The comedy film genre goes through booms and lulls. Every few years, a decent comedy film will come out and revive a certain subsection of humour before it is inevitably overdone and becomes a cheap cliche.
Ten years ago, watching a Seth Rogan stoner bro humour film was the pinnacle of comedy. Now, it’s a cheesy drag that always seems like it’s trying too hard. Sixty years ago, slapstick humour had everyone keeled over laughing at someone slipping on a banana peel or a grand piano smashing over someone’s head. Now, it wouldn’t even crack a smile.
One of the few films to stand the test of time and tickle audiences pink in it’s heyday and in modern times is Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
The Monty Python comedy troupe are legendary for their wit, delivery and the range of topics they cover with their comedy. Forming in 1969, the troupe began with a sketch comedy series, Monty Python’s Flying Circus. This was the show that streamlined Python’s into comedy legend, breaking and changing the rules of comedy and developing a mass cult fan base.
Released in 1975, Monty Python and The Holy Grail is a King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table parody by the troupe about the legendary quest for the holy grail, largely filmed in and around Stirling.
Most of the jokes aren’t related to this at all. In fact, the characters and the plot are very loosely tied to the gags. This disconnect of contemporary punchlines in a 932 AD time period is a large part of what makes the film so funny. Marxism and the difference between European and African swallows are conversations which have no place in medieval Britain. The bizarre gags and off-the-cuff style delivery are key to the Python’s intellectual yet stupid comedy style. Obscure jokes are a much-beloved trademark of the troupe.
The animation element is another trademark Python trope, and it’s utilised to the full in The Holy Grail. When something is too fantastical to recreate in live action, the scribblings appear to tell that part of the tale. The animator even appears in a scene about animating the film, breaking the fourth wall. The film is back-to-back laughs, with no opportunity to crack a joke missed.
From French knights to killer rabbits, the Python’s imagination is seemingly endless. The opening credits, something so simple and crucial to every film, is used as an opportunity for several jokes. The troupe are delightfully skilled at their art, and it’s this talent that makes their content stand the test of time.
The Holy Grail doesn’t play into cliches or popular tropes of the time; it holds it’s own and is all the stronger for it. At 92 minutes long, it does not drag its feet in length nor does it rush to end itself too quickly. The Holy Grail is the perfect package for budding comedy buffs looking to explore the pillars of the genre.
Of course, other Python content is a great laugh also. The Holy Grail, however, is an edge above the rest of their content and a mile above everyone else’s.
Feature image credit: EMI Films
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