Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979) First Time Watching! Movie Reaction!!

Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979)
Apart from the sanitation, medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh water system and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?
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This video is for commentary and criticism only and is not a replacement for watching Monty Python's Life of Brian
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[@johnnash2815]

He’s not the messiah, he’s a very naughty boy. Cracks me up every time 😂

[@auerstadt06]

Best single line in the entire film.

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

They'll be stoned before we get there

[@gertrudelaronge6864]

Blessed are the cheese makers.

[@Switzdiggity]

I use the meme on Trump Supporters. XD

[@cyberdan42]

In its day this was a hugely controversial film, the original production company actually withdrew support, it looked like the film was doomed but then the former Beatle George Harrison, a huge Python fan, personally funded the film and it got made, and then was massively protested, strictly rated and banned in some nations. One of the most cutting socio-religious movies ever made (it has a non-binary gender controversy joke decades ahead of its time), immensely funny, a timeless classic.

[@marcelklappert2127]

Yeah, and nowadays we would need the same kind of movie about the life of Mohammed, the founder of Islam.

[@richieclean]

@@marcelklappert2127 why?

[@marcelklappert2127]

@@richieclean Because, if you can't laugh about yourself and your religious beliefs, you are a fanatic, a potential murderer or terrorist. For example: If someone would call me as a German "Nazi", that wouldn't trigger me.

[@tommacduff4330]

@@marcelklappert2127 because you are one

[@72tadrian65]

@@tommacduff4330 Go back to your cave troll boy.

[@f0rth3l0v30fchr15t]

"Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" is one of, if not the, most commonly played songs at funerals in the UK. It was sung with considerable gusto by the crews of HMS Sheffield and HMS Coventry after they were forced to abandon ship (one after being hit by an Exocet which extensivey - and ironically - damaged it damage control systems, particularly the seawater pumps for firefighting; the other after a bomb breached the bulkhead seperating the 2 largest watertight compartments on the ship, causing uncontrollable flooding and capsizing her in 20 minutes). Particular emphasis, of course, went to the line "worse things happen at sea, you know".

[@garycrow1943]

I tell this to people and they don't believe me but every word is true.

[@kingscorpion7346]

I served in the US Navy back in the 80's, and I was part of the Damage Control team, so I know EXACTLY what you're talking about! and it was awesome that the crews bravely sang that particular song during a scary time as that.

[@edfrancis66]

@@garycrow1943 I posted about this on another reaction a few months ago, and someone accused my of lying 😂. Go figure. Doesn't take much to check the facts

[@yannikakapralli]

They are playing it at funerals??? WoW. Didnt know ´that. Here in Germany we play just boring Shit...

[@garycrow1943]

@@edfrancis66 That doesn't surprise me one little bit.

[@sannaolsson9106]

One of the funniest movies ever. The shoe scene is genius. They went through the history of religion and the people interpreting it in just a few min 👌🏻😆

[@cuffzter]

One can see from scenes like this that the church got a bit miffed at the Monty Pythons. Even though they said that "its not about Jesus. Its about this guy called Brian that lived at the same time as him." But the parallells were a bit to on the nose for the church to believe them.

[@sannaolsson9106]

@@cuffzter That's the church's problem though, not Monty Python. They were never disrespectful to Jesus and Brian CLEARLY isn't him, as shown in the beginning.

[@RevStickleback]

@@cuffzter Most of those complaining hadn't even seen the film. The actual "Brian as a messiah" element is actually a relatively short segment of the film overall.

[@frugalseverin2282]

@@cuffzter They poke fun at the people (and crucifixion) not Jesus who it appears Brian took a liking to. He tried relaying the little he heard from the Sermon on the Mount when he pretended to be a prophet. Jesus' words fell on deaf ears, the ex-leper is another example.

[@davidw.2791]

I read a “for dummies” book on the old testament, and it turns out that taking off a shoe was in fact a gesture used to secure deals back then.

[@operative2136]

It's worth noting that when Graham Chapman died (the python who played Brian), "always look on the bright side of life" was the song they sang at his memorial.

[@mhlevy]

And be sure to check out John Cleese's eulogy, it was absolutely hilarious.

[@KenFromBeara]

@@mhlevy very true. Ironic part about cleese giving the eulogy is they never quite got on

[@RevStickleback]

I had a Indian friend, as she said she watched it with her husband, and they loved the "what have the Romans ever done for us" scene, because it reminded her of discussions back home in India about the colonial era.

[@ravenmasters2467]

that always comes to my mind also whenever i see that scene. i would not be the least bit suprised if it was in their minds also when writing it.

[@spoonzor1]

@@ravenmasters2467 Well that is the joke so :p

[@macedindu829]

It's really pretty true of colonialism generally.

[@r.g.o3879]

