Essay On Monty Python And The Holy Grail
“‘T is but a scratch” – A review of Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), the most popular Monty Python film is turning thirty this year. Since its release it has been considered one of the most important examples of “British humour”; silly puns, slapstick scenes, no taboos and making fun of the French. The film, directed by Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones, is considered a classic cult comedy and embodies all that is British The film, starring the (in)famous Monty Python team (consisting of Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones and Michael Palin), tells the tale of the legendary Arthur, King of the Britons, and his knights of the round table. King Arthur and his knights are traveling around Britain on a quest to find of the Holy Grail, using coconut shells to mimic horse-sounds (which is not only a fantastic visual joke, but also a necessity since there was no budget for real horses). During their travels they continuously find themselves in the most ridiculous of situations and encounter the weirdest of creatures, including but not limited to the Knights who say “ni!”, a murderous rabbit and taunting Frenchmen. Cleese’s character of the Black Knight, who claims to be undefeatable but ends the scene dismembered, …show more content…
Even the ending of the film would be surprising to most viewers; the movie ends rather abruptly, and while in most films such an unsatisfying ending would leave the audience feeling discontent, it suits The Holy Grail perfectly, just because it’s so unexpected and unconventional (though the true reason for this is not comic timing, but rather budget limitations). Every aspect of society is picked apart and reimagined in a medieval setting; anarchy, economic crises and religion are all ridiculed. Within the first ten minutes of the film, the British government and monarchy have been analysed and
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), the most popular Monty Python film is turning thirty this year. Since its release it has been considered one of the most important examples of “British humour”; silly puns, slapstick scenes, no taboos and making fun of the French. The film, directed by Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones, is considered a classic cult comedy and embodies all that is British The film, starring the (in)famous Monty Python team (consisting of Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones and Michael Palin), tells the tale of the legendary Arthur, King of the Britons, and his knights of the round table. King Arthur and his knights are traveling around Britain on a quest to find of the Holy Grail, using coconut shells to mimic horse-sounds (which is not only a fantastic visual joke, but also a necessity since there was no budget for real horses). During their travels they continuously find themselves in the most ridiculous of situations and encounter the weirdest of creatures, including but not limited to the Knights who say “ni!”, a murderous rabbit and taunting Frenchmen. Cleese’s character of the Black Knight, who claims to be undefeatable but ends the scene dismembered, …show more content…
Even the ending of the film would be surprising to most viewers; the movie ends rather abruptly, and while in most films such an unsatisfying ending would leave the audience feeling discontent, it suits The Holy Grail perfectly, just because it’s so unexpected and unconventional (though the true reason for this is not comic timing, but rather budget limitations). Every aspect of society is picked apart and reimagined in a medieval setting; anarchy, economic crises and religion are all ridiculed. Within the first ten minutes of the film, the British government and monarchy have been analysed and