Life of Brian

"He's not the messiah...he's just a naughty boy."

1979 1h 34m EN

🙌

7.8

BANGER

★7.8TMDB · 5,132

Comedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Brian Cohen is an average young Jewish man, but through a series of ridiculous events, he gains a reputation as the Messiah. When he's not dodging his followers or being scolded by his shrill mother, the hapless Brian has to contend with the pompous Pontius Pilate and acronym-obsessed members of a separatist movement. Rife with Monty Python's signature absurdity, the tale finds Brian's life paralleling Biblical lore, albeit with many more laughs.

“He's not the messiah...he's just a naughty boy.”

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Cast

Graham Chapman
Wise Man #2 / Brian Cohen / Biggus Dickus
John Cleese
Wise Man #1 / Reg / Jewish Official / First Centurion / Deadly Dirk / Arthur
Terry Gilliam
Man Even Further Forward / Revolutionary / Jailer / Blood and Thunder Prophet / Frank / Audience Member / Crucifee
Eric Idle
Mr. Cheeky / Stan 'Loretta' / Harry the Haggler / Culprit Woman / Warris / Intensely Dull Youth / Jailer's Assistant / Otto / Lead Singer Crucifee
Terry Jones
Mandy Cohen / Colin / Simon the Holy Man / Bob Hoskins / Saintly Passer-by / Alarmed Crucifixion Assistant
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 Bayler
Gregory
Carol Cleveland
Mrs. Gregory

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Terry Jones
Writers: Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, John Cleese
Languages: English, Latin
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $4.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 5.2× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

47 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Latin.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Terry Jones, shot by Peter Biziou. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Geoffrey Burgon. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Julian Doyle shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Graham Chapman and John Cleese and Terry Gilliam carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Terry Jones directs. Peter Biziou behind the camera. Geoffrey Burgon scores. Julian Doyle cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English, Latin.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $4.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Made its money back 5.2× over at the box office.
347 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
4Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Latin.
5Directed by Terry Jones, shot by Peter Biziou. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Geoffrey Burgon. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Julian Doyle shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Graham Chapman and John Cleese and Terry Gilliam carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "He's not the messiah...he's just a naughty boy.".
10IMDB entry: tt0079470 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 15 themes, including "roman empire", "jewry", "three kings", "crucifixion".
12Released under 17 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Peter Biziou
Original score: Geoffrey Burgon
Editing: Julian Doyle
Production design: Terry Gilliam
Costume design: Hazel Pethig
Makeup / hair: Kenteas Brine
Runtime: 94 min · 1h 34m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $4,000,000
Box office: $20,833,252
Return: 521% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Life of Brian (1979)