The whole idea behind colonies is to exploit a country for it's resources to benefit the people of the mother country. In the case of India you had a relatively advanced country and people who were fragmented by religious differences and petty squabbles between neighbors. This allowed the British and french to move in and take control. One big difference between the British and the french was that the french simply wanted economic benefits but not to get bogged down in colonial issues. Fewer french came to live or settle while the British who come from an overcrowded island were always trying to dump some surplus people in a new colony like America or Australia. They involved themselves much more deeply in Indian politics and trained and armed native troops to do their fighting. The french never made the same effort. After losing a few sea battles they fought a halfhearted war and withdrew as this was the middle of the Napoleonic period. Actually one of Bonaparte's reasons for invading Egypt was to set up a route to India but again the revolution had gutted the best of the french naval officers who were almost all nobles thus the to french fleet went from being the equal of Britain's in the late 1700s to being second rate, and the biggest cause of Napoleons defeat. Meanwhile Wellington and Clive imposed british rule over the subcontinent and soon thousands of military men and civilians arrived to create a ruling class that remained until the Japanese attacked. In the decades of British rule much European culture and inventions arrived to make the Sahib's more comfortable, of course some of this trickled down to the Indian nobility and even to the lower classes. The British helped to improve much of Indian society even if it was never their intention. By the end of the second world war men like Ghandi who was trained to be a lawyer were able to organize and momentarily overcome their differences in order to achieve their independence. It only took a few years for India to become a major Asian power mainly thanks to all they learned and gained from the Brits, but you have to remember all the humiliation, abuse and thousand killed trying to free themselves. There was always an argument among Brits whether to force greater cultural changes indian society. The vast social gulf between rich and poor, religious conflict and the terrible way Indian women were treated as bad as much of the middle east, Africa and Asia all treated women to this day. Rape, abuse, murder are all comited upon women with little effort to stop or change. The Brits decided to Iook the other way to many cultural faults in order to maintain their economic grip but in the end they were thrown out and the best hope for generations of Indian women left with them. Now to be fair much improvement has been made but there is still a long way to go. That India is far ahead of most of that region though is thanks to the British. Back in Roman Palestine there was much improvement under the Romans but due to the fanatics among Jewish groups years of war and conflict would engulf the region much as it still does today. My personal belief is no man should ever harm another over religion. If God wants to kill someone he can do it himself, no true God would ever demand killing from his followers. Until we get the fanatics of all religions out of the way there will never be peace.

[@macedindu829]

@@r.g.o3879 nice write-up, but there will never be peace in any case. It's right there in the Fallout slogan. Evidently, it must confer some evolutionary advantage.

[@nikolaiquack8548]

Small correction: The guy with the lisp was Pontius Pilate, not Caesar. The guy who let Jesus be crucified in the bible. Also, the guy on the mountain was Jesus, not Moses.

[@0okamino]

Oh, details, details. The way you go on about it, you’d think it was some sort of holy scripture or something.

[@clutchpedalreturnsprg7710]

Hi T.B.R. S., to learn more about the blessed cheesemakers, then read " The Sermon on the Mount ".

[@DrunkenCoward1]

@@clutchpedalreturnsprg7710 Don't you mean “The Sermon on the Mounds“, which was a discussion Jesus had about cows udders?

[@clutchpedalreturnsprg7710]

@@DrunkenCoward1 Nope.

[@steriopticon2687]

@@DrunkenCoward1 Candy bars, you heretic.

[@greigclement9081]

The look of incredulous disbelief on Brian's mother's face as a naked woman suddenly pops out of his bed and starts passionately defending him cracks me up., "Who the bloody hell is that ?! LOL

[@metetural9140]

I read that they didn't tell him she was gonna be naked and that was his genuine reaction, dunno if that's true tho

[@denmaroca2584]

The actress, Sue Jones-Davies, was later Mayor of Aberystwyth in Wales. She was told the town had banned Life of Brian for over 30 years. She then sponsored a charity screening of the film in the town, which some of the cast attended. (It later turned out that it hadn't actually been banned!)

[@MLennholm]

@@metetural9140 Terry Jones, who played Brian's mother, also directed the film so I seriously doubt he would be unaware of that

[@davidw.2791]

@@MLennholm Not if in the script she wasn’t supposed to be fully nude and the actress decided to prank everyone on that.

[@jeffreyjeziorski1480]

​@@davidw.2791I, for one, applaud that English full frontal humor.

[@ash1851]

John Cleese was a Latin tutor at Cambridge so that was him just giving lessons again. The guy with the white beard in the middle of the shoe/gourd bit who just walks away is the amazing Spike Milligan (who was a huge influence for Monty Python) who was on tour visiting some of the places he was at in WW2. He met up with the Pythons by accident and they offered him a part.

[@davidwatson22]

Ya not many Americans recognise spike , loved his old TV comedy shows

[@Scottie_S]

I'm kinda old...The Goon Show was something that I grew up with as a kid. Spike, Harry and Peter were my heroes. I had the pleasure of meeting Spike when I was very young and he was visiting his Mum who was living in Woy Woy. I'm now a bloody old man who has no claim to fame aside from being able to balance a chopstick on my nose to make the people in line at my local Chinese restaurant laugh uncomfortably at my circus trick...

[@realburglazofficial2613]

The “Romani eunt domus” skit is probably one of the funniest things ever committed to film.

[@frugalseverin2282]

George Harrison has a cameo as well, when the swarm is outside Brian's window and they all say, "Yes, we're all individuals." George says, "I'm not," and ironically gets shushed.

[@SadPeterPan1977]

@@davidwatson22 His TV stuff is good but it's his writing and performing as part of The Goon Show comedy radio show from the 1950s with Peter Sellars and Harry Seacombe that's his finest work.

[@jcraigie]

The look John Cleese as the Centurion gives the Sergeant when he reports finding the spoon cracks me up every time. My favorite of their movies.

[@michaellaporte4951]

He has an enormously expressive face.

[@greigclement9081]

Also the dismayed look he gets when both Biggus Dickus and Pilate are going to give a joint public speech. lol.

[@MySerpentine]

@@greigclement9081 More like horrified.

[@tjaldin]

When watching this in school, our teacher explained a hidden joke: after crashing, the tail fin of the spaceship has signs on it. These are Hebrew (iirc) and translate roughly to "Star Trek " :)

[@delwynklassen3644]

Love the details. Also, my favourite example of Deus Ex Machina.

[@PowerMadLabRat]

That's fantastic. Thank you for the info!

[@treetopjones737]

Also the joke of them falling back to Earth in the same spot they left from after going way out into space.

[@michaelcullen5308]

The Sermon on the Mount scene (with Jesus) was there partly because the Pythons wanted to make clear that they were satirising religion, and not Jesus, who they thought was probably a top bloke.

