Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
      • Playlists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Movies»Movies by Decade»Movies - 1970s
    Movies - 1970s Movies - L 3 Mins Read

    Life Of Brian, The (1979)

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    The Monty Python team are synonymous with dark, subversive humour that defies comparison to anything else. Although often attempted, no one since this legendary British comedy troupe has ever been able to be as extreme, accusatory, blatant, offensive, and off-the-wall funny, while maintaining intelligent entertainment value throughout.

    Asked what their follow-up toΒ Monty Python And The Holy GrailΒ (1975) would be, Eric Idle saidΒ Jesus Christ – Lust For GloryΒ on a whim. And so it came to pass . . .

    One of the Python’s most controversial films was, without a doubt,Β The Life Of Brian, a film that makes fun of the root of Christianity itself, and turns a dim-witted nobody into an unwitting (and unwilling) Messiah during the times of Christian birth.

    On the night of Christ’s birth in Judea, in a stable next door, another boy is born by the name of Brian. Immediately after his birth the three holy men mistake him for the son of God and offer their presents, only to take them away from the furious mother minutes later when they detect the real Messiah.

    lifeofbrian_002

    Brian grows up a dim-witted peasant, but for some reason throughout his life, he constantly crosses the path of Jesus over and over again, until one day the people of Judea actually mistake him for the Messiah once again and follow his very footsteps.

    The film doesn’t have a very elaborate story, it is more a series of absurd events that make up Brian’s life.

    He encounters the most ludicrous characters and finds himself constantly caught in the midst of the most bizarre events – including an alien abduction and crash landing.

    When Brian becomes politically involved with the People’s Front Of Judea (not to be mistaken with the Judean People’s Front, the Popular Front of Judea or the Judean Popular People’s Front) you know it will end in tears.Β The scene with a Roman centurion correcting Brian’s Latin spelling while he tries to smear the walls with β€œRomans Go Home”, is sublime.

    Like a naughty schoolboy, the centurion grabs Brian by the ear and forces him to go through all forms of the Latin words needed to construct the sentence – so reminiscent of old public school days that it hurts.

    The real genius ofΒ Life Of BrianΒ is that it’s a string of great sketches – the stoning scene, the haggling scene, the Biggus Dickus scene – all worked into the plot to provide an instant greatest hits package.

    Ultimately, Brian ends up like so many others of the time, hanging on a crucifix. A chap from an adjacent crucifix advises Brian to look on the bright side of life and the immortal sing along (pictured below) commences.

    Life of Brian was shot using many of the same locations and Tunisian sets used in Jesus of Nazareth (1977). Anthony Burgess – who wrote the initial drafts of the script for Jesus of Nazareth – later expressed admiration for the Python film, praising it as a “very fair interpretation of the lot of the Jews under Roman rule. I wish I had written the script for it”.

    lifeofbrian_004

    Brian/First Wise Man/Biggus Dickus
    Graham Chapman
    Reg/Third Wise Man/Stoning Official/Centurion
    John Cleese
    Mandy/Simon
    Terry Jones
    Francis/Pontius Pilate/Ben/Ex-Leper/Second Wise Man/Mr Big Nose/Nisus Wettus/Boring Prophet
    Michael Palin
    Stan/Harry the Haggler/Mr Cheeky/Jailer’s Assistant/Mr Frisbee III
    Eric Idle
    Jailer/Blood & Thunder Prophet
    Terry Gilliam
    Spike
    Spike Milligan

    Director
    Terry Jones

    Video

    Related Posts

    • Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)
      Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)
      Director Norman Jewison took the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice rock opera out to desert locations in Israel to film an…
    • Yellow Dog (1973)
      Yellow Dog (1973)
      Top photographer Terence Donovan tried his hand as a film director with this kung-fu thriller which featured unconventional young Japanese…
    • Go for a Take (1972)
      Go for a Take (1972)
      An above-average British comedy of its time,Β Go For A TakeΒ runs along the lines of a Norman Wisdom romp, giving the…
    • Jabberwocky (1977)
      Jabberwocky (1977)
      Inspired by the seven-verse nonsense poem by Lewis Carroll, Terry Gilliam's directorial debut feature is an uneven mix of medieval…
    • And Now For Something Completely Different (1971)
      And Now For Something Completely Different (1971)
      The stars ofΒ Monty Python's Flying Circus, Britain's latter-day version of the Marx Brothers, present a series of rip-roaring, rib-tickling sketches…
    • Rise & Rise Of Michael Rimmer, The (1970)
      Rise & Rise Of Michael Rimmer, The (1970)
      This brilliantly observed satire of party politics and spin doctors was commissioned by David Frost in 1966 and was a…
    • Cry of the Banshee (1970)
      Cry of the Banshee (1970)
      Vincent Price returns here to Witchfinder General territory as the sadistic magistrate Lord Edward Whitman who is obsessed with tracking…
    • Tin Drum, The (1979)
      Tin Drum, The (1979)
      Very occasionally a movie comes along that is so unique that it eludes conventional criticism. Such a movie isΒ The Tin…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleLickerish Quartet, The (1970)
    Next Article Lion in Winter, The (1968)

