Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979)

Country of Origin: UK
Year of Production: 1979
Running Times: 89 mins (Australia)     93 mins (UK)     94 mins (Germany; USA)
Format: Eastmancolor     35mm
Ratio: 1.85:1
Sound: Dolby Stereo

PRODUCTION
Production Company: Handmade Films Ltd
Copyright: © 1979 Python (Monty) Pictures Ltd
Executive Producers: George Harrison, Denis O'Brien
Executive Producer For Tunisia: Tarak Ben Ammar
Produced by: John Goldstone
Associate Producer: Tim Hampton

SCRIPT
Written by: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin

DIRECTION
Directed by: Terry Jones
1st Asst. Director: Jonathan Benson
2nd Assistant Director: Melvin Lind
3rd Assistant Director: Matthew Binns
Tunisian Assistant Directors: Hmida Ben Ammar, Lotfi Thabet, Slim Mzali

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Peter Biziou
Camera Operator: John Stanier
Loaders: Alan Annand, Hechim Cherif
Focus: Michael Brewster
Chief Electrician: Roy Rodhouse
Electrical Department: Reg Parsons, Brian Smith, Les Rodhouse, Don Matton, Chuck Finch, Kamel Kardous, Mohamed Sahli
Camera Grips: Frank Batt, Sadok Ben Amor
Stills Photographer: David Appleby
Camera Equipment From: Joe Dunton Cameras
Lighting by: Lee Electrics (Lighting) Ltd
Processed at: Rank Film Laboratories Ltd, Denham, Bucks

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Julian Doyle

MUSIC
Music Composed by: Geoffrey Burgon
Conducted by: Marcus Dods
Music Mixers: Keith Grant, Andre Jacquemin, Steve James
Music Recorded At: Olympic Sount Studios, Chappell Recording Studios, Redwood Recording Studios

SONGS AND ADDITIONAL MUSIC
"Brian"
Music by: Andre Jacquemin and David Howman
Arranged by: Trevor Jones
Sung by: Sonia Jones

"Bright Side of Life"
Music by: Eric Idle
Arranged by John Altman

SOUND
Sound Recordist: Garth Marshall
Assistant Sound Engineers: Dushko Indjic, Phil Chubb
Dubbing Mixer: Hugh Strain
Dubbing Editor: John Foster
Assistant Dubbing Editors: Chris Welch, Simon Bailey
1st Assistant Editor: Rodney Glenn
2nd Assistant Editor: John Mister
Effects Editor: Tony Orton
Dolby Sound Consultant: David Watts
Sound Re-Recording at: Trevor Pyke Sound Ltd., Lonson W1

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Makeup and Hairdressing: Maggie Weston, Elaine Carew
Makeup and Hairdressing Departments: Susan Frear, Kenteas Brine, Diana Webber, Fatma Jaziri, Faouzia Choura
Costume Designers: Hazel Pethig, Charles Knode
Costume Department: Nick Ede, Bill Pierce, Sue Cable, Zoulfikha Keari, Leila Turki
Wigs, Beards etc Made by: Wig Specialities London, Kenneth Lintott
Costumes From: Bermans & Nathans, London; GPII, Rome; Perruzzi, Rome
Military Uniforms: Randacti, Rome
Shoes From: Pompeii, Rome

VISUAL EFFECTS
Animation: Terry Gilliam
Animation and Model Department: Tim Olive, Dennis Degroot, Kate Hepburn, Cal Charlton, Rupert Ashmore, Roger Pratt, Tony Andrews, Michael Beard
Optical Effects: Kent Houston, Paul Whitbread, Peerless Camera Co Ltd London
Matte Paintings: Abacus

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Design: Terry Gilliam
Art Director: Roger Christian
Assistant Art Directors: John Beard, Mohammed Azounadhea
Set Dresser: Hassen Souei
Production Buyers: Peter Dunlop, Hassine Soufi
Props Department: Peter Grant, John Margetts, Geoffrey Hartman, Arthur Wicks, Gordon Phillips, Daryll Patterson
Construction Managers: John Patterson, Lotfi Layourni
Construction Crew: Richard Jones, Craig Hillier, Peter Verard, Robert Mason, Graham Bullock, Alan Seabrook, Eric Nash, Gordon Izod, Michael Melia, Roy Clarke, David Wiggins, Dennis Harrison, Bunny Southall
Scenic Artist: John Spotswood
Modeller: Keith Short
Art Department Secretary: Patricia Christian

MISCELLANEOUS
Continuity: Brenda Loader
Production Accountant: Ron Swinburne
Assistant Accountant: Hazel Crombie
Tunisian Accountant: Ridha Turki
Accounts Secretary: Hafida Ouertani
Production Assistants: Jennie Raglan, Nicole Souchal
Tunisian Production Department: Ali Cherif, Ahmed Attia, Tarak Harbi, Habib Chaari, Claude Guillene, Jazzi Abderrazak, Mouldi Kriden
Producer's Assistant: Hilary Sandison
Business Manager: Anne Henshaw
Public Relations: Peter Thompson
HandMade Representative: Patricia Burgess
Bibliography Assistant: Christine Miller
London Contacts: Sally Ball, Betty Swinburne, Carey Fitzgerald
Location Catering by: Memmo of Rome
Additional Location Facilities From: Roma Trasporti Cinematografici, Rome

LOCATIONS
Locations: Matmata, Tunisia; Monastir, Tunisia; Sousse, Tunisia
Location Assistants: Sallie Hampton, Christina Biziou

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Shot on location in Tunisia. The Producers would like to thank the Tunisian authorities for facilitating the shooting of the film.

