Am I missing something?


Serious question, I have attempted to watch this film, hailed by many as the greatest comedy ever. But after half an hour with no laughs and literally cringing at every scene I just can't take it any more and turn it off.

The real question is, am I missing something? The so called comedy in this film just seems outrageously stupid and I just can't seem find myself enjoying it. Maybe its a generation thing?


"Get away from her, you bitch!"

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Me too. MP is funny in general. Holy Grail was funny...most of it.
But there where almost no funny things in LoB.
Only the Roman general with a lisp was somewhat funny.
But to the movies credit. The costumes and location was amazing.
The jokes fell flat like an "n*-Movie" movie.


*(Scary, Epic, Disaster etc)

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Life of Brian is my favorite Python film, though initially it was my least. Few films have grown on me more than this one has, and now I laugh uncontrollably just thinking about it.

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Yes, having missed something; sadly, you have missed everything.

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and having watched 30 minutes, you missed about 2 thirds of the movie. Okay?

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[deleted]

IM with OP. I didnt laugh at all and i felt boring all the time.

Im also wondering whats the difference in me compared to majority, why i cant get these Monthy films. All of them are someway boring and stupid. Too simple mind flow. I could do same quality plot, all i need is just let my mind flow without logic. It could turn to even much hilarious result.

Well, i actually knew the points when it should had been funny but for me it was too simple, too stupid. Like man dressed and talking like a woman, painting the wall by words, UFO... so on so on.

Hey, one scene was almost funny, in the beginning they were stoning and the stone throwers were women. There was little glimpse of intelligent humor.

I dont think it is generation thing, just we, some people think different than majority.



http://www.anvianet.fi/fingames/

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Respectfully, I think the fact that English is clearly not your first language may have something to do with your lack of understanding of LoB. For example when you say "painting wall by words" I assume you are referring to the truly hilarious Latin lesson/political slogan scene?

"Stupid", "boring" "simple" ...no these are not even halfway reasonable adjectives to describe Monty Python films . Sorry anotherworld, you just don't get it.

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I guess comedy and this film has been copied and improved upon so much since then that the original would seem too tame for some people, it might help that you understand the way people were at the time, not many people had the balls to stand up and say, do we have to believe this *beep* or maybe religion came about from a series of coincendences.
For me even if the laughs seem dimmer the concept is still supberb and i think its the most important piece of art this world has seen so far basically because its saying think for yourselfs people, god bless them ;)

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[deleted]

The original meaning of comedy had little to do with laughing.

Comedy was about being amused by ideas. The point of Greek comedy was to represent reality as it is, just remarking on the foibles and logical failings of the regular, common people.

Comedy was about thinking amusedly, not about laughing.

"Life of Brian" sticks to that original idea. It shows us things found in people, in all ages, from all parts of the world. You could easily substitute the Judean Liberation Front and the People's Liberation Front of Judea for any two groups that agree in almost everything, but fight each other rabidly exactly because they are so similar.

We see it all the time, on the right and the left, among moderates and religious people, among socialists and fascists, etc.

Another thing is the conflict individualism vs. community. How often those trying to work for the sake of the community end up being the most individualistic, while those trying to prove themselves "different and unique" often end up being just another cog in the machine.

The root of the best British humor is paradox. Life is full of them, and it's charming how often we fall into their traps, without even realizing it.

Komoidía, to make us reflect, amusedly, about our own limitations. "Life of Brian" is incomparable.

---
Space For Sale.

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Generation thing? Depends.

What age are you roughly?

I was born mid eighties and saw it as a kid in early nineties, found some of it hilarious then, watch it as an adult and find some of it hilarious still.

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Not a generation thing at all, My mum introduced me to Monty Python when I was really young and watched Life of Brian when I was about 10 and loved it. I'm now 26 and am watching the film as I write this with my 8 year old daughter (telling her to turn away at the naked bits) and shes loving it, she also loves Holy Grail and Flying Circus.

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I relate this to the whole "can't write a sentence with capital letters or punctuation" texting crowd. The ADD world we now have been forced into.

Much of our society has been trained to want things instantly: music downloads, fast food, entertainment - all of it.

Python doesn't give a **** about if you ever "get" their humor, or not. But there hasn't been a film made that so expertly parodies the stupid fear that humans have while relating to their beliefs - than this film has.

Watch a Jodorowsky film if you have a pair.

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If the movie is rated 8.2 on IMBD then yes, you are missing the entire thing.

Here's one problem: Monty python is pure British humor. British humor is so vastly different from modern American humor that, if you are new to it, it may very well fly right over your head, which seems to be the case here. Modern American humor is funny in its own rite, but in the interest of being objective, it simply is more dull-minded on the whole. (I am American btw).It aims primarily for the obvious joke, and possibly for the vulgar and profane joke to go with it. British humor is much more subtle and witty, even dry. The important aspect of it is that it disguises its wit with a veil of slapstick stupid humor. It is so stupid up front, yet so subversive underneath. If you are not used to it, you will only see the stupid up front, and then dismiss the entire genre. But underneath many scenes in Monty python skits/movies is a social commentary that is smart and biting. It is a two punch combo, as opposed to the strong one punch uppercut used in American cinema.

I can imagine many scenes in which you are looking for a punchline, but none every come. As Americans, we are accustomed to our punchlines. Life of Brian has some for sure, but many scenes do not. Sometimes its the overall idea of what is developing in front of us which is funny and subversive. You realize how something normal just slowly escalated into something absurd, and that is funny. Consider the scene where the people in the back of the sermon on the mount can't quite hear what their prophet is saying. There is no punchline in this 5-10 minute long scene, so it is easy to get bored, but if you step back and coniser what is happening it is quite profound and hilarious. -- "What did he say? Blessed are the cheese-makers?" -- While the son of god is preaching an epic sermon, they are squabbling about nonsense in the back. its funny.


Have you ever seen monty pythons skit about the ministry of silly walks? It has john cleese as a silly-walk ministry worker walking around with his silly walk, which is kinda funny to look at but really stupid on the surface. Underneath, it is actually a satire of the meaningless ministries that England has. This informs the ensuing discussion between Cleese and an applicant. "With government backing I think I can make this walk very silly."


If you go into Life of Brian looking at the surface, then you will miss 70% of the humor.



"I wouldn't recommend sex, drugs or insanity for everyone, but they've always worked for me."

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This is many things, a send up of the "sand and toga" genre of films (have you seen any?) as well as a serious political critique: of social conformism and especially the extreme lengths to which authority must go to preserve its credibility. It also takes a jab at the unreliability of that which so many people choose to accept on faith. Watch it again with that in mind and you may find yourself appreciating it more. Or maybe not.

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