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    You May Also Like
    • M*A*S*H (1970)
      During the Korean War, anarchic surgeons Hawkeye (Donald […]
    • Goodfellas (1990)
      With this epic, Martin Scorsese returned to the world of […]
    • Zane Grey Theatre
      1 9 5 6 – 1 9 6 1Β (USA) 146 x 30 minute episodes Like […]
    • GBH
      In 1980, four Brummie drinking buddies got together and formed a […]
    • Judy Jack Show, The
      1 9 5 6 – 1 9 5 7Β (Australia) 30 minute episodes The first […]
    • Scattergood
      1 9 7 5Β (Australia) 6 x 30 minute episodes This brave six-part […]
    Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons

    OUR LATEST FACEBOOK POSTS

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-64558222 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    David Bowie's handwritten Jean Genie lyrics sold for £57,000

    www.bbc.co.uk

    The handwritten sheet was given to the founder of the inaugural David Bowie fan club by the star.
    19 hours ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    edition.cnn.com/2023/01/30/entertainment/cindy-williams-dead/index.html

    More sad news 😒
    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    'Laverne & Shirley' star Cindy Williams dead at 75 | CNN

    edition.cnn.com

    Cindy Williams, the dynamic actress known best for playing the bubbly Shirley Feeney on the beloved sitcom "Laverne & Shirley," has died, according to a statement from her family, provided to CNN by a...
    1 week ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 1
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64442824 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Television frontman Tom Verlaine dies at 73

    www.bbc.co.uk

    His band rose to fame in the 1970s New York punk scene, scoring UK hits including Marquee Moon.
    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64418847 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Mr Blobby costume sells for more than £62,000 on eBay

    www.bbc.co.uk

    The character, made famous by BBC show Noel's House Party, had been in storage since the 1990s.
    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    Put some beefiness into your mid-week menu with these recipe ideas published in a Birds Eye advertisement from the Radio Times on 30 September 1965.

    Put some "beefiness into your mid-week menu" with these recipe ideas published in a Birds Eye advertisement from the "Radio Times" on 30 September 1965. ... See MoreSee Less

    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 3
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    They were awful. An overpowering savoury flavour that lingered in your mouth for hours. Heaven knows what unmentionable parts of a bull went into making them 😳

    More sad news πŸ˜ͺ

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    US rock legend David Crosby dies aged 81

    www.bbc.co.uk

    Crosby, who co-founded both the Byrds and Crosby, Stills and Nash, had been ill for some time.
    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 1
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    This is what they promised us when I was a kid. What happened? 

All I have is 700 channels of rubbish on the TV in High Def, TikTok, Facebook and a phone I can take photographs with . . .

    This is what they promised us when I was a kid. What happened?

    All I have is 700 channels of rubbish on the TV in High Def, TikTok, Facebook and a phone I can take photographs with . . .
    ... See MoreSee Less

    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 54
    • Shares: 22
    • Comments: 7

    Comment on Facebook

    I thought we would have moving pavements by now when I was a kid πŸ˜‚

    Totally agree!!!

    The new Tesla, 4.6 next century.

    We got transvestite story hour instead

    We appear to be going backwards

    There's actually a very good David Graeber essay on this very topic: thebaffler.com/salvos/of-flying-cars-and-the-declining-rate-of-profit

    The Jetsons strike again.

    View more comments

    Renowned Australian singer Renee Geyer is dead at 69 following complications from hip surgery. Such a fabulous voice. RIP😒

https://nostalgiacentral.com/music/artists-l-to-z/artists-r/renee-geyer/

    Renowned Australian singer Renee Geyer is dead at 69 following complications from hip surgery. Such a fabulous voice. RIP😒

    nostalgiacentral.com/music/artists-l-to-z/artists-r/renee-geyer/
    ... See MoreSee Less

    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    That is so sad to hear πŸ˜₯ rest in peace πŸ™ πŸ•Š xx

    Gina Lollobrigida: Italian screen star dies at 95
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64292026

    Gina Lollobrigida: Italian screen star dies at 95
    www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64292026
    ... See MoreSee Less

    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 5
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    😍😍😍😍

    Vale Jeff Beck. Dead at 78. 😒

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Jeff Beck: British guitar legend dies aged 78

    www.bbc.co.uk

    One of rock's most influential guitarists, he was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice.
    4 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 1
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    Load more
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Sport Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright Β© 1998, 2023 Nostalgia Central
    • About Nostalgia Central
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.