This is a movie in the same spirit as the Marx Brothers’ Duck Soup: essentially a string of crazy anarchic skits held together weakly by some central theme. The story isn’t strong, but it doesn’t pretend to be and it really doesn’t need to be. It’s just there as a sort of skeleton to hang all the skits on.
As a movie, this feels to me to be strangely out of place in the top 100 movies, maybe because it’s such a low budget production. But being low budget is also part of its charm and humor. It fits easily into the top 100 comedy movies of all time however.
I remember getting introduced to the movie by my high school philosophy teacher, who described Monty Python as funny, but sometimes too silly. And the humor sometimes inpenetrably British.
The movie follows the adventures of King Arthur (Graham Chapman) in his quest for the Holy Grail.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail title card, with gratuitous Swedish subtitlesSpecial Møøse creditsKing Arthur (Graham Chapman, right) and his companion Patsy (Terry Gilliam, left)Dennis and his mother - mud farmers having a serious discussion about political philosophy, and whether King Arthur has a right to rule"None shall pass" - The famous Black Knight"Running away, eh? You yellow bastards! Come back here and take what's coming to ya! I'll bite your legs off!"Strange monastic head-banging traditionThe French taunterBirds-eye view of King Arthur's groupA Famous Historian - a modern-day historian killed by a knight seconds later, which prompts a police investigation. The police follow Arthur's trail through the progression of the movie.Three-Headed KnightSir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-as-Sir-Lancelot (Eric Idle, right) and his minstrels (lead by Neil Innes of Rutles fame, left)Surrounded by sexy women at Castle Anthrax"Do you think this scene should have been cut?""Get on with it!" (Three-Headed Knight)"Get on with it!" (Dennis and his mother)"Get on with it!" (Old Man in Scene 24)"Get on with it!" (Tim the Enchanter)"Get on with it!" (Crowd)"Get on with it!" (God)Knight Who Says NiIt wouldn't be Monty Python without a few animationsTim the Enchanter's introduction in a nice cinematic shotRabbit of Caerbannog, the Killer RabbitRabbit of Caerbannog, the Killer RabbitThe British police finally track down suspects of the killing of the Famous HistorianThe British police arresting King ArthurThe British police arresting King Arthur, putting a sack over his head
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