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Terry Jones

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Community reviews

What people are saying

drystyx2023-04-03
★ 4/10
This isn't Monty Python's best. In fact, it's very ordinary humor for the most part. The story of another man living a life parallel to Jesus could have been much funnier than this. However, people who love "dry humor" may appreciate this one more. It isn't the slapstick humor that we usually get from Monty Python that leaves a person nearly dying of laughter. It's very low key humor. The only memorable scene is the suicide squad that comes to save Brian, which lasts a few seconds. It's not totally boring, but it comes close. 4/10
Filipe Manuel Neto2023-10-06
★ 7/10
It's an excellent comic film, but much inferior to “The Holy Grail”. There is consensus on the impact that Monty Python had on humor, and on the way comedy is seen and performed. After a bombastic television series and a highly successful first film, they decided to make this film which, in essence, is a satire on the great biblical epics of the past. In this film, we follow Brian, a man who was born a short distance from Jesus and is constantly confused with him. I'm not conservative enough to not appreciate a religious joke if it's good, and there are a lot of good things in this film, starting with the incredible performances by the Pythons, in particular Graham Chapman and Terry Jones. The humor is what they have accustomed the public to, and the film does not disappoint the group's fans. Even so, I couldn't help but have the feeling that this film was quite inferior to “The Holy Grail”. On a technical level, I believe it is worth highlighting the costumes and sets, which are at the best level and set the story very well in time and space. And the final scene, where the crucified sing a well-known and very positivist melody, cannot be more surrealist than it is.
misubisu2025-11-05
★ 10/10
Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979) Review: A Blasphemous, Brilliant, and Utterly Human 10/10 If Holy Grail was a shotgun blast of medieval absurdity, then Life of Brian is a precision laser guided by satirical genius. Arriving four years later amid a whirlwind of anticipation and pre-release outrage, this is not merely a follow-up; it is an evolution. It is the pinnacle of Monty Python's craft—a film so sharp, so intelligent, and so uproariously funny that it doesn't just earn a perfect score; it defines what a perfect satire can be. The Plot: A Case of Mistaken Messiah-ship The premise is sublime in its simplicity: what if a man named Brian Cohen (Graham Chapman), born in the stable next door to Jesus on that fateful night, is mistaken for the Messiah his entire life? Brian is an everyman—a reluctant rebel, a bewildered participant in history, and a victim of cosmic irony. Through his eyes, we are treated to a scathing, hilarious, and surprisingly humane deconstruction of organised religion, political factionalism, and the sheer absurdity of blind faith. Why It's a 10/10: Beyond the Gags The Satire is Razor-Sharp: Holy Grail parodied history; Brian* eviscerates dogma. Its targets are not the teachings of Christ (whose "Sermon on the Mount" is presented with reverence, albeit with jokes about the crowd in the back having trouble hearing), but the bureaucratic, squabbling, and often ridiculous institutions that spring up around them. The People's Front of Judea (not the Judean People's Front!) is a masterclass in lampooning militant political in-fighting, and the scene where Brian is forced to repeat his "prophecies" to a crowd of his own followers is a timeless critique of how messianic figures are created by their audiences, not themselves. * The Pythons at their Peak: The ensemble has never been better. Every member delivers career-highlight performances. From John Cleese's regal, stuttering Pontius Pilate to Michael Palin's unctuous, friendly Pontius Pilate, and Eric Idle's charmingly direct Stan ("I want to be a woman!"), the cast is flawless. Terry Jones as Brian's mother, Mandy, provides a hilariously cynical anchor to the celestial chaos. * The Unforgettable Finale: The film builds to one of the most brilliant and unexpectedly poignant endings in comedy history. Crucified alongside his fellow condemned, Brian and his fellow sufferers launch into the jaunty, Academy Award-nominated musical number, "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life." It's not a moment of despair, but one of defiant, whistling-in-the-dark humanity. It is the perfect encapsulation of the film's message: in the face of the absurd and the tragic, all we have is each other and a good song. The Pandemonium: The Best Marketing Campaign a Film Never Asked For Long before a single frame was seen by the public, Life of Brian was the most notorious film in the world. Religious groups, led by outraged church officials in Britain and the US, launched a ferocious campaign to have it banned, branding it as "blasphemous" and "sacrilegious." Their efforts backfired spectacularly. The controversy became a global news story, creating a public debate about censorship, faith, and comedy that guaranteed the film unprecedented publicity. The Pythons, never ones to shy away from a fight, met the criticism with wit and logic. In a now-legendary television debate, John Cleese and Michael Palin faced down the formidable Bishop of Southwark and the conservative journalist Malcolm Muggeridge. Their defence — that the film was a satire of fanaticism and organised religion, not of Jesus himself — was so intellectually sound and calmly delivered that it utterly deflated their opponents. The whole affair proved the film's central thesis: that institutions often miss the point entirely. The Verdict: A Comedy for the Ages 10 out of 10 - A Sacred Text of Satire Life of Brian is more than a comedy; it is a work of profound philosophical and social insight disguised as a series of jokes about Judean street vendors and ex-lepers. It is braver, smarter, and more cohesive than even its legendary predecessor. The attempts to ban it did not stifle its voice; they amplified it for eternity, cementing its status as a vital testament to free speech and the power of laughter to challenge power. It is a film that dares to ask the big questions: "What have the Romans ever done for us?" and, more importantly, reminds us that we are all individuals, and that life is actually quite ridiculous, so you might as well always look on the bright side of it. A flawless, fearless, and forever-relevant masterpiece.