Life of Brian (1979) - film review

Judea 33 AD.  Brian is an idealistic young Jew, a nice lad who, like many of his fellow Judeans, is somewhat miffed by the Roman occupation of his country.  That is why he joins a terrorist group named the People’s Front of Judea, a nice bunch of anarchists who really look as if they might get something done for a change.  The first step in the PFJ’s plan for world domination is to kidnap Pontius Pilate’s wife.  Alas, the raid on Pilate’s palace does not go according to plan, owing to the fact that a rival group had exactly the same idea.   In the confusion, Brian is captured by Roman guards, but thanks in part to a passing spaceship piloted by aliens who are waging an inter-galactic war, he manages to escape.   Unfortunately, Brian then mucks it up by attracting a crowd of mindless fanatics who have nothing better to do than mistake him for the Messiah.  His mum isn’t pleased either, particularly when his followers enquire as to whether she is a virgin.  Brian’s day could hardly get any worse.  But it does.  To top it all, those pesky Romans go and tie him to a cross...  Still, it could be worse.  At least the weather’s holding out.

The Monty Python team at their absolute best.  Although it whipped up a storm of controversy when it was first released, with some Christian groups doing their utmost to have it banned, Life of Brian is now regarded as one the greatest achievements of British cinema, and one of best film comedies ever made.   Many of the lines have burned their way into our collective consciousness, whilst the film itself is possibly the best satire on religion and politics that has ever been conceived outside of a lunatic asylum.  The closing song, Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, became a hugely successful single and is often heard at football matches, usually to lift the spirits of the supporters of the losing side. 

When Life of Brian came under attack in 1979 from overwrought Christians claiming it to be blasphemous, the Pythons were quick to defend it and point out that it is not a condemnation of faith or religion.  Rather, what the film pours scorn on is the hypocrisy of those who exploit the beliefs of others for their own purposes and the absurdity of an unquestioning adherence to a religious doctrine.  The pivotal line in the film is Brian’s plea for his followers to "work it out for yourselves" rather than just fall back on a mindless groupthink-style mantra.  What the spaceship sequence signifies, however, is anyone’s guess.

Some memorable quotes?  Where do you start?  The script is awash with enough nougats of comedy gold to keep you laughing for months on end.  Here’s a couple:

’E’s not the Messiah. ’E’s a very naughty boy! 

All right, but apart from the sanitation, medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh water system and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?

Life of Brian is satire at its best, but it is clearly more than that.  What it offers, in addition to the seemingly endless stream of laughs, is a cogent statement on how we should live our lives.  Brian’s philosophy is that we should live not as anonymous, intellectually stultified members of an amorphous group, but as free-thinking individuals who dare to question those who have authority over us.  Perhaps if all took heed of this advice, the world might be a slightly better place. We might have politicians we can trust and religions that engendered tolerance and understanding rather than hatred and division. We might even stop killing each other... No, that all sounds like too much effort. Let’s go on being sheep. Whilst there’s grass aplenty, why complain? Baaaaa...

© James Travers 2009

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