[@davidw.2791]

It’s like an inverse of Ben Hur. Instead of Ben Hur himself seeing the light and even be close to Jesus when the Passion is happening, those dumb people derailed themselves and lost out on listening to Jesus’s great words because they THOUGHT they found the messiah Brian.

[@vorbis4860]

I think this was the best one. Holy Grail is absurdist. This is satire. Definitely more coherent.

[@bennyfactor1]

The film was banned in a number of places for numerous reasons, religion, nudity, etc, In Aberystwyth in Wales it was only shown once in 30 years until the new elected mayor of the town organised further screenings in 2008/9. Her name was Sue Jones Davies who thirty years early had appeared nude in the movie The Life of Brian as Judith.

[@shanenolan8252]

Good for her , i remember her ( naked again) in 1984 with john hurt. It was banned in Ireland too up until the 90s ( nlmost saw it on pirate copies)

[@ThePheasantPluckerr]

It was banned for years in Ireland too

[@TheSpanishInquisition87]

Watching y'all laugh was a lot of fun. This movie is so iconic, and was very controversial when it was released. It's amazing how well it holds up even after nearly 50 years.

[@vincentjoyce5100]

Religion hasn’t.

[@LA_HA]

Kevin Wood: Especially the "What have the Romans ever done for us?" scene. And, yeah, religion has held up quite well. There are more religions than ever, and most aren't as violent as they used to be back in the day

[@ravenmasters2467]

I think the transgender joke makes it as relevant now as it ever was.

[@BoredMarcus]

@@ravenmasters2467 Terry Jones said multiple times in the years before his death that this movie couldn't be made today because of political correctness and religious extremism.

[@ravenmasters2467]

@@BoredMarcus i think thats absolutely right. but i also think you would agree that that doesnt make it any less relevant.

[@Arthur_King_of_the_Britons]

Another John Cleese movie you might enjoy is 'Clockwise' - it's about a day in the life of a stiff headteacher who goes to collect a prestigious award and suffers one misfortune after another disrupting his very precise schedule. It's a small film but charming and funny

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

Wow! A new one, on me! I'll keep my eyes peeled for it.

[@terryv2006]

HILARIOUS movie!

[@nonamenola33]

Right!

[@ravenmasters2467]

Agreed. A great movie.

[@kristin1533]

Clockwise is one of my favorite movies! John Cleese is always hysterical!

[@lesliemonster92]

Every time I see John Cleese and Michael Palin, I'm reminded that you two should absolutely PLEASE react to A Fish Called Wanda if you haven't seen it yet! I have a great feeling you'd love it. Absolutely hilarious, and also features Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Kline---the latter I believe won an oscar for the supporting role :) Pretty impressive since most comedic performances go unnoticed at the big awards

[@ravenmasters2467]

Id definitley add my voice to those calling for a "A Fish Called Wanda" reaction vid. I agree that i think The Schmitts would love it.

[@gingerbill128]

Yes to this

[@Slaphappy1975]

👍👍👍

[@Rikard_Nilsson]

This movie was personally sponsored by George Harrison of the Beatles because he liked monthly python so much, in what has been described as the most expensive movie ticket in history.

[@Sweetish_Jeff_]

Yes, and he has a cameo in the film, too. George was best friends with Eric Idle. If you get a chance, and you’re a Beatles fan, go check out “The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash”.

[@movieopinions7201]

Love the reaction, the animation was done by a member of Monty Python, Terry Gilliam, he in his own right is a great director, you've already seen Twelve Monkeys. If you like that Animation style check out some of his crazier movies like Brazil, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Time Bandits and Jabberwocky. He has a unique style that really stands out

[@IanPageEchols]

All of these for sure. Brazil twice as much so

[@88wildcat]

He also plays the prophet who is covered in mud. Keith Moon was going to play that part but he died two weeks before filming began.

[@m.e.3862]

"we'll take the gold, you can keep the frankincense and myrrh" is one of my favorite throwaway lines from the movie 🙂 My buddies who went to a Catholic private school found the centurion correcting the Latin graffiti sequence hilarious because it was essentially what they learned in latin class and he sounded like their teacher 😛

[@ravenmasters2467]

Having also done O Level Latin i agree. Funny thing is our Latin teacher was a scouser and spoke Latin with a thick, Liverpudlian accent, which was hilarious in itself. i can still here him now almost 40 years later. "amo, amas, amat, amamus, amatis, amant" (imagine the thick scouse accent).

[@KenFromBeara]

I know that feeling. I speak italian with a Cork accent

[@hazzytastic]

Cleese actually taught Latin before this, so there's a good reason it feels spot on

[@Bleckman666]

When I found out that it was banned in Norway back in the day, I remember liking this movie even more.

[@DATo_DATonian]

WHAT HAVE THE NORWEGIANS EVER DONE FOR US ?

[@georgemorley1029]

Jesus is played by the same actor who played Admiral Piett in Star Wars, Ken Colley.

[@Madbandit77]

Ken was also in "Jabberwocky" as one of the religious fanatics.

[@Some_Idiot_on_the_Internet]

I always felt bad for the roman guy coordinating the crucifixions, when that guy told him he was being let go you could see he was so happy to hear that news. Just a genuinely pleasant person stuck with the most awful job.

[@jamieross3563]

Later in his career in the UK, Michael Palin became well known for several Travel Shows, one of which, he went round the countries that are in the Sahara Desert, one of which is Tunisia, where most of this movie was filmed, and he revisited the sets where the crucifixion set took place, and stood on the balcony where he stood as Pontius Pilate in the film, 30+ years afterwards

[@N0rnagest]

Did you notice George Harrison ( The Beatle) as an extra... ( He was a huge Python fan and partly financed this film).... and also Spike Milligan , a legend of british comedy, as an extra.... creating a laugh out of one word ... "Wait!" and then wandering off.

