Life of Brian more accurate than the Bible, Monty Python editor claims
The Life of Brian gave a more accurate representation of Jesus than the Bible and Church teachings combined, a Monty Python filmmaker has claimed.
Julian Doyle, who also worked on Python favourites The Holy Grail and Meaning of Life, disputed claims that the film was blasphemous, arguing instead it was an “authentic” portrayal of Jesus.
The Life of Brian, which will celebrate its 45th anniversary on Friday, was banned for years in countries across the world owing to complaints that it was blasphemous.
Discussing the launch of his new book, The After-Life of Brian, filmmaker Doyle said the Life of Brian is no more disrespectful of the Messiah than Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Jesus Christ Superstar or any other creative representation of Jesus.
‘Dim-witted’ censors ‘misunderstood’ film
Doyle, 81, said that the film was misinterpreted as a mockery of Jesus and Christianity, when it was in fact intended as a parody of human behaviour and the “comedic tendency” of people to blindly follow leaders.
He said: “The politicians, the censors, and, of course, the placard-waving mobs of protesters completely misunderstood Life of Brian.
“Many were clearly as dim-witted as a Gumby because they simply didn’t grasp the fact that we weren’t mocking Jesus or Christians at all but simply making a film that satirised society’s comedic tendency to follow religious, political and business leaders like sheep.
“If you look at the film from an historical point of view, you’ll realise that it is a far more authentic and accurate portrayal of Jesus Christ than the teachings of the Church and the Bible combined.”
He dismissed claims the film was blasphemous, arguing that to do so is: “As nonsensical and ignorant as calling Jesus Christ Superstar blasphemous, too. And quite clearly, Webber’s musical is about as far from blasphemous as you can get.
“If you really want to get upset about the film then it should be over its historical accuracy, which brings the biblical narrative into serious question.”
Unlike the film’s cast members, Doyle has remained tight-lipped about the backlash before now but he broke his silence at the launch of his new book.
The cult comedy was released 45 years ago on Friday and those behind its prohibition were as clueless about history as the film’s hapless main character, Brian Cohen, Doyle said.
In the movie, Brian, a likeable but unlucky man, was born in the stable next door to Jesus and spends his life being mistaken for the Messiah.
Biblical story ‘full of contradictions’
The film, described at the time as the most blasphemous ever made, was banned for a year in Norway, for eight years in Ireland and for more than a decade in Italy.
Screenings were also cancelled in cinemas across the US and the UK following protests from religious leaders and nuns.
A ban in Aberystwyth, Wales lasted three decades and was only lifted in 2009 after one of the stars, Sue Jones-Davies, who played Brian’s love interest Judith Iscariot, became town mayor.
The film’s release, and its crucifixion scene in particular, which ended with Eric Idle singing Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, caused outrage among Christian groups worldwide.
But Doyle claimed that the Life of Brian presents a more historically accurate portrayal of Jesus and his times than any other film, and that the biblical story of Jesus is “full of contradictions”.
He argued that in the Bible, for example, Jesus died within hours of being nailed to the cross, but his death would have in fact taken days to occur “because what is there to kill someone, apart from exposure to the elements and dehydration?”
The biblical story of Jesus carrying his own full-size cross would also have been impossible because he would have “needed to be a powerlifter” to be able to shift the weight, he added.
Doyle said: “The funny thing is that while the Pythons only ever intended to make a comedy film, they intuitively hit on a more realistic portrayal of Jesus and his times because they followed reason rather than faith.
“This has obviously made a lot of Christians unhappy, but it stands up to scrutiny and if you are seeking to learn about the life of the real Jesus then Python’s Life of Brian is, in my view, just as valid as any other portrayal of Jesus including the Church’s teachings.”