Movie Gazette

Graham Chapman takes the title role of Brian Cohen, a first-century Jew who is apparently born in the stable next door to Jesus on the same day, and is mistaken for a messiah for the rest of his life. Brian is apparently the offspring of his mother's one-night-stand with a Roman, but he joins with his fellow Judeans in hatred of the Roman invaders. At that time, the region is a hotbed of factions following various messiahs, most of which spend more of their time squabbling with each other than doing anything about the Romans.

Brian seeks membership in one of the factions, the Judean People's Front, led by Reg (John Cleese). He is allowed to join after impressing them with his response to their requirement that he prove his loyalty by writing 'Romans go home' on the city walls – in fact, through the intervention of the Romans themselves, he writes it 100 times in huge letters. However, it is not long before Brian is once again mistaken for a messiah, and this time even the Romans can't ignore him.

'Life of Brian' is a cheeky film that pokes fun at the whole concept of following any one man, and comments as much on the factions at work in the region today as those of early Judea. The whole ensemble cast play multiple roles, and the film is full of the silliness for which the Python team has become famous. Perhaps because this was a reunion film made some time after their main body of work, there is a freshness to the foolishness that adds to the laughs.

Monty Python's great classic has been released in a digitally remastered edition (featuring widescreen and Dolby 5.1) on DVD, much to the delight of Python fans.