The Meaning of Life (1983)

Directors:

Terry Jones
Terry Gilliam

Writers:

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

Release Date:

31 March 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Fantasy

Tagline:

What it is, Where it is, and how to avoid treading in it [Video Australia]

Plot:

The comedy team takes a look at life in all its stages in their own uniquely silly way.

Plot Keywords:

Monty Python | Musical Number | Comedy Team | Death | Exploding Body

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Graham Chapman	...	Fish #1 / Doctor / Harry Blackitt / Wymer / Hordern / General / Coles / Narrator #2 / Dr. Livingstone / Transvestite / Eric / Chairman / Guest #1 / Arthur Jarrett / Geoffrey / Tony Bennett
John Cleese	...	Fish #2 / Dr. Spencer / Humphrey Williams / Sturridge / Ainsworth / Waiter / Eric's Assistant / Maître D' / Grim Reaper
Terry Gilliam	...	Window Washer / Fish #4 / Walters / Middle of the Film Announcer / M'Lady Joeline / Mr. Brown / Howard Katzenberg
Eric Idle	...	Fish #3 / 'Meaning of Life' Singer / Mr. Moore / Mrs. Blackitt / Watson / Blackitt / Atkinson / Perkins / Victim #3 / Front End / Mrs. Hendy / Man in Pink / Gunther / Noël Coward / Gaston / Angela
Terry Jones	...	Fish #6 / Mum / Priest / Biggs / Sergeant / Man with Bendy Arms / Mrs. Brown / Bert / Mr. Creosote / Maria / Leaf Father / Fiona Portland-Smyth
Michael Palin	...	Window Washer / Fish #5 / Mr. Pycroft / Dad / Narrator #1 / Chaplain / Carter / Spadger / Regimental Sergeant Major / Pakenham-Walsh / Rear End / Lady TV Presenter / Mr. Marvin Hendy / Harry / Padre / Debbie Katzenberg
Carol Cleveland	...	Wife of Guest #1 / Heaven Receptionist
Simon Jones	...	Chadwick / Jeremy Portland-Smyth
Patricia Quinn	...	Mrs. Williams
Judy Loe	...	Nurse #1
Andrew MacLachlan	...	Groom / Wycliff / Victim #1 / Guest #3
Mark Holmes	...	Victim #2 / Guest #2 / Elephant Waiter
Valerie Whittington	...	Mrs. Moore
Jennifer Franks	...	Bride
Imogen Bickford-Smith	...	Nurse #2 (as Imogen Bickford Smith)
Angela Mann	...	Wife of Guest #2
Peter Lovstrom	...	Brown's Son
George Silver	...	Diner Eating Howard the Fish
Chris Grant
Sydney Arnold	...	(segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Guy Bertrand	...	(segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Andrew Bicknell	...	(segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Ross Davidson	...	(segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Myrtle Devenish	...	Old Lady (segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Tim Douglas	...	(segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Eric Francis	...	(segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Matt Frewer	...	Cornered Executive who Jumps (segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Billy John	...	(segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Russell Kilmister	...	(segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Peter Mantle	...	(segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Len Marten	...	(segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Peter Merrill	...	(segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Cameron Miller	...	(segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Gareth Milne	...	(segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Larry Noble	...	(segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Paddy Ryan	...	(segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Leslie Sarony	...	(segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
John Scott Martin	...	(segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Eric Stovell	...	(segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Wally Thomas	...	(segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Jack Armstrong	...	(segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Robert Carrick	...	(segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Douglas Cooper	...	(segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
George Daly	...	(segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Chick Fowles	...	(segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Terry Grant	...	(segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Robin Hewlett	...	(segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Tommy Isley	...	(segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Juba Kennerley	...	(segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Tony Lang	...	(segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
John Murphy	...	(segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Terry Rendell	...	(segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Ronald Shilling	...	(segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Albert Welch	...	(segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Luke Baxter	...	Dancer
Stephen Beasley	...	Dancer (as Stephen Beagley)
Paul Bourke	...	Dancer
Bonnie Bryg	...	Dancer
Jane Colthorpe	...	Dancer (as Jane Newman)
Charlotte Corbett	...	Dancer
Geoff Davids	...	Dancer
Emma-Kate Davies	...	Dancer
Sandra Easby	...	Dancer
Donna Fielding	...	Dancer
Roy Hamlyn Gayle	...	Dancer (as Roy Gayle)
Dawn Gerrard	...	Dancer
Natascha Gilbrooke	...	Dancer (as Natasha Gilbrook)
Donnette Goddard	...	Dancer
Heavon Grant	...	Dancer
Alison Jane Hierlihy	...	Dancer (as Alison Herlihy)
Laura James	...	Dancer
Kim Elizabeth Leeson	...	Dancer (as Kim Leeson)
Maddie Loftin	...	Dancer
Michelle Mackie	...	Dancer
Paul Madden	...	Dancer
Helen Mason	...	Dancer
Caroline Meacher	...	Dancer
Lorraine Meacher	...	Dancer
Sue Menhenick	...	Dancer
Kerri Murphy	...	Dancer
Tammy Needham	...	Dancer
Garry Noakes	...	Dancer (as Gary Noakes)
Trudy Pack	...	Dancer
Floyd Anthony Pearce	...	Dancer (as Floyd Pearce)
Wanda Rokicki	...	Dancer (as Wanda Rockiki)
Peter Salmon	...	Dancer
Lizie Saunderson	...	Dancer
Steve St. Klonis	...	Dancer
Voyd	...	Dancer
Timothy Ward	...	Dancer
Michelle Welch	...	Dancer
Gess Whitfield	...	Dancer
Lorraine Whitmarsh	...	Dancer
Dominique Wood	...	Dancer
Carole Anne	...	Topless Pursuer (uncredited)
Lynne Hazelden	...	Student Doctor (uncredited)
Jane Leeves	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Cy Town	...	Resturtant Diner (uncredited)