[@chrisbiebel6205]

BTW, there was going to be another famous rocker cameo in it, too. Keith Moon, the drummer for The Who, was supposed to play the "Mud Prophet" (the guy on "Prophet Row" who was covered in mud and just wearing a loin cloth). However, he unfortunately died before it could happen.

[@Britcarjunkie]

A young Tracey Ullman can be seen as well.

[@matthewdeepdensity6601]

Love the wall's scene... So hilarious... "But 'Romans, go home' is an order, so you must use the...?"

[@Trygvar13]

My Latin teacher actually used this scene as a lesson back in my youth because it was just perfect.

[@Kavala76]

Imperative?

[@szeddezs]

​@@Trygvar13 Apart from the physical threats of violence, my first Latin teacher was just as old school as the centurion.

[@kegr1066]

IIRC, when the actor that played Brian passed away irl, those at the funeral whistled "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life"

[@jeffgaboury3157]

LOL My favourite Monty Python film (with Holy Grail #2). FYI, the guy they're trying to hear preaching, is Christ in the sermon on the mount. Hence the "Blessed are the peacemakers" being mistaken for "Blessed are the cheesmakers", because they can't hear. Classic. One of the most hard hitting of all their movies and it was banned in many places.

[@IsenoAlpha]

The guy you thought was Caesar was Pontius Pilate, the guy blamed for crucifying Jesus in the Bible. And I agree, he was the best part of the movie, especially the scene of him telling people to not laugh at Bigus Dickus.

[@Jagamy]

Biggus dickus, he leads a quack woeman legion.

[@Billinois78]

"Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" plays on the P.A. system at the end of concerts by the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, after the band leaves the stage and the lights come on. Fans sing along with it on their way out.

[@carm3d]

John Cleese, the roman soldier who was correcting Brian's latin used to teach latin in school. :)

[@nikolaiquack8548]

This movie is actually super iconic here in Germany as well. I was shown it, when I was a kid and have loved it ever since. The story is more streamlined than in Holy Grail. I also love the commentary on how stupid religion is.

[@DrunkenCoward1]

I actually first watched it in religion classes, which is ironic.

[@nikolaiquack8548]

@@DrunkenCoward1 Not at all. I think in Germany it's pretty normal to watch it in religion class, when it's close to school's end for the summer or smth :D

[@szeddezs]

I wasn't raised to be religious in the first place, but this movie really cemented the foundation for my disdain for religion later in life.

[@RexFuturi]

It isn't about religion being stupid. It's about people being stupid and misunderstanding and abusing religion. The religion itself was never criticized, and Jesus was actually shown with a fair amount of reverence.

[@nikolaiquack8548]

@@RexFuturi Misunderstanding is a prerequisite for religion, not something that stands outside of it.

[@chrisleebowers]

"You are all individuals!" "WE ARE ALL INDIVIDUALS!" "You all have free will!" "WE ALL HAVE FREE WILL" " *I* don't!"

[@-R.Gray-]

About the scene near the end where they all say "I'm Brian". I'm sure this is referring to the scene in the 1960 movie Spartacus where slaves are told the Romans would spare their lives if they identify which of them is Spartacus (Kirk Douglas), and one after another they shout "I'm Spartacus".

[@Cheepchipsable]

Never thought of that, but it does make sense, though in this case they were trying to save themselves rater than Brian. "I'm Brian, and so is my wife!"

[@justanobadi6655]

the funny thing is when his girlfriend comes back and tells him that she'll never forget him it's almost certainly another Spartacus reference.

[@davidw.2791]

It was also homaged - played straight - in The Mask Of Zorro.

[@cboyles84]

The Biggus Dickus skit was genuine. They really were struggling to stifle their laughter and everything. That's my favorite part of this movie. Love Monty Python ❤️❤️

[@peterdemkiw3280]

Charles McKeown, Chris Langham, Bernard McKenna and Andrew MacLachlan played the guards in scene 13, brilliant acting and a brilliant script, it's very funny, it's a shame people think these actors were extras and don't give them the credit they deserve, some people think they were threatened with not being paid if they laugh, or some other nonsense around the scene.

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

For a wonderful film, with many Monty python actors (and writers), with much this same style, i suggest 'Time Bandits."

[@ravenmasters2467]

Agreed. great film.

[@agenttheater5]

I think it's a nice extra touch that they are respectful in a few spaces - when the three 'wise' men find the proper manger and when we see Jesus preaching up until we get to the last two rows.

[@Cheepchipsable]

It's just meant to establish Brian's life is parallel to Jesus.

[@SkyForgeVideos]

A couple more films worth checking out in this genre: "Time Bandits" "The Adventures of the Baron Munchausen"

[@ralphmerlin1856]

The way TBR always asks her opinion first and doesn't set her expectations is a gentlemanly breath of fresh air compared to other couple reaction videos. Cutest couple in the reaction business. Movie discussion you guys have is consistently thoughtful and intelligent. #Subbed4lyfe

[@blanewilliams5960]

That was well said. They are adorable, a joy to watch and love the discussions.

[@TheSpanishInquisition87]

I also love how they hold hands throughout their videos. It's adorable.

[@agenttheater5]

I still don't know what's my favourite line from the stoning, the: "Lay off! We haven't started yet!" or the: "Good shot!"

[@DrunkenCoward1]

My favourite is “What do I say? 'Yes?'“ “Yes.“ “Yes!“ It's the first time I've ever heard a word joke that minimalist. It repeats the word “Yes“ three times in a row, yet all of them are funny in themselves.

