Banned: Norway, Singapore, Ireland. Screamingly funny religious satire from the Monty Python crew about a man named Brian Cohen a Jew who is born on the same day as Jesus and is mistaken as the Messiah. The film follows the exploits of Brian and his unwanted followers and Messiah status. The BBC and ITV spurned the film afraid of offending Christians. Many town councils across the UK banned Life of Brian. Rather ridiculously, for a film that is an affectionate religious satire, many councils banned the film right into the new millennium. For example, Aberystwyth only lifted their 30 year ban on the film in 2009. As late as 2013, a German official in North Rhine Westphalia vetoed the showing of Life of Brian as it might offend Christians. Life of Brian was also banned in Ireland a country that does not like religious tomfoolery in its cinema, and also in Norway. The Swedes took great delight in poking fun at Norways ban of the film and gleefully marketed it as The film so funny, it was banned in Norway!. Meanwhile back in the UK, Mary Whitehouse and her merry band of killjoys stepped up their campaign against Life of Brian, inadvertently giving it a lot of publicity and extra viewers. Their fervent decrying of the film as a travesty of the New Testament making light of crucifixion, led to the Python crew retorting that crucifixion was a common way to die in biblical times and was not limited to Jesus himself. They also state that the film is heretical and not blasphemous when Jesus appears in the film, he is played straight and treated with respect. The Python crew maintain that they were mocking the way Jesus is worshipped, not the figures of Jesus or God themselves. The film is still causing controversy to this day which is rather amusing considering it is not a typical banned film as it is a rollicking good comedy and not some sordid Video Nasty. Likely to remain a source of debate and the butt of accusations for the foreseeable future.
My first film watched was Carrie aged 2 on my dad's knee. Educated at The University of St Andrews and Trinity College Dublin. Fan of Arthouse, Exploitation, Horror, Euro Trash, Giallo, New French Extremism. Weaned at the bosom of a Russ Meyer starlet. The bleaker, artier or sleazier the better!