Directed by
Terry Jones
Terry Gilliam		(segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")

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
John Goldstone	....	producer

Original Music by
John Du Prez

Cinematography by
Peter Hannan
Roger Pratt		(segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")

Film Editing by
Julian Doyle

Casting by
Michelle Guish
Debbie McWilliams

Production Design by
Harry Lange

Art Direction by
John Beard		(segment "The Crimson Permanent Assurance")
Richard Dawking

Set Decoration by
Sharon Cartwright
Simon Wakefield

Costume Design by
James Acheson		(as Jim Acheson)

Makeup Department
Elaine Carew	....	makeup artist (segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Sallie Evans	....	hair stylist (segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Mary Hillman	....	makeup supervisor
Mike Jones	....	hair stylist
Mike Jones	....	makeup artist
Pamela Rayson	....	hair stylist
Pamela Rayson	....	makeup artist
Hilary Steinberg	....	hair stylist
Hilary Steinberg	....	makeup artist
Maureen Stephenson	....	hair stylist (segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Christopher Tucker	....	makeup artist: Mr. Creosote
Maggie Weston	....	hair designer
Maggie Weston	....	makeup designer

Production Management
David Wimbury	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jonathan Benson	....	first assistant director, segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The"
Matthew Binns	....	second assistant director, segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The"
Ray Corbett	....	first assistant director
Derek Harrington	....	third assistant director, segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The"
Callum McDougall	....	third assistant director
Kieron Phipps	....	key second assistant director
Paul Taylor	....	third assistant director, segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The"
Gary White	....	first assistant director, segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The"
Bob Wright	....	second assistant director (segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The") (as Bobby Wright)

Art Department
Peter Browne	....	construction department
Roger Cain	....	art department
Alan Chesters	....	construction department
John Cole	....	property master
Mel Coleman	....	construction department (as Melvin Coleman)
Steve Cooper	....	art department
Peter Cull	....	construction department
Carol De Jong	....	model maker (as Carole De Yong)
Dennis Griffin	....	art department
Richard Hornsby	....	art department
Brian Humphrey	....	property master
Tommy Kavanagh	....	construction department
Reginald Keywood	....	construction department (as Reg Keywood)
Mick Law	....	construction department
Colin Lovering	....	construction department
Dave Newton	....	property master
Brian Payne	....	property master
Ken Powell	....	construction department
Bill Sansom	....	construction department
Dick Savery	....	construction department
Vic Simpson	....	construction manager
John Skinner	....	construction department
Bob Walker	....	art department
Andrew Ackland-Snow	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
Gari Bacon	....	props (uncredited)
Dennis Murray	....	plasterer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Paul Carr	....	dubbing mixer
Philip Chubb	....	sound maintenance (as Phil Chubb)
Bob Doyle	....	boom operator
Rodney Glenn	....	dubbing editor
Rodney Glenn	....	supervising sound editor
Debbie Kaplan	....	sound mixer (segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Garth Marshall	....	sound mixer
Brian Paxton	....	dubbing mixer

