For the amateurs, the film’s story is right there in
the title. The famous comedy troupe made a film all about King Arthur and his
Knights of the Round Table on a journey to find the Holy Grail. That is pretty
much a minimal way to say these hilarious people are going to go on all types
of misadventures, as they eventually go through some story on a holy quest.
Graham Chapman plays the protagonist as King Arthur,
but he is joined by the entire cast including John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric
Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin. The entire cast plays the different
knights, along with many of the other characters seen throughout the film. Aaron Neuwirth said in his review, “I’m honestly not even sure what else I am
supposed to say about the plot and characters this point, so I’ll stop.”
What makes this film work is the amazing hilarity that
is helped by very smart comedians. Anyone who has never seen this film will
probably recognize different references their friends have quoted over the
years and be excited by the context. This is one of the most quotable films,
but what makes it hold up so well is the amount of fun found behind every piece
of comedy in this film.
Every Monty Python member was involved in “Holy Grail’s”
production, with Jones and Gilliam as the directors. Neuwirth said, “This mix
of creative control and limited funds also aided in making this film a
difficult production, but an incredibly successful one. Yes, it has a cheap
look to it, but that is very much how the team mines even more comedy out of
the film.” Who needs horses, when you can use coconuts to make the sound of
their galloping and then make so many jokes around that exact part?
Neuwirth credited, “There is also something to be said
for this film’ staying power. A film does not just become one of the greatest
comedies ever made for having a collection of jokes that play well. So much
inspiration and intelligence surrounds those who grew up with a film like this
and it helps that this film is so fixated on delivering on each new sequence,
without dwelling too much on various bits.”
It is hard to describe what else makes this film a
masterpiece, so to put it bluntly, it really just is. Yes, it’s a comedy and
that is not enough to attract everyone, when it comes to telling someone what
is funny, but “Holy Grail” is a film that really delivers everything. The fun,
silliness, quotable moments, casting, and everything else have combined for a
famous comedy and anyone not already impressed, this is the time to watch it.
Neuwirth admitted, “This film will never stop being
hilarious to me and I can only hope new viewers realize why it is so special.” Basically,
this is a comedy you have to watch right away.
Currently, this is streaming on YouTube, Roku, Pluto
TV, The CW, Peacock, and Prime to name a few. If you haven’t seen this film,
stop reading this review and go watch it. You have to see it to know what a
great comedy this is. After watching it, you will understand, as you will be
laughing throughout. Then, you will get all the references that people have
made and will start quoting it yourself. See it if you haven’t because you will
love it, I promise. I cannot give it a high enough recommendation. I saw a
little bit of the film in college. One time for a Philosophy Logic class, and
another in an Ancient Comedy class. Then, I saw the entire film because
everyone was talking about it that I had to see it to believe how great of
comedy this is.
Next week I will look at the next “Monty Python” film
in the next review of “Terry Gilliam Month.”
