Life of Brian

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I watched Life of Brian tonight which I have never seen before and is ranked 150 on IMDB’s top 250 list. It tells the story of Brian Cohen, a young Jewish man who is born in the same era and location as Jesus Christ and subsequently mistaken for the Messiah. The film’s combination of comedy and religious themes was controversial, particularly on its initial release. However, it has regularly been cited as possibly the greatest comedy film of all time. I liked Search for the Holy Grail much more.

One of the most controversial scenes was the film’s ending: Brian’s crucifixion. Many Christian protesters said that it was mocking Jesus’s suffering by turning it into a “Jolly Boys Outing” (such as when Mr Cheeky turns to Brian and says: “See, It’s not so bad when you get up here”). Another argument was that crucifixion was a standard form of execution in ancient times and not just one especially reserved for Jesus (a point proven by the Bible itself, with the mentioned presence of the two thieves crucified next to him). The Pythons often prided themselves on the depths of the historical research they had taken before writing the script. They all believe that, as a consequence, the film portrays 1st century Judea more accurately than actual Biblical epics, with its focus centred more on the average person of the era.

All and all, a good movie that I would highly recommend.