[@blanewilliams5960]

Have you seen "A Fish Called Wanda"-1988. With John Cleese, Michael Palin, Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Kline(Best Supporting Actor). If not it is one to see. Some good Terry Gilliam movies to check out as well others have mentioned. Peace.

[@USCFlash]

another genius comedy - "This is Spinal Tap"

[@kingfield99]

The 'Romans go home' graffiti scene is based upon the British public school Latin teacher that John Cleese had as a child. My Latin teacher at school loved it and showed it to us when we were just 12, we laughed at all the rude words!

[@ravenmasters2467]

Having also done O Level Latin i agree. Funny thing is our Latin teacher was a scouser and spoke Latin with a thick, Liverpudlian accent, which was hilarious in itself. i can still hear him now almost 40 years later. "amo, amas, amat, amamus, amatis, amant" (imagine the thick scouse accent).

[@TTM9691]

I hope all went well with your move! What a great double feature: Rocky and Life Of Brian!!!! A real treat to have you post these within hours of each other!

[@redips123gaming3]

When he was saying biggus dickus the actors were told not laugh or else they wouldn’t get payed those laughs were real😂😂

[@LordToddtastic666]

By far my favorite Python film. Such a brilliant, sardonic work, and Graham Chapman was absolutely perfect as Brian! So happy to see you two react to this one

[@fuelman1391]

My favorite Monty Python movie! I'm glad that you two enjoyed it as much as we were hoping you would! I'll add my vote for "A Fish Called Wanda". It's great!

[@JW666]

The budget for the movie mostly came from George Harrison from The Beatles, he even mortgaged his house and the reason why is because George loved the script and wanted to see it in the movie theater. No other movie company wanted to do anything with the script because of the controversial jokes about the religion, the movie even got banned in Norway (have no idea if it still is) and there's a debate program where John Cleese argued why this movie isn't really sacrilegious. What makes the Biggus Dickus scene even more funnier is that the extras were told not to laugh or they wouldn't get paid, and I can imagine how hard it was not to laugh mostly because of Michael Palin's funny speech impediment! XD

[@janb1363]

Fun fact: The guards during the emperor scene were told if they lough during the scene, they wouldn't get paid, so they would get a genuine reaction

[@peterdemkiw3280]

Fun fact... Your fun fact isn't a fact and is in fact not at all true. The 4 actors playing the guards in scene 13 were professional comic actors and together played 12 different roles in The Life of Brian. Bernard McKenna, the guard behind Brian on the left is an icon within British television comedy and was personal friends with Graham Chapman Michael Palin and John Cleese, and was involved in filming from day one and also helped with writing, he played 4 roles in the film, he was never threatened with not being paid for laughing in scene 13... Chris Langham the guard pulling the face was also a well known comic actor and director, best known for his work on Not the Nine oclock News, he played 2 roles in the film. Andrew MacLachlan, the guard behind Brian on the right is a well known comic actor, he played 2 roles in the film. Charles McKeown the first guard to laugh, played 4 different roles in the film and was personal friends with Michael Palin and John Cleese had worked on Ripping Yarns and Faulty Towers.. The "fact" any of these actors were threatened with not being paid for laughing in this one scene is absolutely NOT a fact. Script for scene 13 is available and includes stage direction for guards to giggle.

[@peterdemkiw3280]

Michael Palin is playing the Emperor he's the Governor.

[@Cheepchipsable]

@@peterdemkiw3280 Man, all these people who don't even know who the characters are meant to be.

[@willcool713]

If you're looking into other Terry Gilliam movies, please let me once again suggest, The Fisher King, Jeff Bridges, Robin Williams, and Mercedes Ruhl won an Oscar. A seriously underappreciated gem. And while a dramedy, the humor remains both very dark, and intricately tied to the meaning in the plot. Lots of novel ideas regarding social ills.

[@poochyenajones1362]

That's one of my most favourite movies.

[@SadPeterPan1977]

Also 'The Adventures of Baron Munchausen' , 'The Time Bandits' and of course 'Brazil'

[@claytonskids6764]

You Guys really understood this classic, many people don’t “get it” I like that you commented on many scenes…not just the silly ones. Thanks for sharing 👍🤗

[@8967Logan]

The ending always reminds me of what Sam Kinison says about dying from crucifixion, "Maybe I wouldn't have to if somebody got a ladder and a pair of pliers". And the guy that couldn't say his "R" was Pontius Pilate. Loved your review, always fun to watch you two.

[@waltdee1258]

I still say 'The Meaning of Life' is their masterpiece.

[@jazzx251]

Brazil is a fantastic film - I've watched it several times. It's prophetic to the dystopia we now find ourselves in .. overreliance on flawed technology, no human rights for even the middle class, broken down maintenance - and an elite that gets plastic surgery whenever they like. And a government that performs surveillance and torture in order to protect the super rich. It's basically a 'modern' version of Orwell's 1984 It was supposed to be a dark comedy parody of what a terrible future might hold for us. It has ALL come true.

[@ravenmasters2467]

As a life-long Python fan, literally, having grown up in a Python-fan household in the 70's, i loved you reacting to this. It is by far the best of their movies for me. The Meaning of Life is also briliant and yes you def should do that soon.

[@hannesmayer3716]

The "Romanes eunt domus"-scene you can only really appreciate if you learned Latin back in school. Besides the sword and the corporal punishment, it's quite accurate...

[@Richard_Jones]

I was going through the East Midlands town of Southwell a few years back and spotted Romanus Ite Domum sprayed on a fence. Classy grafitti artists they have.

[@steriopticon2687]

There is a KZbin video with a guy going through exactly how correct the centurion's critique of Bwyan's latin was.

[@teanosuger]

@@steriopticon2687 yes I listened to it Very enlightening

[@allanleslieanderson1858]

I had a fairly similar experience learning french in highschool. It's pretty universal to learning a language from a terrifying teacher.

