Film #099 - Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
What can I say about Monty Python and the Holy Grail that hasn’t already been said? Having exhausted the possibilities of television, the Mony Python troupe made the move to the big screen with this 1975 retelling of the story of King Arthur and his knights.
Now, as some of you may recall, I am a fan of the Arthurian legend. I took King Arthur to task for its many liberties and I feel the same way about a lot of Arthurian films that others enjoy (like Excalibur, for instance). But, despite the comedic aspects, Holy Grail really understands its context and so succeeds in being a “proper” Arthur film to a greater extent than a lot of films that take the material more seriously.
For one thing, Graham Chapman (who I always felt was the weakest performer on the show) really shines upon the move to the silver screen. He never plays up the comedy, instead giving a dead straight portrayal of Arthur that is actually quite effective. (It’s always good when I feel that a comedic lead could have handled a serious rendition, as I do here.) Of course, he’s just as silly as the others in his many smaller roles, but as Arthur, he is noble, strong and valiant, everything a proper Arthur should be.
The rest of the cast provide the wackiness. John Cleese’s much-too-bold Lancelot, Michael Palin’s naive, but wanting, Galahad, Terry Jones’ virtuous and trusting Sir Bedevere, Eric Idle’s cowardly Sir Robin and Terry Gilliam’s trusty servant Patsy get the bulk of the screentime, but there’s still lots of other classic characters and bits throughout. In smaller roles, look for Python regulars Carol Cleveland, Connie Booth and Neil Innes.
The songs are great, of course, with music by Innes and lyrics by Idle. (Having heard some stuff from the Broadway version, Spamalot, there’s nothing that compares to the originals.) Even the use of stock music for the score is done with flair.
And I must take a moment and say that until the release of The Princess Bride, I always used to say that the sword fight between the Green Knight (Gilliam) and the Black Knight (Cleese) was the best in film history. And I still say it is one of the best. Sure, it’s not pretty or particularly well choreographed, but I have a feeling it is more accurate to the way they would have really fought than anything I’ve seen in a more serious film.
There’s nothing I don’t like about Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Sure, Life of Brian looks better and has a more coherent plot, but that one sometimes gets bogged down in a serious attempt to look at the nature of Christianity. None of that here. This is an out-and-otu triumph by a group of seasoned performers at the top of their game. Co-driectors Terrys Jones and Gilliam give this one a visual style that is striking (if a bit obviously low budget) that the later films lack. (I chalk this up mostly to Gilliam’s diminished role in the other two.) For me, Monty Python and the Holy Grail is the ultimate manifestation of the Python ethic, from the absurdist opening to the surprise ending.