Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #912 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-04-14
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English, Latin
• Subtitled in: Arabic, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 89 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
There is not a single joke, sight-gag or one-liner in Monty Python's Life of Brian that will not forever burn itself into the viewer's memory as being just as funny as it is possible to be, but--extraordinarily--almost every indestructibly hilarious scene also serves a dual purpose, making this one of the most consistently sustained film satires ever made. Like all great satire, the Pythons not only attack and vilify their targets (the bigotry and hypocrisy of organised religion and politics) supremely well, they also propose an alternative: be an individual, think for yourself, don't be led by others. "You've all got to work it out for yourselves", cries Brian in a key moment. "Yes, we've all got to work it our for ourselves", the crowd reply en masse. Two thousand years later, in a world still blighted by religious zealots, Brian's is still a lone voice crying in the wilderness. Aside from being a neat spoof on the Hollywood epic, it's also almost incidentally one of the most realistic on-screen depictions of the ancient world--instead of treating their characters as posturing historical stereotypes, the Pythons realised what no sword 'n' sandal epic ever has: that people are all the same, no matter what period of history they live in. People always have and always will bicker, lie, cheat, swear, conceal cowardice with bravado (like Reg, leader of the People's Front of Judea), abuse power (like Pontius Pilate), blindly follow the latest fads and giggle at silly things ("Biggus Dickus"). In the end, Life of Brian teaches us that the only way for a despairing individual to cope in a world of idiocy and hypocrisy is to always look on the bright side of life.

On the DVD: Life of Brian returns to Region 2 DVD in a decent widescreen anamorphic print with Dolby 5.1 sound--neither are exactly revelatory, but at least it's an improvement on the previous release, which was, shockingly, pan & scan. The 50-minute BBC documentary, "The Pythons", was filmed mainly on location in 1979 and isn't especially remarkable or insightful (a new retrospective would have been appreciated). There are trailers for this movie, as well as Holy Grail plus three other non-Python movies. There's no commentary track, sadly. --Mark Walker

DVD Description
Monty Python delivers a scathing, anarchic satire of both religion and Hollywood's depiction of all things biblical with their second film. The setting is Judea 33 A.D, a time of poverty and chaos, with no shortage of messiahs, followers willing to believe in them, and exasperated Romans trying to impose some order. At the centre of it all is Brian Cohen (Graham Chapman), a reluctant would-be messiah who rises to prominence as a result of a series of absurd and truly hilarious circumstances providing ample opportunity for the entire ensemble (John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, and Chapman) to shine in multiple roles as they mock everyone and everything from ex-lepers, Pontius Pilate, and the art of haggling to crazy prophets, Roman centurions, and crucifixion.

Special Features
"The Pythons" Documentary
Theatrical Trailer
Anamorphic 1.81:1 widescreen
Dolby Digital 5.1
Languages: English, Hungarian (Dolby 5.0), German (Mono)
Subtitles: Arabic, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, English (Hard of Hearing), Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Slovene, Swedish, Turkish

Customer Reviews

No restoration
The 2004 edition of MP:LOB is anamorphic widescreen but appears to have been transferred from a somewhat worn film copy. It's perfectly watchable but such a popular film comedy surely demands a proper restoration job.

The only extras on the single disk edition are a few trailers and an original 47 minute BBC documentary made during location filming in Tunisia.

What have the Pythons ever done for us?


Mostly receiving 1's or 7's I see - symptomatic of the love/hate relationship this film has enjoyed with U.K. film fans even prior to it's original release.

Controversy surrounding the release served the Pythons well - they could never have generated so much publicity within the confines of the original budget. But then the Python's enjoy a religious following of their own.

Monty Python always had a penchant for taking a swipe at religion - were it to be made today with the current wave of 'us & them' religion-based media hysteria L.O.B. would be even more topical but, I suspect, no less hilarious. It is hard to comprehend that anyone would not find this film funny.

Highlights include the most fantastic ad-lib in cinematic history courtesy of the late, great Spike Milligan as, lone-voiced, he meekly claims that he isn't different amidst a multitude of people claiming, in perfect chorus, that they are, and a convincingly authentic space scene which George Lucas reportedly envied and Terry Gilliam reputedly shot for £5!

Widely considered to be the team's best shot, I'm not so sure - I think they had more memorable moments in earlier sketches but nevertheless a unique & seminal comedy film, cherished/reviled* by millions. A worthy memorial to the late Graham Chapman and a mantelpiece. Sorry, I mean a masterpiece.

Life of Python
The Life of Brian's popularity as one of the best known and loved comedy films is often overshadowed by the controversy it sparked even before it went into production. EMI famously pulled out of the project after been pressurised by Mary Whitehouse's moral majority organisation and the threat of been charged with breaching the blasphemy laws. The production was saved by George Harrison setting up Handmade Films to finance the venture and bring it to the screen.

It is of course a fantastic film moving on from Monty Python's previous films to make a more coherent structure but with still the same sketch routine slightly retained to give the Cleese, Palin, Jones, Gilliam and Idle ensemble a cast of timeless characters to interact with Chapman's faultless portrayal of Brian a man living at the same time as Jesus and his being taken for the messiah, `He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy'.

Classic pieces of Python fill this film from the death to all Romans, except those concerned with drainage, roads, housing and those who have contributed to all Jews of both sexes and hermaphrodites, to the crowd demanding the welease of woger and of course the song `Always look on the Bright Side of Life'. Fantastic from start to finish, well worth the risk of being damned for all eternity.