[@Kai-fb1ol]

John Cleese was a Latin teacher for a while, that's why it's so accurate.

[@aronh4885]

The Meaning of Life is my favourite Python film. I'm looking forward to your reaction

[@flmlvr]

I saw this movie on opening day in 1979. In other reactions to this film I've seen, they almost CONSISTENTLY disappoint me how they react to the full frontal nude scene. When Brian opened the shutters and we get the full frontal shot, my audience was actually quite silent. I don't recall any gasps or squirming or anything like that. What I DO remember is when it's revealed that there is a crowd outside the window, my audience roared so hard and so loud that, and I'm not kidding here, the dialogue was completely inaudible for the rest of the scene. The audience couldn't stop laughing. We were THAT surprised by the punchline. But you two did not disappoint me. It looked like you two were going to bust your gut. And to me, THAT is how people should react to that particular gag. Great job. And btw, watch this movie more than once and you will catch even more jokes.

[@lexkanyima2195]

That will be never made today or rebooted.

[@gustonzimasheen]

Always look on the bright side of life

[@blanewilliams5960]

LOL...Always!

[@maximillianosaben]

The end of this movie never fails to make me smile.

[@Jeff_Lichtman]

My favorite moment: Brian: Please, please, please listen! I've got one or two things to say. The Crowd: Tell us! Tell us both of them! Brian: Look, you've got it all wrong! You don't NEED to follow ME, You don't NEED to follow ANYBODY! You've got to think for your selves! You're ALL individuals! The Crowd: Yes! We're all individuals! Brian: You're all different! The Crowd: Yes, we ARE all different! Man in crowd: I'm not...

[@mhlevy]

This movie was a masterpiece. Terry Gilliam, the lone American in the Pythons, did the animation in the TV shows and the movies, but he's become an award-winning director as well. Brazil is an incredible, visually stunning movie. I was lucky enough to see it in the theaters when it first came out. If you get a chance, you should catch some of their best clips from their TV show, "Monty Python's Flying Circus" on their KZbin channel. Some of them are "The Fish Slapping Dance" (my very favorite,) Ministry of Silly Walks," "The Cheese Shop," "Crunchy Frog," "The Argument Sketch" "The Dead Parrot Sketch," and "The Lumberjack Song." And those are right off the top of my head!

[@eliberdinner4808]

My very British father says the "Romans go home" scene gives him PTSD flashbacks of Latin class in the early 1960s

[@nothingtobeconcernedabout7477]

Sam's silent laugh after the full frontal was hilarious.

[@88wildcat]

That scene created a continuity problem though. After they stopped filming it one of the crew told Chapman that everyone can see you aren't Jewish.

[@perrinyone1596]

"Meaning Of Life" isn't as good as the first two movies (although it has some great, classic stuff in it). I DEFINITELY recommend adding the classic TV series to your watch list, either on or off the channel! There aren't that many episodes, they are super classic, and they're only a half hour each. And you get tons of Terry Gilliam animation! So many classic sketches and bits. Happy you're going to eventually watch "Brazil", that's a great one!

[@garyd.schnurr135]

Though you have to be careful recommending "Meaning of Life", It has one of the grossest, most disgusting, scenes ever.

[@therealrooster]

Oh yeah, you definitely have to do the Flying Circus

[@peterdemkiw3280]

The Meaning of Life is the forth movie so if you didn't like it you could say it wasn't as good as the first three movies. But well done for knowing The meaning of life is a Monty python film.

[@darthvegan435]

@@peterdemkiw3280 The Meaning of Life is my favorite Python film...

[@treetopjones737]

Like gourmet crunchy frog chocolates.

[@TTM9691]

Loved this reaction! One of the great things about "Life Of Brian" is that it has WAY more Michael Palin than in "Holy Grail". He plays Pilate (not Caesar!), the prisoner on the wall, the ex-leper, the sympathetic crucifixion organizer, "Big Nose" in the beginning of the movie, one of the prophets sermonizing and one of the members of the group that Brian joins. The guy is on fire with characters in this movie! My fave Python member, although that's like picking a favorite Beatle, you need all of 'em, they're all essential. LOVED this reaction! I was laughing even in the post-movie discussion! PS: After this, Terry Gilliam stopped doing animation for Python. If you like that animation, I highly recommend doing the classic TV series. There are not that many episodes. They are way better than their last movie. Also recommended is "Brazil" directed by Terry Gilliam (Python member, the one who does the animations). That's a fantastic movie.

[@Hal2718]

It's rhotacism, not lisping. Otherwise known as Elmer Fudd Syndrome.

[@szeddezs]

Why does everyone in this comment section mix up Pontius Pilate and Biggus Dickus?? Biggus Dickus has the lisp, not Pilate.

[@TTM9691]

@@szeddezs Sorry, speech impediment. Oh the nits we pick.

[@ravenmasters2467]

@@TTM9691 Ok he was correcting you but it wasnt really nit-picking. I thought it was interesting and informative. And thats not having a go at you, i enjoyed and liked your comment, but i also liked that extra bit of info.

[@ravenmasters2467]

@@szeddezs i am not sure they are. i think they are incorrectly decribing Pontius Pilate's speech impediment as a lisp. i think thats what theyre "mixing up".

[@KevDaly]

The head Roman was Pontius Pilate, the governor.. One of my old bosses had Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life played at his funeral as the coffin was being taken out. I thought that was class 😀

[@philshorten3221]

In the crowded house scene one of the bearded guys being pushed aside is actually George Harrison from the Beatles (listen closely you can hear his Liverpudlian accent) Also the guy left alone after the Gord vs Sandle scene who just wanders out of shot to the right is legendary comedian Spike Milligan of Goons fame (he just happened to be on holiday in the area) George Harrison along with the Pink Floyd helped fund the movie, with Nick Mason using one of his really rare Ferrari's as collateral. Blessed are the cheesemakers 🤣

[@RevStickleback]

The 'hello' he says was dubbed on by Michael Palin.

