Life of Brian (1979)

Director:

Terry Jones

Writers:

Graham Chapman (written by) &
John Cleese (written by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

17 August 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

A motion picture destined to offend nearly two thirds of the civilized world. And severely annoy the other third.

Plot:

Brian is born on the original Christmas, in the stable next door. He spends his life being mistaken for a messiah.

Plot Keywords:

Christmas | Judea | Revolutionary | Satire | Black Comedy

Cast

Graham Chapman	...	Wise Man #2 / Brian Cohen / Biggus Dickus
John Cleese	...	Wise Man #1 / Reg / Jewish Official / Centurion / Deadly Dirk / Arthur
Terry Gilliam	...	Man Even Further Forward / Revolutionary / Jailer / Blood & Thunder Prophet / Frank / Audience Member / Crucifee
Eric Idle	...	Mr. Cheeky / Stan (Loretta) / Harry the Haggler / Culprit Woman / Warris / Intensely Dull Youth / Jailer's Assistant / Otto / Lead Singer Crucifee
Terry Jones	...	Mandy Cohen / Colin / Simon the Holy Man / Bob Hoskins / Saintly Passer-by / Alarmed Crucifixion Assistant
Michael Palin	...	Wise Man #3 / Mr. Big Nose / Francis / Mrs. A / Ex-Leper / Announcer / Ben / Pontius Pilate / Boring Prophet / Eddie / Shoe Follower / Nisus Wettus
Terence Bayler	...	Gregory
Carol Cleveland	...	Mrs. Gregory
Kenneth Colley	...	Jesus
Neil Innes	...	A weedy Samaritan
Charles McKeown	...	False Prophet / Blind Man / Giggling Guard / Stig
John Young	...	Matthias, Son of Deuteronomy of Gath
Gwen Taylor	...	Mrs. Big Nose
Sue Jones-Davies	...	Judith
Peter Brett
John Case	...	Pilate's Wife
Chris Langham	...	Alfonso / Giggling Guard
Andrew MacLachlan	...	Another Official Stoners Helper / Giggling Guard
Bernard McKenna	...	Parvus / Official Stoners Helper / Giggling Guard
Spike Milligan	...	Spike
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
George Harrison	...	Mr. Papadopolous (uncredited)
Charles Knode	...	Passer-by (uncredited)

Directed by
Terry Jones

Writing credits
Graham Chapman		(written by) &
John Cleese		(written by) &
Terry Gilliam		(written by) &
Eric Idle		(written by) &
Terry Jones		(written by) &
Michael Palin		(written by)

Produced by
Tarak Ben Ammar	....	executive producer: Tunisia
John Goldstone	....	producer
Tim Hampton	....	associate producer
George Harrison	....	executive producer
Denis O'Brien	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Geoffrey Burgon

Cinematography by
Peter Biziou

Film Editing by
Julian Doyle

Production Design by
Terry Gilliam

Art Direction by
Roger Christian

Costume Design by
Charles Knode
Hazel Pethig

Makeup Department
Kenteas Brine	....	hair stylist
Kenteas Brine	....	makeup artist
Elaine Carew	....	hair stylist
Elaine Carew	....	makeup artist
Faouzia Choura	....	hair stylist
Faouzia Choura	....	makeup artist
Sue Ignatius	....	hair stylist (as Susan Frear)
Sue Ignatius	....	makeup artist (as Susan Frear)
Fatma Jaziri	....	hair stylist
Fatma Jaziri	....	makeup artist
Ken Lintott	....	wigs and beards maker (as Kenneth Lintott)
Diana Webber	....	hair stylist
Diana Webber	....	makeup artist
Maggie Weston	....	hair stylist
Maggie Weston	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Hmida Ben Ammar	....	assistant director: Tunisia
Jonathan Benson	....	first assistant director
Matthew Binns	....	third assistant director
Melvin Lind	....	second assistant director
Slim Mzali	....	assistant director: Tunisia
Lotfi Thabet	....	assistant director: Tunisia

