In the land of Judea, in the time of Jesus of Nazareth, the Roman Empire’s control and influence is felt by those in the Middle East. The Hebrew people are persecuted and crucified on their own days of worship; in the face of Jewish rebellions. A Messiah is named, followed, and killed. At the same time the Romans establish foreign culture, irrigation through aqueducts, sanitation in the form of sewers in the most occupied lands. Political and religious tensions define this time with the utmost seriousness. Which is why it was perfect for satirization by the brilliant Monty Python team in their controversial film Life of Brian.
Life of Brian debuted in Britain in 1979. Pious audiences were so offended and outraged at the clever and blasphemous satire that it was banned in multiple countries for several decades. Where it was not outright banned it was given an X rating or heavily edited. Monty Python has a gift of creating satire based in truth backed by observable historical precedents and recurrence. In many cases the angrier a devotee the truer the commentary is. Fitting that a near parody of Christ’s life would be filmed on the same set in Monastir, Tunisia, where the series Jesus of Nazareth was filmed two years prior in 1977.
Brian Cohen is the namesake and protagonist of Life of Brian. Graham Chapman portrays the simple and average Brian who in the course of the movie is elevated to the status of a martyred messiah by zealous sheeple (people behaving like sheep following one blindly) in search of answers. He is even born at the same time as Jesus, which comedically results in the wise men mistaking baby Brian as the messiah, realize their mistake and take back their gifts. In the course of these events we are presented with commentary of empirical power and those who defy it. Much of Brian’s life as we see it is parallel or the antithesis of Jesus, case and point instead of having a virgin mother, Brian was a child of rape. Brian’s mother (played by Terry Jones) is husbandless and seems to make her income by pleasuring Roman soldiers. Brian is told his father’s name was Naughtius Maximus, which makes his mother saying “he’s not the messiah, he’s a very naughty boy” even funnier. Even the idea of Deus Ex Machina is parodied by use of an alien ship rescuing Brian during one of his escapes. The phrase Deus Ex Machina is Latin for god of the machine. Conflict is resolved due to miraculous circumstance by way of divine intervention. “God” saving Brian by way of aliens makes for amusing commentary.
Multiple locations with similar architecture were used to create this world most of the film was filmed around The Ribat Monastir in Tunisia.This fortified monastery built in the year 796 was basically a coastal castle was filled with endless tunnels and passageways, providing a deep look at the traditional Arab architecture throughout the movie. We are shown the world of Judean architecture and culture with Roman infusions, in one case an almost excessive inclusion of marble statues decorating the square of the Monastir. A Romanesque veranda, white columns and all was constructed directly into the old stone walls to emphasize the idea of Roman occupation. Also there is a depiction of gladiatorial combat in the Amphitheatre in Tunis Tunisia. We get to see an armored Secutor gladiator chase after a nearly naked victim who ultimately outruns his armored foe till the Secutor has a heart attack. Kasbah of Sousse is a beautiful sandstone wall and tower which transport us to that biblical age. We get a taste of Roman mosaic flooring in the scene where the anti-Roman terrorist group Brian joins attempts to kidnap Pontius Pilate’s wife. The group digs up through the floor and pops out through the figure on the floors crotch.
Speaking of the biblical age, above I referenced that the locations were the same used in the series Jesus of Nazareth. In addition, many of the props and costumes that were left behind were rehashed by the Pythons. The comedic specificity and authenticity used in the film were not immediately noticeable to the casual observer. A myriad of social, political, religious references are made, relating the past to the present. An example being the discussion among the People’s Front of Judea about the positive and negative influence of an invasive imperial entity. The naked body is a work of art and is used several times throughout the film. When Brian opens the window and accidentally exposes himself to a crowd of people you get a quick shot of Graham Chapman’s nakedness. Since the character was Jewish and Chapman was not, they used a rubber band to simulate the effect of a bris. Brian’s mother enters to see Judith (also naked and the reason Brian was naked), nice to see some equality from the Pythons. Full nudity in film needs to be more mainstream and artistically more accurate to reality. The Pythons were always ahead of there time. Especially when including the character Stan who wanted to be a woman named Loretta.
I really cannot begin to describe all the clever heresy which takes place in this brilliant film. It truly was a brand-new take on an ancient story in ancient locations. We got to explore the ideas of what a Roman occupied Arab society may have looked like. Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, and the rest involved with Monty Python should be proud that they created such a clever and hysterical historical commentary on religion and politics among lands and architecture known for less than humorous struggles. We live in a tumultuous world in the same vein. We are transported to that monastery and we see the roman tapestries and we laugh and we forget our woes. Watch this movie and I guarantee you will find a way to “Always look on the bright side of life”.
