A Brief Analysis of Life of Brian

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Monty Python’s Life of Brian is more than just a mere comedy; it is a Biblical, religious, and political satire. Like all Python films, Life of Brian seems to educate the viewer while at the same time providing entertainment. Unfortunately not all of the elements in Life of Brian occurred in real life, which takes away from the validity of the plot. While not everything is accurate, it seems that a majority of the film could be considered genuine. In order to understand an analysis of the film, one must first have a basic sense of the plot.

Summarizing a movie that is almost an hour and a half into one paragraph is a daunting task, but it can be done! The first scene opens with Brian receiving gifts from the Three Wise Men; however, it is soon found out that he is not Jesus. Brian soon finds out that he is a Roman; but despite his ancestry he wishes to join the People’s Front of Judea (PFJ), not only to prove he is a Jew, but to get close to Judith. After being accepted into the PFJ, Brian is commanded to vandalize the Roman palace and soon after kidnap Pilate’s wife. Brian fails to kidnap Pilate’s wife, is seized by Romans, and then escapes. After escaping, Brian is mistaken as the messiah and soon after is once again captured by the Romans. Brian is to be crucified and unfortunately the PFJ believes he is doing so to stand up for “the cause”. The film closes with a light musical number given by crucified citizens. This summary will better allow you to understand the analysis that follows.

One can come to various conclusions about the story that is being told. On the surface the story is simply the life of Brian; however, behind it are the stories of the Bible, the Romans, and even Jesus. Terry Jones, the di...

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Works Cited

Ebert, Roger. "Life of Brian." Rogerebert.com. Rogerebert.com, 1 Jan. 1979. Web. 20 June 2011. .

Flixster, Inc. "Monty Python's Life of Brian." Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster, Inc, 2011. Web. 20 June 2011. .

Hornaday, Ann. "'Brian': A Blast From the Past." The Washington Post. The Washington Post Company, 28 May 2004. Web. 20 June 2011. .

IMDb.com, Inc. "Life of Brian." The Internet Movie Database. IMDb.com, Inc., 2011. Web. 20 June 2011. .

Roffé, Sarina. "Jews Built Roman Coliseum." JewishGen. JewishGen. Web. 20 June 2011. .

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