Art Department
Mohammed Azounadhea	....	assistant art director
John Beard	....	assistant art director
Graham Bullock	....	construction crew
Patricia Christian	....	art department secretary
Roy Clarke	....	construction crew
Nobby Clark	....	construction crew (as Roy Clarke)
Peter Dunlop	....	production buyer
Peter Grant	....	property master
Dennis Harrison	....	construction crew
Geoffrey Hartman	....	props department
Craig Hillier	....	construction crew
Gordon Izod	....	construction crew
Richard Jones	....	construction crew
Lotfi Layourni	....	construction manager
John Margetts	....	props department
Robert Mason	....	construction crew
Michael Melia	....	construction crew
Eric Nash	....	construction crew
Darryl Paterson	....	props department (as Daryll Patterson)
John Patterson	....	construction manager
Gordon Phillips	....	props department
Alan Seabrook	....	construction crew
Hassen Soufi	....	set dresser
Hassine Soufi	....	production buyer
Bunny Southall	....	construction crew
John Spottiswood	....	scenic artist (as John Spotswood)
Peter Verard	....	construction crew
Arthur Wicks	....	props department
David Wiggins	....	construction crew
Darryl Paterson	....	storeman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Simon Bailey	....	assistant dubbing editor
Philip Chubb	....	assistant sound engineer (as Phil Chubb)
John Foster	....	dubbing editor
Dushko Indjic	....	assistant sound engineer
Garth Marshall	....	sound recordist
Tony Orton	....	sound effects editor
Hugh Strain	....	dubbing mixer
David Watts	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Christopher T. Welch	....	assistant dubbing editor (as Chris Welch)
Steve Hancock	....	dubbing projectionist (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Tony Andrews	....	animation and model department
Rupert Ashmore	....	animation and model department
Michael Beard	....	animation and model department
Valerie Charlton	....	animation and model department (as Val Charlton)
Dennis De Groot	....	animation and model department (as Dennis DeGroot)
Kate Hepburn	....	animation and model department
Kent Houston	....	optical effects
Tim Ollive	....	animation and model department (as Tim Olive)
Roger Pratt	....	animation and model department
Keith Short	....	modeller
Paul Whitbread	....	optical effects
Bob Cuff	....	matte painter (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Sadok Ben Amor	....	camera grip
Alan Annand	....	camera loader
David Appleby	....	still photographer
Frank Batt	....	camera grip
Mike Brewster	....	focus puller (as Michael Brewster)
Hechim Cherif	....	camera loader
Chuck Finch	....	electrical department
Kamel Kardous	....	electrical department
Don Matton	....	electrical department
Reg Parsons	....	electrical department
Les Rodhouse	....	electrical department
Roy Rodhouse	....	chief electrician
Mohamed Sahli	....	electrical department
Brian Smith	....	electrical department
John Stanier	....	camera operator

Animation Department
Terry Gilliam	....	animation designer
Terry Gilliam	....	animator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sue Cable	....	costumer
Nick Ede	....	costumer
Zoulfikha Keari	....	costume department
William Pierce	....	costumer (as Bill Pierce)
Leila Turki	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Rodney Glenn	....	first assistant editor
John Mister	....	second assistant editor

Music Department
Marcus Dods	....	conductor
Keith Grant	....	music mixer
André Jacquemin	....	music mixer (as Andre Jacquemin)
Steve James	....	music mixer

