Monty Python and the Holy Grail [RSC Film Club 55]

[LimeGreenLegend 4,277]

This month's film club selection, thanks to @djw180, is Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the first feature length film from the legendary British comedy troupe made up of Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin.

Directed by the two Terrys, Jones and Gilliam - both of their directorial debuts - the film is a spoof of Arthurian legend in the Python's own surreal and slapstick style.  Chapman stars as King Arthur (I didn't vote for him) who, after assembling his knights of the round table, is given a quest by god, to seek out the Holy Grail.  Their journey sees them face off against animated monsters, rude Frenchmen and the formidable Knights of Ni. 

Infinitely quotable and often imitated, usually very badly, this is one of the greatest comedy films ever made.  I must have seen this at least twenty times and I'm not upset at having an excuse to watch it again.  

'tis but a scratch

[djw180 6,980]

The last film I reviewed was TV spin off that wasn't that good. This is the opposite. Of course it's not really the same sort of thing. This is not a feature length version of a TV program but a stand-alone feature film made the creators and actors of a TV program. And it is brilliant, although I guess if you're not into Monty Python then you might not find it so. It's hard to say which of Monty python's films is the best, for me it just depends on my mood at the time. This one does contain possibly the funniest moment in any of their films, from my point of view. In the witch scene, John Cleese's character shouts “She turned me into a newt!”, everyone else stares at the human, definitely not-amphibian man, he notices and sheepishly says “Well …...... I got better!”. But there are so many hilarious scenes, starting right from the opening credits. I love the deliberately un-historical context. If there is any truth to the Arthurian legends then they come from a couple of hundred years before this is set, but the knights armour, weapons and style of castles all come from a couple of hundred years after this is set.

And then there is the scene which I think is probably why it came to mind when it came to picking a film, given what happened in the UK a couple of weeks ago

 

 

It has to be a 10 / 10