[@88wildcat]

Harrison is right behind Cleese when he tells the people possessed by demons to try to control them. Also one of the crowd members tossing out names when Pilate is addressing the crowd was going to be Bob Hoskins but he had busted out into bigger roles by the time they started filming so they named the character Bob Hoskins instead.

[@ScreamingScallop]

This went into production just as _Star Wars_ had blown up the box office, so of course there had to be a spaceship. Also it gave animator Terry Gilliam something to do beside playing the most disgusting characters (he was, among others, the spitting jailer and the crazy ash-covered prophet with the staff of human hands).

[@realburglazofficial2613]

And the one who was m-m-mmm-mm-m-mMAD sir!

[@donaldb1]

I'm pretty sure the spaceship was also a nod to Erich von Daniken's spaceship of the gods stuff, which was popular at the time.

[@Bjowolf2]

John Cleese as a centurion giving very strict Latin lessons to poor Brian cracks me up every time - Romani it domum!

[@guscarlson7021]

"The Meaning of Life" is also priceless.

[@sloanjr]

You've probably heard this a thousand times before, but if you're going to explore Terry Gilliam films, give "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" a try. Enjoy your reactions and appreciate your wide spectrum of movies you choose to react to.

[@clutchpedalreturnsprg7710]

" Brazil " too.

[@Scimarad]

@@clutchpedalreturnsprg7710 The 'proper' version :)

[@Senor-Misterioso]

Holy Grail is Monty Python turned into a movie. Life of Brian is a movie that has been Pythonized. Great reaction!

[@buckdraper303]

Great reaction. This is my favorite Python movie by far. It's very subversive where religion is concerned, and it's got some great laughs as well. If you have a religious background, then you'll understand better what they were doing - exposing some its ridiculousness in very clever ways.

[@StayFractalesque]

this is my mother's favorite Full Monty flick.. my father says she and I butt heads sometimes because we're so much alike.. our shared love of this movie ironed out our relationship woes and now we have finally had tea after spending 34 years not speaking.. metaphorically, of course..🤷 we spoke all the time just never _communicated_ .. thanks brian!

[@vincentjoyce5100]

Well done Pythons!

[@terryhughes7349]

Good reaction! If you have time- check out ""The Meaning of Life" and complete the trilogy. Also, an early Terry Gilliam comedy "Time Bandits" with Sean Connery.

[@gamleskalle1]

"So funny it was banned in Norway" from a Swedish cinema poster. From Norway myself. My fave comedy. Seen it 15-20times. The boring prophet should run for President. Mother's day today so spare a thought for Judith.,the warmhearted mother of Brian.

[@Cheepchipsable]

Judith was the GF, not the mother. Brian's mother's name is apparently Mandy, but I don't recall anyone calling her that in the film.

[@snaek29]

Fun Fact... The "Biggus Dikus" scene. Monty Python told all of the actors playing the guards that all they had to do during the scene was "Not laugh under any circumstances and to hold a straight face throughout otherwise they would ruin the scene... because they only had enough money to do limited takes". Then they told the Monty Python actor to do whatever he could to make the actors playing the guards laugh and break character. So it is a genuine battle of wills caught on camera and the guard actors had no idea that this was the plan all along. So what you are actually seeing is a bunch of actors genuinely trying not to laugh for real out of fear of "ruining the scene". Which made that scene even funnier of course because it is actually people trying desperately to hold back laughter for real. Pretty clever way to do it... and knowing this and then rewatching that scene makes it even funnier.

[@peterdemkiw3280]

Fun fact. All of what you said is nonsense. A myth nothing more. Scene 13 was made of many takes stitched together, the guards had the script which includes stage direction for guards to giggle, they were following the script. All the actors playing the guards were respected professional comic actors between them they played 12 different roles in the film. What you see with scene 13 is the result of brilliant actors following a great script. They were not told to not laugh under any circumstances, they were simply employed to act, they were give a script and give opportunity to rehearse. their hard work payed off with a brilliant scene that people think is genuine laughter.

[@Cheepchipsable]

Uggh. So untrue. All of the actors were well known. The point of the scene is that they are containing their laughter for fear of reprisal.

[@BlueSummers101]

Sadly there is only one more Monty Python film to react to which as you mentioned is The Meaning of Life! The good news is that there is a huge treasure trove of films involving the python team either created by or containing many of the cast including: A Fish Called Wanda Jabberwocky Time Bandits Brazil The Adventures of Baron Munchausen The Fisher King Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas The Brothers Grimm The Wind in the Willows Labyrinth (Terry Jones aka Brian's mother wrote the screenplay) All of the above are just some of them and are highly recommended if you love the Python style and humor

[@YouHaventSeenMeRight]

Well there is also "And now for something completely different", which is a movie that consists of a lot of the sketches of the TV show reshot for the big screen.

[@tracygosell9199]

Yes, The Meaning of Life is a must see. Also watch for Yellowbeard and The Fisher King. Incredible in their own ways.

[@OuterGalaxyLounge]

You guys nailed so much of the humor on the first go. Very impressive. (I saw this movie when it came out in 1979 and reviewed it for my high school newspaper, btw). So many reaction channels just seem like clueless doorknobs, but you guys are sharp as tacks. One reason you're my favorite movie reaction channel.

[@Xoferif]

Fun fact: The epic Shirley Bassey James Bond style intro song was sung by a 16 year old girl called Sonja Jones. =)

[@juvandy]

One of the greatest movies ever made. Glad you enjoyed it!