Special Effects by
Richard Conway	....	special effects
Terence J. Cox	....	special effects technician
George Gibbs	....	special effects supervisor
Ray Hanson	....	special effects
Bob Hollow	....	special effects
David Watson	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Michael Beard	....	model maker (segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Valerie Charlton	....	model maker (as Val Charlton)
Nick Dunlop	....	optical effects
Roy Field	....	optical effects
Kent Houston	....	optical effects
Peter Pullen	....	model maker (segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The")
Tim Spence	....	optical effects
Paul Whitbread	....	optical effects
Janice Body	....	visual effects assistant (uncredited)
Martin Body	....	rotoscope artist (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
David Appleby	....	still photographer
Fred Ashby	....	electrical department
Kenneth Atherfold	....	grip (as Ken Atherfold)
Barry Brown	....	focus puller
John Clark	....	electrician: segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The"
Clive Coote	....	still photographer: segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The"
Mark Cridlin	....	clapper loader: segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The"
Tony Cridlin	....	grip: segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The"
Chuck Finch	....	gaffer
Dewi Humphreys	....	camera operator
John Ignatius	....	focus puller: segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The"
Sue Knight	....	clapper loader: segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The"
Alan McPherson	....	electrical department
Stewart Monteith	....	electrical department
Reg Parsons	....	best boy: segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The"
Larry Randall	....	electrical department
Roy Rodhouse	....	gaffer: segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The"
Richard Seal	....	electrical department
Malcolm Smith	....	grip: segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The"
Stefan Stankowski	....	clapper loader
Toby Tyler	....	electrician: segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The"
Geo. J. White	....	electrician: segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The"
Kevin Brookner	....	video operator (uncredited)

Animation Department
Jill Brooks	....	animator
Kate Hepburn	....	animator
Richard Ollive	....	animator
Tim Ollive	....	animator
Mike Stuart	....	animator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
William Baboo	....	costume maker
Vin Burnham	....	costume maker
Shirley Denny	....	costume maker
Linda Eke	....	wardrobe department
Gilly Hebden	....	costume assistant
Janet Lucas	....	wardrobe department
Stephen Miles	....	costume assistant (as T. Stephen Miles)
David Murch	....	wardrobe department
Ray Scott	....	costume maker
Joyce Stoneman	....	wardrobe: segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The"
Jill Thraves	....	costume maker
James Wakley	....	wardrobe department
Lizzie Willey	....	costume maker

Editorial Department
Roy Baker	....	editing department
Margarita Doyle	....	editing department
Keith Lowes	....	editing department
Simon Milton	....	editing department
Diane Ryder	....	editing department

Other crew
Steve Abbott	....	not the production accountant
Patricia Carr	....	production assistant: segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The"
Valerie Craig	....	production assistant
Penny Eyles	....	continuity
William Hobbs	....	fight arranger: segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The"
Barbara Holloway	....	assistant to producer
Anne James	....	python manager
Maggie Jones	....	continuity: segment "Crimson Permanent Assurance, The"
Peter Kohn	....	location manager
Nancy Lewis	....	director of python US relations
Arlene Phillips	....	choreographer
Heather Seymour	....	assistant choreographer
Mike Smith	....	production accountant
Paul Taylor	....	production department
Tim Vaughan-Hughes	....	assistant to producer
Adam Samuelson	....	louma crane technician (uncredited)
Martin Smeaton	....	model sculptor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Celandine Films
• The Monty Python Partnership
• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• United International Pictures (UIP) (1983) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI) (1983) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1983) (France) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2008) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Asociace Ceských Filmových Klubu (ACFK) (Czech Republic)
• Das Vierte (2006) (Germany) (TV)
• LK-TEL (19??) (Argentina) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• RTL2 (199?) (Germany) (TV)
• Universal Home Video (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures
• Universal Pictures

Other Companies

• Britannia Row  music recording
• Joe Dunton & Company  camera equipment provided by
• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment
• Redwood Recording Studios  Music recorded at
• Roger Cherrill  Sound re-recorded at
• Studios CTS  music recording
• WPG Specialities  WPGS
• Westbridge Studios  

Also Known As:

Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (UK) (complete title)
El sentido de la vida (Argentina) (DVD title) (Spain) [es]
Der Sinn des Lebens (West Germany) [de]
Estamos todos locos (Argentina) [es]
Monty Python - Elämän tarkoitus (Finland) [fi]
Monty Python - O Sentido da Vida (Brazil) [pt]
Monty Python's Der Sinn des Lebens (West Germany) (complete title) [de]
Monty Python, le sens de la vie (France) [fr]
Monty Python: il senso della vita (Italy) [it]
Monty Pythons meningen med livet (Sweden) [sv]
Monty Pythons, to noima tis zois (Greece) [el]
O Sentido da Vida (Portugal) [pt]
Sens zycia wedlug Monty Pythona (Poland) [pl]