Other crew
Jazzi Abderrazak	....	production department: Tunisia
Ahmed Attia	....	production department: Tunisia
Sally Ball	....	contact: London
Christina Biziou	....	location assistant
Patricia Burgess	....	representative: Hand Made Films
Habib Chaari	....	production department: Tunisia
Mohamed Ali Cherif	....	production department: Tunisia (as Ali Cherif)
Hazel Crombie	....	assistant accountant
Carey Fitzgerald	....	contact: London
Claude Guillene	....	production department: Tunisia
Sallie Hampton	....	location assistant
Tarak Harbi	....	production department: Tunisia
Anne Henshaw	....	business manager
Mouldi Kriden	....	production department: Tunisia
Brenda Loader	....	continuity
Christine Miller	....	bibliography assistant
Hafida Ouertani	....	accounting secretary
Jennie Raglan	....	production assistant
Hilary Sandison	....	assistant to producer
Nicole Souchal	....	production assistant
Betty Swinburne	....	contact: London
Ron Swinburne	....	production accountant
Peter Thompson	....	public relations
Ridha Turki	....	accountant: Tunisia

Thanks
Keith Moon	....	published edition of the screenplay dedicated to

Production Companies

• HandMade Films (presents) (as Handmade Films)
• Python (Monty) Pictures

Distributors

• Asociace Ceských Filmových Klubu (ACFK) (????) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Cinema International Corp. (1979) (UK) (theatrical)
• Cinéma International Corporation (CIC) (1980) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Compagnie Française de Distribution Cinématographique (CFDC) (1980) (France) (theatrical)
• Greater Union Organisation (GUO) (1980) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Orion Pictures Corporation (1979) (USA) (theatrical)
• Rainbow Releasing (2003) (USA) (theatrical)
• UGC Distribution (1980) (France) (theatrical)
• UGC-Fox Distribution (UFD) (2004) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (1979) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Filmverleih (1980) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (1988) (UK) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• BMG Video (????) (Australia) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (2003) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Filmförlaget Atlantic (1996) (Sweden) (VHS)
• IDA films (2009) (Spain) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (2003) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Manga Films (2001) (Spain) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2001) (UK) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Phillips (1992) (Germany) (video) (laserdisc)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray disc)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Thorn EMI Video Australia (????) (Australia) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2003) (Finland) (DVD)
• VCL Communications (????) (Germany) (VHS)
• VTI Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Abacus Productions (matte paintings)
• Peerless Camera Company (optical effects)

Other Companies

• Berman's and Nathan's  costumes
• Chappell Recording Studio  music recording
• Ditta Pompei  shoes
• Ditta Rancati  military uniforms
• Gpil  costumes
• Joe Dunton & Company  camera equipment provided by
• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment
• Memmo of Rome  location catering
• Olympic Sound Studios  music recording
• Perruzzi  costumes
• Redwood Recording Studios  music recording
• Romana Trasporti Cinematografici S.r.l.  additional location facilities (as Roma Transporta Cinematografica)
• Trevor Pyke Sound Ltd.  sound re-recording facility
• Wigs Specialties  wigs and beards

Also Known As:

Brian of Nazareth (UK) (working title)
Jesus Christ: Lust for Glory (UK) (working title)
Monty Python's Life of Brian (UK) (complete title)
The Gospel According to St. Brian (UK) (working title)
A Vida de Brian (Brazil) (Portugal) [pt]
La vida de Brian (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
Brian élete (Hungary) [hu]
Brian di Nazareth (Italy) [it]
Brianin elämä (Finland) [fi]
Brians liv (Finland: Swedish title) [sv]
Das Leben des Brian (West Germany) [de]
Enas profitis... ma ti profitis! (Greece) [el]
Ett herrans liv (Sweden) [sv]
La vie de Brian (France) [fr]
Monty Python - brianin elämä (Finland) (DVD box title) [fi]
Monty Python's Life of Brian - ett herrans liv (Sweden) [sv]
Monty Pythonuv zivot Briana (Czech Republic) (long title) [cs]
Profeten Brians liv og historie (Norway) [no]
Zivot Briana (Czech Republic) [cs]
Zywot Briana (Poland) [pl]

