Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life (R)

The final production released as a collaborative Monty Python piece is the 1983 comedy “Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life.” Unlike the previous Python films, “Life” saw the crew return their wheelhouse of sketch comedy, a brand that launched them to stardom decades earlier with their hit television series “The Flying Circus.”

Like all their work, “Life” was created and written by the six members of Monty Python, and each takes a turn playing various roles during the movie. “Life” is divided into seven parts, each containing several independent skits designed at explaining to the viewer the everyday happenings and comical mishaps one succumbs to during the course of their life.

As is often the case with sketch comedy, the laughs are hit and miss, but for “Life,” more often than not, the gags work. While some scenes are head scratching, most is very funny, with some being downright hysterical. One particularly amusing sequence depicts the British born Pythons mocking corporate America with feigned American accents. You will laugh aloud as a group of stiff suits sit in a meeting room atop the “Very Big Corporation of America” discussing a plan to acquire additional amounts of wealth. “Which brings us once again to the urgent realization of just how much there is still left to own.” States the CEO (Graham Chapman) to a room full of corporate drones.

“Life” is a vast improvement from the previous film, 1979s “The Life of Brian,” and stands strong even thirty years after its release with jokes still relevant and the humor still funny.

Monty Python would disband as a group after the release of the final film. The six members would remain close friends and all venture off into successful post-Python careers.

Terry Jones would go on to success as a director and an author, receiving a 2004 Emmy nomination for a television documentary. Terry Gilliam would continue being a behind-the-scenes guy, with an award winning resume of films he has directed, including popular titles “12 Monkeys” and “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.”

Eric Idle would achieve great success with his “Holy Grail” based Broadway musical Spamalot, itself a winner of numerous Tony Awards. Michael Palin would continue writing and acting, with appearances in films such as “Time Bandits” and “A Fish Called Wanda.”

John Cleese would go on to have an illustrious career in acting, receiving several Academy Award nominations, and co-starring in the blockbuster “Harry Potter” series.

Sadly, Graham Chapman would pass away on October 4, 1989 at the age of 48 from terminal cancer. Chapman’s death occurred on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the first broadcast of “The Flying Circus,” and Terry Jones would call it “the worst case of party-pooping in all history.” Chapman’s last words are rumored to have been “Sorry for saying fuck,” to a nurse who accidentally stuck a needle in his arm shortly before he died. The five surviving Python members elected to stay away from Chapman’s private funeral to give his family their privacy. They sent a wreath in the shape of the famous Python foot with the message: “To Graham from the other Pythons. Stop us if we’re getting too silly.”

In the end, Monty Python will leave an undoubtedly strong footprint on the comedic landscape of cinema. A group of six talented friends that defied the laws of normalcy to bring a unique humor to the table that has been unparalleled since. They covered the entire spectrum during their ten year movie run – one of the best and one of the worst, and closed with a solid piece that most closely resembled their signature style. Their legacy will live on forever.

by – Matt Christopher