Das Leben des Brian

Life of Brian has jokes that cover the entire quality spectrum, but not even the best – that almost made me choke in laughter – can hide the fact that some parts aren’t good. Nothing exceptional overall… (10.01.2009)

After Holy Grail, I decided not to watch any more Monty Python movies. But then I ran out of comedies and had the opportunity to watch The Life of Brian, so I decided to give it a try. To be honest, I must say that when I was actually paying attention to the movie, watching for all the history allusions and catchphrases, I had a lot of fun. And maybe if Monty Python was my life in the same way it is for many of their fans, I might’ve had even more fun. Anyhow, this is no simple entertainment with which you’d just switch your brain off and enjoy the chill-out atmosphere. This movie contains so many references that getting them all in one go might not even be possible. Anyway, I’ll be completely honest and say that I had fun. And when given the chance, I will rewatch this movie in the future, because the absurdity of this parody of Jesus Christ’s life is great. And I must apologize to Monty Pythons for wronging them before. (04.02.2013)

Eine brillante Komödie, bei der die gesamte Monty-Python-Crew einen Platz im heißesten Ort der Hölle gebucht hat. Die Bibel aller vulgären Ketzer (richtig, Shnoff), die Bibel derer, die gerne über alles lachen... und die Bibel. Du, der du ohne Tadel bist, wirf einen Stein nach ihnen; wenn du aber eine Frau bist, so hütet dich, dass dir nicht der Bart abfällt. Ein Kompendium wunderbar schlagkräftiger Witze, die scheinbar alle Gläubigen aller Religionen beleidigen können. Aber was soll's, selbst wenn sie euch kreuzigen, befolgt das erste und einzige Gebot: "Allways look on the bright side of life". Das ist die Religion von Monty Python, das ist die Religion, vor der ich mich immer gerne verneige! Amen. (26.01.2004)

The hissing emperor, the whole scene of "Bigus Dickus," and especially the sermon after the fall from hiding - that is perhaps the best thing Monty Python ever came up with. It is not far behind Flying Circus either. (23.12.2005)

Life of Brian is the culmination of Monty Python's work and one of the best comedies ever created. After finishing Holy Grail, the group members decided that they could now take some risks and touch on sensitive areas of religious faith and politics. The script was developed at the end of 1977 in Barbados, where all the group members gathered, and then they tried to offer it to EMI, which produced Holy Grail. According to the studio management, it was a blasphemous film and Monty Python had a difficult time finding money for their project, although the budget was a laughable 4 million dollars by today's standards. It was filmed in Tunisia and, after long negotiations, Graham Chapman, who was a heavy alcoholic at the time, was cast in the main role. The plot is a parody paraphrase of the birth of a legend on which Christianity spread, and at the same time a parody of modern politics from colonialism to national liberation struggle and terrorism. The film caused very angry reactions from church circles and was banned in many places. These reactions meant that the film was eventually shown with greater success than the Monty Python crew expected. Monty Python states that some cities banned the film from being shown, even though they did not have movie theaters. It is one of the timeless legends of the comedy genre, where fans laugh again and again at the madness of the characters and scenes and enjoy the final song on the cross. Overall impression: 100%. (21.01.2008)

Überhaupt das Erste, das ich jemals von den Herren von Monty Python gesehen habe … Und seit dieser Zeit sind sie Teil meines Lebens und ich kann ihnen nicht genug dafür danken, dass sie mir das Leben bunter machen. Trotz allem kann ich das Leben des Brian leider nicht sinnvoll kommentieren, ganz zu schweigen davon, meine Lieblingsszene auszuwählen – da müsste ich das ganze Drehbuch abschreiben. (18.09.2007)

My first ever encounter with the work of the famous Monty Python ensemble, and as I see it, perhaps my last. The gentlemen around Terry Jones have a really interesting and wacky sense of humour, one that is far from mine. When I think about the film in hindsight, all that comes to mind is the lisp of Caesar and the final song “Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life”, those are the only things that really made me laugh out loud. Otherwise, a surprisingly dull affair and one of my biggest film disappointments so far. (29.05.2012)

The first time I saw The Life of Brian was in my 1st year of high school. It instantly became one of my favorite comedies and I’ll never get tired of watching it over and over again. If I were a devoted Catholic, I would have to whip myself with a barbed wire while watching it lest the Almighty think I was enjoying it. Hilarious scenes, great writing, and superb acting. The sheer number of memorable lines and historical references make this comedy absolutely timeless. All I have to do is think of Otto's suicide squad, Pilate, the ex-leper, or the line to the crucifixion, and I'm chuckling to myself again. (03.08.2016)

Monty Python's humor has never seemed that great to me. Yes, they have great jokes and skits, but for me it gets lost in the quantity of bits that simply don't entertain me. However, this satire on the life of Jesus Christ does have something to it and it's clear that there are ideas that the group has really delved into. And they come across well. It just doesn't entertain me that much overall. (13.04.2015)