Monty Python vs. Christianity

Monty Python’s “Life of Brian” satirizes and lampoons Christianity.  The story follows the mishaps of Brian Cohen.  Coincidentally, Brian is born a few mangers down from Jesus’, portending great despair for the main character.  Monty Python pokes fun at the ridiculousness of organized religion, using supercilious parodies of famous scenes and depictions from the Bible.  While I understood and respect the nuanced writing of the film, the jokes just fall flat for me.  This film was educational, however, in terms of forcing its viewers to question dogma and blind following.

            Brian falls in love with Judith, a rebel against Roman forces in their home of Judea.  His love makes him carry out silly missions like graffitizing the city’s walls.  Eventually he must flee outraged Roman centurions.  He then tries to kidnap a Roman official, but the plot is foiled, and once again he must flee.  He finally happens upon a group of religious fanatics, and in order to blend in with the group, he affects a religious disposition himself.  As a result, he is idolized and worshipped by an ever-increasing group of followers.  The funnier scenes of the film are of the followers explaining everything Brian does as a miracle.  Losing his shoes was considered a further affirmation of Brian’s status as prophet.  As a close to the film, Brian misses his only chance to be saved from crucifixion, but is consoled by the fellow condemned men by a whimsical rendition of the song “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.”

            The film was criticized, and remains controversial.  The overt heresy in the film certainly produced the desired effect for Monty Python; the film received much free advertising emanating from the Papacy’s cries of blasphemy.  While the film wasn’t funny (sorry 99% of the rest of the population), the message was at least worthwhile.