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | Latin

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Norway:(Banned) (1979 - 1980) | Finland:K-16 (1988) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1980) | Netherlands:MG6 (DVD rating) | Iceland:L | Spain:T | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:(Banned) | Norway:18 (1980) | Sweden:15 | Australia:MA (Special Edition DVD) | France:U | Australia:M | Brazil:18 | Argentina:16 (re-rating) | Argentina:18 (original rating) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Ireland:(Banned) (1979-1987) | Ireland:15 (re-rating) | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:11 (re-rating) (2004) | UK:15 (video rating) (1988) | UK:AA (original rating) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Amphitheater, Carthage, Tunis, Tunisia

Company:

HandMade Films

Trivia:

Six cast members played 40 various characters

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Brian is a first-century Jew, yet in the nude scene he appears not to be circumcised.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Wise Man #1: Ahem!
Brian?s mother: Oh!
[falls over in chair]
Brian?s mother: Who are you?
Wise Man #2: We are three wise men.
Brian?s mother: What?
Wise Man #1: We are three wise men.
Brian?s mother: 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.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Eddie Izzard: Circle (2002) (V)

Soundtrack:

Always Look on the Bright Side Of Life

A Masterwork of British Comedy

In Life of Brian, Python created what John Cleese called simply "our masterpiece". As a piece of writing, it is the most impressive of the three feature length Python movies. The scenes remain episodic, but there is a much more coherent narrative than in the earlier Holy Grail – I loved HG too, but for different reasons. The characters (well about one or two of the characters) have acquired some subtle shading, which is rare in comedy and, alas, rare in British comedy in particular. The plight of Chapman's Brian is one that I really cared about (although his death is also extremely funny, upbeat and one of the truly iconic moments in British cinema).

The story must be fairly well known. Brian is born at the same time as Jesus with whom he leads a kind of parallel life, thus allowing the team to lampoon and satirise everything from religious zealotry and mob hysteria to 1950s biblical/sword & sandals epic cinema. It does this by marrying historic situations with more modern attitudes; thus we have revolutionary Stan who wants to be Loretta and have the right to have babies, the old man who can't understand why he's being stoned for saying simply "that piece of halibut was good enough for Jehovah!" the gruff centurion correcting Brian's Latin grammar while he's trying to daub anti-Roman slogans on a wall and the gentle centurion asking each of a line of the condemned "crucifixion? Good" while ticking them off on his clipboard. Interspersed with this is slapstick, pantomime women (I'm not sure there are any real women in Python, which is probably its greatest failing) and a small amount of the trademark Python surrealism (the spaceship, the "prophet" talking about the sons misplacing the things owned by their fathers who had placed them down only just a moment ago… etc). In short, something for everyone – except, perhaps, committed Christians.

A lot of attention has been paid to whether LoB is blasphemous. The Pythons claim not and I'm not sufficiently religious to care very much. On the surface, I disagree. There are also occasional sideswipes at ancient Jewish custom – although, to be fair, only stoning which, if you'll pardon the pun, might be considered a fair target. Jesus is not criticised, but the film's central message seems to be; be in the right place at the right time and even a man called Brian can become God. Almost the last line is from Eric Idle saying; "you come from nothing and go back to nothing" which doesn't suggest that the man on the mount at the beginning is a divinity, no matter whether he's talking sense or not.

Most importantly though, LoB is refreshingly satirical. There always was an element of this in Python (mediaeval Christian philosophy lampooned in the Holy Grail for example "this new learning amazes me Sir Bedevere, explain again how sheeps' bladders may be employed to prevent earthquakes… so, if she weighs the same as a duck, she must be made of wood, and therefore - a witch". I guess LoB attracted attention because the satire had never been so bold or obvious before. This is also what makes LoB such an incredibly funny film to watch; but put it this way – despite what Rowan Atkinson may have once said – I'd be very surprised if the Python's weren't expecting the Spanish Inquisition.

That shouldn't put you off, though. Unless your faith is too weak to survive Python's gentle humanism, watch this movie – you'll probably love it.