CAST
Graham Chapman (Brian / wise man 2 / Biggus Dickus)
John Cleese (wise man 1 / Reg / Jewish official / centurion / Deadly Dirk / Arthur)
Terry Gilliam (man 2 / jailer / blood and thunder prophet / Frank)
Eric Idle (Mr Cheeky / Stan / Loretta / Harry the Haggler / culprit woman / Warris / youth / jailer's assistant / Otto / Mr Frisbee III)
Terry Jones (Mandy / Colin/Simon the Holy Man/Bob Hoskins/Saintly Passer-by)
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 Baylor (Gregory)
Carol Cleveland (Mrs Gregory)
Kenneth Colley (Jesus)
Neil Innes (weedy Samaritan)
Charles McKeown (false prophet / blind man / giggling guard / Stig)
John Young (Matthias)
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)
George Harrison (man in kitchen (uncredited))

Born at the same time as Christ (in the neighbouring manger!), Brian is just an ordinary man until a misunderstanding seems him hailed as the new messiah and becoming a martyr for the cause of a hopelessly beaurocratic gang of freedom fighters. Along the way he becomes involved in an ill-judged attempt to kidnap Pilate's wife, is forced to write Romans go home in Latin all over the city and even finds time to fall in love.

Glorious. Quite simply the best British comedy ever made, one that has risen above the storm-in-a-teacup controversy that surrounds it to earn its place as a legitimate cinema classic. The most cohesive of the Python films, it boasts the best lines, a fantastic central performance from Graham Chapman as the eponymous Brian (it's easy to overlook just how good an actor he was) and one of the all time great songs in the much-reviled crucifixion scene. All this and a cameo from Spike Milligan too - how can you go wrong?

Germany
Video Distributor: VCL Communications GmbH
Laserdisc Distributor: Philips (01857)

UK
Theatrical Distributor: CIC

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Orion Pictures Corporation / Warner Brothers
Laserdisc Distributor: Criterion (CC 1504L - includes: commentaries by John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin; theatrical trailer; five deleted scenes; The Pythons documentary); Paramount (LV 12781)
DVD Distributor: Anchor Bay (DV 10674); Criterion (CC 1554D - includes: commentary by Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle and Terry Jones; second commentary by John Cleese and Michael Palin; five deleted scenes with commentary; four original British radio ads; The Pythons documentary)

Australia
Rating: M

Finland
Rating: K-16

Ireland
Rating: banned

Norway
Rating: 18 (initially banned on the grounds of blasphemy)

Sweden
Rating: 15

UK
Rating: AA; 15

USA
Rating: R

West Germany
Rating: 16

1979
August
Day Unknown: USA - theatrical release
17: UK - theatrical release

1980
August
14: West Germany - theatrical release
25: Sweden - theatrical release

1981
March
6: Finland - theatrical release

1992
August
Day Unknown: laserdisc release (Philips (01857))

1997
December
17: USA - laserdisc distributor (Criterion (CC 1504L))

1999
May
4: USA - DVD release (Anchor Bay (DV 10674))

November
16: USA - DVD release (Criterion (CC 1554D))

See the movie that's controversial, sacrilegious, and blasphemous. But if that's not playing, see The Life of Brian.

Honk if you love Brian.

The film that is so funny it was banned in Norway.

Brian di Nazareth - Italian title
Brian of Nazareth - working title
Jesus Christ: Lust for Glory - working title (was this ever seriously considered?)
Das Leben des Brian - German title
Life of Brian

SEE ALSO
Ben-Hur (1959)
Discworld II: Mortality Bytes (1996)

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
30 Years of Python (1999)
It's the Monty Python Story (1999)
Top Ten Comedy Records (2000)

REFERENCES

MAGAZINES

Broadcast 17 May 1991 p.4 (UK)
note

Broadcast 6 March 1998 p.5 (UK)
note (News in Brief: Python take Channel 4 to court over Life of Brian)

Broadcast 29 May 1998 p.8 (UK)
article (Court victory for Python over Brian by Ashley Davies)

Comedy Review no.3 (May 1996) pp.22-23 (UK)
illustrated interview with Graham Chapman (Graham Chapman by Matthew Bullen)

Comedy Review no.4 (June 1996)
illustrated script (Masterpiece...)

Empire no.167 (May 2003) pp.140-141 (UK)
illustrated article / DVD review (RWD by Rob Fraser)

Empire no.171 (September 2003) pp.106-113 (UK)
illustrated interviews with Eric idle, John Cleese, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam and Michael Palin (The Pythons by Robert Sellers)

Film Score Monthly vol.3 no.4 (May 1998) p.18 (USA)
soundtrack review

Heraldo del Cine no.2756 (13 September 1985) p.581 (Argentina)
review

Index on Censorship vol.29 no.6 (November / December 2000) p.163 (UK)
illustrated article (The troubled life of Brian)

Monthly Film Bulletin vol.46 no.551 (December 1979) p.262 (UK)
note (Addenda and corrigenda)

Screen Digest January 1985 p.5 (UK)
review

OTHER SOURCES

screen
credits

aliens, camels, centurions, crucifixion, false messiahs, freedom fighters, jesus christ, leprosy, messiahs, palestine, prophets, religion, roman empire, rome, satire, shoes, spaceships, stonings, terrorists, three wise men

Last Updated: 15 October, 2008