Editing Monty Python's Life of Brian (section)

==== Individuality and meaninglessness ====

{{quote box|width=43%|bgcolor=#c6dbf7|align=right|quote=Brian: "Look, you've got it all wrong. You don't need to follow me. You don't need to follow anybody. You've got to think for yourselves. You're all individuals."<br />Crowd in unison: "YES. WE'RE ALL INDIVIDUALS."<br />Brian: "You're all different."<br />Crowd in unison: "YES. WE'RE ALL DIFFERENT."<br />Single person in crowd: "I'm not..."}}
One of the most commented-upon scenes in the film is when Brian tells his followers that they are all individuals and don't need to follow anybody.<ref>{{cite news |title=49 of Monty Python's most absurdly funny jokes and quotes |url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/read-this/49-of-monty-pythons-most-absurdly-funny-jokes-and-quotes/ |access-date=9 February 2020 |work=Yorkshire Post |archive-date=18 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190818192829/https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/read-this/49-of-monty-pythons-most-absurdly-funny-jokes-and-quotes/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> According to Edward Slowik, this is a rare moment in which Monty Python puts a philosophical concept into words so openly and directly.<ref>Slowik in ''Monty Python and Philosophy'', p. 178</ref> ''Life of Brian'' accurately depicts the [[Existentialism|existentialist]] view that everybody needs to give meaning to their own life.<ref>Slowik in ''Monty Python and Philosophy'', p. 179</ref>

Brian can thus be called an existentialist following the tradition of [[Friedrich Nietzsche]] and [[Jean-Paul Sartre]]. He is honest to himself and others and lives as authentic a life as he can. However, Brian is too naïve to be called a hero based on the ideas of [[Albert Camus]]. For Camus, the search for the meaning of one's own life takes place in a deeply meaningless and abstruse world. The "[[Absurdism|absurd]] hero" rebels against this meaninglessness and at the same time holds on to their goals, although they know their fight leaves no impact in the long run. Contrary to that, Brian isn't able to recognize the meaninglessness of his own situation and therefore can't triumph over it.<ref name="Philosophy pp.14">Shilbrack in ''Monty Python and Philosophy'', pp.14–21</ref>

In ''Monty Python and Philosophy'', Kevin Shilbrack states that the fundamental view of the film is that the world is absurd, and every life needs to be lived without a greater meaning. He points out that the second-last verse of the song the film finishes on, "[[Always Look on the Bright Side of Life]]", expresses this message clearly:

{{poemquote|For life is quite absurd
And death's the final word
You must always face the curtain with a bow.
Forget about your sin – give the audience a grin
Enjoy it, it's your last chance anyhow.}}

Shilbrack concludes that the finale shows that the executions had no purpose since the deaths were meaningless and no better world was waiting for them.<ref>Shilbrack in ''Monty Python and Philosophy'', p.20</ref> On this note, some people  would claim that the film presents a [[nihilistic]] world view which contradicts any basis of religion.<ref name="Philosophy pp.14"/> However, ''Life of Brian'' offers humour to counterbalance the nihilism, Shilbrack states in his text. He comments that "religion and humour are compatible with each other and you should laugh about the absurdity since you can't fight it."<ref>Shilbrack in ''Monty Python and Philosophy'', p.23</ref>