Runtime:

107 min | Germany:112 min (2003 restored director's cut)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (2003) | Iceland:12 | Italy:VM14 | Portugal:M/18 | Canada:18A (re-rating) | Canada:R (original rating) | Ireland:(Banned) (original rating) (1983-1990) | Brazil:18 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Finland:K-16 | Ireland:15 (re-rating) | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 (re-rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Singapore:M18 (cut) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (video re-rating) (2000) | UK:18 (original rating) | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

England, UK

Company:

Celandine Films

Trivia:

Terry Jones wrote the "Mr Creosote" sketch with Terry Gilliam in mind to play the title character, but Gilliam then convinced Jones that he should do it himself.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the vomiting scene right after the bucket is taken away, the end of the hose the liquid comes out of can be seen.

Quotes:

Humphrey: Now, sex. Sex, sex, sex. Where were we?
[pupils can't remember]
Humphrey: Well, had I got as far as the penis entering the vagina?
Pupils: Uh, no, sir. No, sir.
Humphrey: Well, had I done foreplay?
Pupils: Yes, sir. Yes, sir.
Humphrey: Ah. Well, as we all know all about foreplay, no doubt you can tell me what the purpose of foreplay is. Biggs.
Biggs: Um, don't know. Sorry, sir.
Humphrey: Carter?
Carter: Oh. Uh, was it taking your clothes off, sir?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Flushed Away (2006)

Soundtrack:

The Liberty Bell

A great comedy which may be crass and rude, but is not lacking in typical Python wit

The best thing about "Monty Python's The Meaning of Life" is without a doubt the short film that opens it. Directed by Terry Gilliam and originally conceived as an animated sequence, "The Crimson Permanent Assurance" is a crucial step in Gilliam's career as a director. His previous two solo efforts as director, the inconsequential "Jabberwocky" and the brilliant-in-its-own-way "Time Bandits" saw him developing his visual style much further than he did for his scenes for "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", with "Time Bandits" arguably being the first 'Gilliam-esque' film he made. Still, "Time Bandits" didn't see his style fully developed, and "The Crimson Permanent Assurance" is an even more bizarre film, but with a far more confident and clear-cut visual style. Simply put: Gilliam was ready for "Brazil". This segment is the best in the film from a cinematic viewpoint, without a doubt, and even gives some of the other segments a run for their money in terms of the quality of the comedy, which involves office clerks who become pirates. Yes, it is quite strange.

The issue a lot of people have with "The Meaning of Life" is that it is crass and rude and even sillier than the Python standard. It's shock humor, but for the majority of the sections of the film work so well and are so clever even in their lack of class that I would not hesitate to put "The Meaning of Life" on the same level as "Life of Brian", though it's not as good as "Monty Python & The Holy Grail". That's not to say this isn't 'Python-esque', because it's very much so, they're just completely liberated by the medium of film to say and do whatever they please. Indeed, there's something in here to offend nearly anyone, but there's also a fair bit in here to please everyone, even a wonderful scene in which Gilliam's 'supporting feature' "The Crimson Permanent Assurance" suddenly intrudes on the events of the film.

"The Meaning of Life" is constructed as a series of skits, and though many have suggested that it is hence not as much of a narrative movie as their previous two efforts. I tend to disagree with this viewpoint. Yes, this film is a series of skits, but they are all elaborately set up within an overarching 'commentary' on the general theme of the movie, the title. There is one section of the film which is both entirely unnecessary and honestly quite bad is 'The Autumn Years', an unfunny and vile piece centered around Terry Jones in a fat-suit repeatedly vomiting and eventually exploding. Basically all of the rest of the film is very, very funny, and even the jokes which fall flat within scenes like "Live Organ Transplants" and "Death" don't go terribly wrong because the overall quality of the scenes and sections are so high and the concepts behind them very funny. Gilliam's animations work excellently within the film and this would sadly be the last time we saw a distinctive Gilliam animation within a major film.

"The Meaning of Life" is great comedy. It's crass and rude and goes for cheap humor often, but it's mostly handled with a great deal of wit and intelligence that elevates even the section involving the world's most pornographic sex education class to a high level. Perhaps in retrospect this film's flaws are more obvious than those "Life of Brian" suffers from, but both are ultimately on the same level.

9/10