Framed to Perfection LII (52)

MONTY PYTHON’S LIFE OF BRIAN (1979)

Director: Terry Jones

Cinematographer: Peter Biziou

“Leave that Welsh tart alone!”

Personally, this crosses over into being: “One of the Greatest Films of All-Time”, but I’m sure it regularly gets declassified to being just: “One of the Greatest Comedies…”.

It’s up to you, I guess.

Life of Brian is basically a deconstruction of everything anyone in the Abrahamic world has been brought up to believe. From the ground up. From good to bad. With or without wit and intelligence. Such a deconstruction cannot be done better. It has not been done better. I doubt it will ever be done better.

Personal belief is fine and undeniably acceptable, how can it not be, but every organised faith across the globe is corrupt from the ground up. It is one of the great evils in our society, along with military grouping. If you argue against me, I shall provide you with a stack of books proving that you are wrong.

You have no argument, except for a stance of violence.

My life is worse due to organised religious faith, and I will never stop fighting against it.

Terry Jones is the only credited director on this film, but there are many Terry Gilliam inflections here and there. I dunno. Cinematographer Biziou certainly had a striking film career, so perhaps he had a greater influence on this work than his lesser credit implies.

Which, given how the British film industry worked at that time, is perfectly plausible.

I believe Sue Jones-Davies AKA “Judith” is the first proper woman most little boys like me in the 1980s ever saw naked. Whilst lacking certain boobiciousness, I would say she did the job. We eternally thank her for that. I hope she knows this. All of us randy 80s preteens knew what to look out for, henceforth.

Cough.

This is just one of those comedies where I’m laughing from moment to moment, even when nothing particularly funny is meant to be going on. But it is. The Monty Python troupe knew to just keep comedy going, and that has been reflected in every sitcom series since. Let us say as little as we can about comedy films.

If you have an interest in humour as a way of life, then you will know of this film. If nothing is quite working out for you, then please find this film.

You will forever be better off for it.

Do stay in touch, darlings.

Toodles!