Monty Python and The Holy Grail (1975)

Monty Python and The Holy Grail (1975)

7/10

Written and Starring Monty Python

Directed by Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones

As you watch this movie, the silliness gets to you and makes you chuckle. As you continue, you start to appreciate the Monty Python crew for being able to conjure up so many other plots underneath the main plot, along with scenes filled with memorable and interesting lines. This is truly one of the best comedy films to see, even if you are not a fan of Monty Python.

I’ve never been a fan of parody of any kind. The silliness does nothing for me, and I never really enjoy myself. I get the jokes—I just never understand why they’re supposed to be funny. That said, I have to admit I’ve stumbled on a few good ones, like finding a needle in a haystack. For this reason, I’ve never sat through anything by the Monty Python comedy group and usually stay away from parody movies. But today, after a long delay, I decided to give this one a shot, and I have to admit: this British comedy group knows their onions. Monty Python and the Holy Grail has been tagged as their best film and is seen as one of the best comedy movies you should watch.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail parodies the legend of King Arthur’s quest for the Holy Grail. The comedy group—Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin—wrote and performed various roles in this movie, with Gilliam and Jones stepping in to direct.

The movie’s plot follows King Arthur in 932 AD as he and his squire, Patsy, travel through Britain searching for men to join the Knights of the Round Table. It’s a daunting task, but he manages to recruit Sir Bedevere the Wise, Sir Lancelot the Brave, Sir Galahad the Pure, Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-as-Sir-Lancelot, and Sir Not-Appearing-in-this-Film. On their way to Camelot—or rather, after changing their minds about going there because Arthur decides it’s “a silly place”—God speaks to them. God gives Arthur the task of finding the Holy Grail, a mission he takes on. Arthur and his knights then go in different directions to search for it. The movie shows their adventures and the many things they encounter as they eventually come back together to find the Holy Grail.

The movie was both a critical and commercial success. I feel bad that I never sat through it before—it’s a very good parody and comedy film to watch anytime.