Review of Life of Brian (1979) by Peter H — 27 May 2010

From the opening scenes to the final closing song number (Always look on the bright side of life) Monty Python's the Life of Brian is just pure comedic excellence. Just like MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL this film will make you laugh so hard that your sides will hurt. I'm not going to try and single out the best gags because there are so many of them that comes to mind. The only thing that I can focus on in this review is this films brilliant satire of religion with the film being set in 33AD Judea when Christ was active.

The movie centres on Brian a simple Jew/roman that's mistaken as the messiah (or in his mothers case "he's not the messiah he's a very naughty boy"). While Brian is trying to stop this case of mistaking identity at the same time the Romans are after him. Now the plot takes huge swipes at the life of Christ including his birth in mange, some of his teachings and his death on the cross (which are played on with Brian's case of mistaken identity). But the movie in general delivers a message of satire to religion as a whole which is shown in one scène with the mob following Brian while debating the proper worth ship of their so called messiah through simple items of clothing like a shoe and a jug. At first it just a silly python joke at first before it become clear its ridicule of people becoming way to fanatical with their beliefs and what religion can do to our judgement. For a Monty python comedy it's quite deep in meaning when you think about it after the laughter has stopped in fact it's one comedy film that will haunt you long after the end credits role.

100/100 a brilliant, clever and funny film from the Comedic geniuses, that is Monty python.