Editing Monty Python (section)

====''Monty Python's Life of Brian'' (1979)====
{{Main|Monty Python's Life of Brian}}
Following the success of ''Holy Grail'', reporters asked for the title of the next Python film, though the team had not even begun to consider a third one. Eventually, Idle flippantly replied "Jesus Christ – Lust for Glory", which became the group's stock answer to such questions.<ref>{{cite news |title=How we made Monty Python's Life of Brian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/apr/16/how-we-made-monty-python-life-of-brian-michael-palin-terry-gilliam |access-date=25 August 2019 |work=The Guardian}}</ref> However, they soon began to seriously consider a film lampooning the [[New Testament]] era in the same way ''Holy Grail'' had lampooned Arthurian legend. Despite sharing a distrust of organised religion, they agreed not to mock Jesus or his teachings directly. They also mentioned that they could not think of anything legitimate to make fun of about him.<ref name="theologian"/> Instead, they decided to write a satire on credulity and hypocrisy among the followers of someone [Brian] who had been mistaken for the "Messiah", but who had no desire to be followed as such.<ref name="TJones"/> Terry Jones adds it was a satire on those who for the next 2,000 years "couldn't agree on what Jesus was saying about peace and love".<ref name="TJones"/>

{{quote box|width=30%|bgcolor=#c6dbf7|align=right|quote="We are three wise men."<br />
"Well, what are you doing creeping around a cow shed at two o'clock in the morning? That doesn't sound very wise to me."|source=—Early scene from ''Life of Brian''.<ref name="Python quotes"/>}}
The focus therefore shifted to a separate individual, Brian Cohen, born at the same time, and in a neighbouring stable. When Jesus appears in the film (first, as a baby in the stable, and then later on [[Mount of Olives|the Mount]], speaking the [[Beatitudes]]), he is played straight (by actor [[Kenneth Colley]]) and portrayed with respect. The comedy begins when members of the crowd mishear his statements of peace, love, and tolerance ("I think he said, 'Blessed are the cheesemakers{{'"}}).<ref name="theologian">{{cite news |title=Monty Python's Life of Brian 'extraordinary tribute to Jesus', says theologian decorated by Pope Francis |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/10543149/Monty-Pythons-Life-of-Brian-extraordinary-tribute-to-Jesus-says-theologian-decorated-by-Pope-Francis.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/10543149/Monty-Pythons-Life-of-Brian-extraordinary-tribute-to-Jesus-says-theologian-decorated-by-Pope-Francis.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=21 August 2019 |work=The Telegraph}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Directing duties were handled solely by Jones, having amicably agreed with Gilliam that Jones' approach to film-making was better suited for Python's general performing style. ''Holy Grail's'' production had often been stilted by their differences behind the camera. Gilliam again contributed two animated sequences (one being the opening credits) and took charge of set design. The film was shot on location in [[Tunisia]], the finances being provided this time by [[The Beatles]]' [[George Harrison]], who together with [[Denis O'Brien (producer)|Denis O'Brien]] formed the production company [[HandMade Films|Hand-Made Films]] for the movie.<ref name="Harrison"/> Harrison had a cameo role as the "owner of the Mount".<ref name="Harrison">{{cite news |last1=Barber |first1=Nicholas |title=How George Harrison – and a very naughty boy – saved British cinema |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/apr/03/george-harrison-beatle-monty-python-life-of-brian-handmade-studios |access-date=25 June 2019 |newspaper=The Guardian |date=3 April 2019}}</ref>

Despite its subject matter attracting controversy, particularly upon its initial release, it has (together with its predecessor) been ranked among the greatest comedy films.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/948331.stm "Life of Brian tops comedy poll"]. BBC News. Retrieved 18 August 2019</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0,,2131880,00.html | work=The Guardian | location=London | title=The last laugh: your favourite 50 | first=Philip | last=French | date=22 July 2007 | access-date=2 May 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080707124543/http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0,,2131880,00.html | archive-date=7 July 2008 | url-status=live |quote=1. Life of Brian. 8. Monty Python and the Holy Grail}}</ref> In 2006, it was ranked first on a Channel 4 list of the [[100 Greatest (TV series)|50 Greatest Comedy Films]].<ref name="Channel4 comedies">{{Cite web|url=http://www.channel4.com/film/newsfeatures/microsites/G/greatest-comedyfilms/results/10-6.html|title=50 Greatest Comedy Films|year=2005|publisher=[[Channel 4]]|location=London|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060415140210/http://www.channel4.com/film/newsfeatures/microsites/G/greatest-comedyfilms/results/10-6.html|archive-date=15 April 2006|url-status=dead|access-date=31 May 2019|quote=1. ''Monty Python's Life of Brian''. 6. ''Monty Python And The Holy Grail''.}}</ref> ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'' magazine called it "an unrivalled satire on religion".<ref>{{cite news |title=The 100 best British films |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/100britishfilms/ |access-date=26 November 2023|work=Empire}}</ref> In 2013, [[Richard Burridge (priest)|Richard Burridge]], a theologian decorated by Pope Francis, called ''Life of Brian'' an "extraordinary tribute to the life and work and teaching of Jesus—that they couldn't actually blaspheme or make a joke out of it. They did a great satire on closed minds and people who follow blindly. Then you have them splitting into factions...it is a wonderful satire on the way that Jesus's own teaching has been used to [[Religious persecution|persecute]] others. They were satirising [[fundamentalism]] and persecution of others and at the same time saying the one person who rises above all this was Jesus".<ref name="theologian"/>