned by the Romans and sentenced to crucifixion, Brian watches from the cross as in his coming death he becomes an object of admiration, parental scorn, and inspiration for a jaunty parting song.
"Life of Brian" is adorned with some surreal passages (Brian escapes certain death by being whisked aboard a passing spaceship), and filled with wildly eccentric characters: the Jewish Official (John Cleese) overseeing the community's stoning of a blasphemer; the Virgin Mandy (Jones), Brian's mother, who tells the assembled throngs that her son is "not the Messiah – he's a very naughty boy!"; Simon the Holy Man (Jones), who noisily celebrates the breaking of his vow of silence; Stan (Eric Idle), a revolutionary who wants to be known as Loretta; Ben (Michael Palin), an ultra-right-wing prisoner who loves his captors with a vengeance; Idle and Terry Gilliam as jailors creeping out the affable Roman officer (Palin) assigned to crucifixion duty; and Pontius Pilate (Palin), whose speech defect completely negates his authority among the masses.
The Making of
During a promotional tour for "Holy Grail," Eric Idle was asked what the group's next film would be. His reply: "Jesus Christ: Lust for Glory." The ridiculous title set the gears in motion for thinking about what would be a brazen new direction for the group, involving a much more controversial subject matter than their previous film.
"What attracted us [to the idea] was the freshness of the subject – nobody had made a Biblical comedy film," said Idle. "So we rented a lot of Hollywood Biblical films, and watch Charlton Heston's breasts and the sheer seriousness with which they treated everything, and this gave us a fresh look. Of course it became clear early on that we couldn't make fun of the Christ since what he says is very fine (and Buddhist), but the people around him were hilarious, and still are!"
Michael Palin said, "We realized that the key thing – the way we'd done 'Holy Grail' – was to create the Biblical period so convincingly that if you put modern characters and modern attitudes in it, it would still convince as being part of that period."
Terry Jones took on solo directing chores, with Terry Gilliam serving as production designer. Arrangements were made to film in Tunisia, borrowing sets and locations that had been used for the Franco Zeffirelli mini-series, "Jesus of Nazareth."
Again taking center stage as the lead, Chapman had stopped drinking and was in much fitter form as Brian than he had been during the filming of "Holy Grail." He also took the bit part of the Roman Biggus Dickus, who – like Pontius Pilate – was afflicted with an unfortunate speech impediment