[@richardb6260]

I live in South Carolina. People complained when this movie came out and Sen. Strom Thurmond contacted the owner of the theater chain (General Cinema) and had the movie pulled. Fortunately, a local theater picked it up and we got to see it. A local church group protested. But the people in line far outnumbered the protesters and we just made fun of them while we waited. Meaning of Life definitely has its moments. But it's hit and miss. I definitely recommend And Now for Something Completely Different. Especially if you never watched the TV show. It remakes a lot of their popular TV skits with a movie budget. In addition to Brazil, other Terry Gilliam films I can recommend are Time Bandits, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, and The Fisher King.

[@davidweidner6499]

As always, love the reactions. You guys not only have fun dissecting the parts you liked, but you also sometimes stumble on some serious truths as well. This movie not only takes the Bible and organized religion on, but also takes on the trans movement 40 years early with Stan becoming Loretta, and historical fact is brilliantly satirized in the "What have the Romans ever done for us" scene. My personal favorite of Gilliam's films in Brazil. I teach Gilliam in film classes. It's interesting how almost all of his films are about the battle between reality and fiction. In some of his films (the happier endings) fiction wins the day, but in his tragedies, reality suppresses fiction to the point where it destroys the human spirit to fantasize. I won't say which ones are which to avoid spoiling these great films, but since you've seen Twelve Monkeys, that one is one of the tragedies. A Fish Called Wanda is definitely a movie you guys will enjoy. Hope you get to it soon. Kevin Kline won a well-deserved Oscar for his bonkers portrayal of Otto. And instead of animating everything like he did in "Grail" Gilliam was responsible for directing the spaceship sequence. Absolutely crazy non-sequitur at the exact middle of the film. Which the Pythons will do again in "Meaning of Life", actually calling it the "Middle of the Film"

[@alexkaen1701]

Did anyone else notice that Biggus Dickus is definitely Brian's real father?

[@7rollface]

The musical number at the end all came about because they thought it’d be funny to have a song and dance routine where people can’t move. But I think it was Michael Palin who said that as they were driving to the set that day and saw all the crosses that hill that he thought “what the hell are we actually making?” It’s definitely amweird ending, simultaneously light-hearted and funny and melancholy and dark.

[@gazamblegaming6610]

The Life of Brian is one of the over 700 Movies that are forbidden to show at eastern in the tv or Cinemas here in Germany. Other Films on the List are Ghostbusters, Top Gun, Police Academie, a Hard Day´s Night, Reservoir Dogs, Jackass- the Movie, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Heidi in the Mountains and many more. Its about Religous feelings that could be hurt by these movies.

[@LA_HA]

Really? That's crazy. You guys should protest that nonsense. Sheesh

[@Cheepchipsable]

Eastern, or do you mean at Easter?

[@gazamblegaming6610]

@@Cheepchipsable easter

[@freebird264]

Fun fact: for the Biggus Dickus scene, the extras playing the guards weren't told what was going on. Their only instructions were "not to laugh" and whoever didn't laugh got the part in the final cut.

[@jenspfennig9226]

The funniest grammar lesson ever 🤣 Great reaction to an all time classic comedy!

[@markharris1125]

I find that most reactors get this film completely wrong. The message clearly is that, if we had but followed the gourd, we wouldn't be in the mess we are today.

[@hgman3920]

you mean the sandal, right?

[@markharris1125]

@@hgman3920 Splitter!

[@cgbleak]

Late to the party, but... Sam, I know there are cultures where it's impolite for a woman to openly smile. But you have a lovely, adorable smile and there's no reason to hide it. Sometimes you forget! And yeah, TBR, you got a pretty good smile too. I hope the three of you are all doing great.

[@buzzardbeatniks]

The speaker in the scene at the beginning where the people couldn't hear him was Jesus delivering his famous "sermon on the mount" in which he states "Blessed are the peacemakers (cheese makers) : for they shall be called the children of God."

[@MrCiskaos]

A very nice Classic! Hope you enjoy it. Love your reactions. Authentic, friendly and wholesome. Wish the best in the future!

[@JumpOnYourHead]

This is Monthy Python's best movie imo. Not only is it cohesive, but the subject comments has aged really well and are still very relevant today.

[@bigs1546]

Saw this in the theatre when it first came out and there was a Monty Python cartoon before the movie "Don was a Cockroach" he got stomped in the end. Love their cartoons, done by Python Terry Gilliam, he played the crazy prophet with mud on him, and the jailer who was supposed to be deaf and dumb, plus some other non-remarkable roles in Life of Brian. You need to watch some of Monty Python's Flying Circus - their TV skit show.

[@Cheepchipsable]

There was also a travel short narrated by Cleese IIRC.

[@bigs1546]

@@Cheepchipsable Don't recall that one at my theatre but I certainly remember Don Was Cockroach..........mind you it was looong time ago lol

[@HM-bw7uk]

Watch , a fish called wanda , next. Its a great comedy with a lot of Monty Python actors in it!

[@peterdemkiw3280]

It has 2 Monty python actors in it. Michael Palin and John Cleese.

[@garethstanden3732]

As a kid this was the first movie that made me cry laughing and it’s great it seems to work all these years later with you guys. And if the UK ever scraps the Monarchy, there’s a good chance that final song would be voted as the new national anthem I reckon. It’s part of the culture here. 😉

[@dwcinnc]

"Popped by?" "Swarmed by more like, there' s a multitude out there."

[@dennisjk768]

My favourite Python movie, we watch it always around Christmas. My friends and the funny parts of my family are regularly quoting from this masterpiece. A classic. Funny detail from a documentary about this movie. A Swedish cinema had in big letters over their entrance: "Life of Brian - a movie so funny they banned it in Norway".