Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) ⭐ 8.2 | Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-RVzax5tqY
Directed by: Terry Gilliam & Terry Jones
Written by: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones & Michael Palin
Starring: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones & Michael Palin
Shot by: Terry Bedford
Edited by: John Hackney
Produced by: Roy Forge Smith
This marvelous film is Monty Python's take on the Arthurian Legend. King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table embark on a quest to seek the Holy Grail—a mission appointed to them by God, though without any concrete purpose. The film brilliantly mocks the vanity of their quest by throwing the fellowship into one absurd situation after another.
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While the main characters aren't the film's main selling point, they're each wonderfully absurd. The protagonist, King Arthur (Graham Chapman), leads a band of buffoonish knights: the overeager Sir Lancelot the Brave (John Cleese), the cowardly Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-as-Sir-Lancelot (Eric Idle), the silly Sir Galahad the Pure (Michael Palin), and the hilariously dim-witted Sir Bedevere (Terry Jones). Arthur's squire Patsy (Terry Gilliam) rounds out the group. Though each character has their distinct quirks, they're all total buffoons.
It feels hard to give a solid answer, given the absurdity of the film. One thing is certain: this film wishes to entertain and give us a laugh, and that it does brilliantly. There are main targets the film aims its satire towards, most notably, religion, mythical fable, and cinema as a medium.
The film ridicules traditional shortcomings of religious zealotry, like witch hunts, blind faith in God, and excessive religious formality. I particularly love the scene where the fellowship faces a vicious, murderous beast (a rabbit) and decides to kill it using the ‘Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch.‘ Here, the Pythons mock religion on many fronts: the use of religious violence, the pompous language of scripture, and the reverence for absurd holy relics.