Monty Python and the Holy Grail ***** (1975, Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones) – Classic Movie Review 2982

Directors Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones’s inspired and iconic 1975 Monty Python movie is their hilarious, nonsense version of the Arthurian legend. It is of course written by and stars Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Gilliam and Jones, along with writer Simon Gray.

Chapman plays King Arthur, who convenes his knights at Camelot to embark on a quest for the Holy Grail, meeting silly obstacles all along the way. Cleese is Sir Lancelot the Brave, Idle is Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-as-Sir Lancelot, Palin is Sir Galahad the Pure, Gilliam is the Green Knight and Jones is Sir Bedevere. They only pretend they ride horses and get their servants to bang coconuts to make the sound of horse’s hooves (‘Are you trying to say that coconuts migrate?’).

Now hailed and acclaimed everywhere as a timeless comedy masterpiece, it is just overflowing with splendidly daft absurdist jokes and it is quite lovingly filmed by Gilliam and beautifully shot by cinematographer Terry Bedford on Scottish locations, with production designs by Roy Smith. It is so much smarter and wittier than any of the Carry On films that it sometimes resembles (Carry On Camelot ?) – and much better made. Its picture of mediaeval life is intricate and loving, an attention to detail that gives it another dimension if any of the jokes fall flat.

Unlike the Python team’s TV shows, it even has an ending! Well they couldn’t just move on from one sketch to the next here, could they? Or could they? Yes, they could have done, but it wouldn’t have been nearly as tremendous a movie. Following 1971’s sketch-based And Now for Something Completely Different, Python’s second film is an unexpectedly inspired proper movie, and is ageing brilliantly like fine wine, as its UK 2015 big-screen re-release shows.

Also in the cast are Neil Innes (who also provides the score), Connie Booth, Carol Cleveland, Bee Duffell, John Young, Rita Davies, Sally Kinghorn and Avril Stewart.

Gilliam tended to focus on the technical aspects, while Jones focused on the comedy and they didn’t necessarily see eye to eye all the time. At any rate, both of them, and the whole team, are on splendidly creative form, making astonishingly much out of the low budget (apparently £229,575), leading to a box-office success and more Python movies.

Python fans Pink Floyd put profits from their album The Dark Side of the Moon into funding The Holy Grail.

The interiors of Camelot and Swamp Castle, and exteriors of Castle Anthrax, French Castle and the opening castle were all shot at Doune Castle, with rooms re-decorated and re-used many times. Recently-rebuilt Castle Stalker was used for the Castle Aarrgg. The Scottish Department of the Environment abruptly withdrew permission for the Python team to shoot within their castles, but both of these castles were privately owned.

Monty Python’s Life of Brian followed in 1979. Its final crucifixion ironic sing-along song ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life’ was reused in the musical Spamalot, adapted from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2982

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com