First, of course, is the Holy Grail itself, which is believed to be the chalice Jesus passed around at the Last Supper. Legend says Joseph of Arimathea had it, brought it to Great Britain, and that it has never been found since. I don't want to give away the ending or anything (it might be the funniest, most ridiculous part in my opinion), but they never exactly encounter the Grail.
One religious scene is that of the Holy Hand Grenade, in which the knights observe a prescribed ritual before throwing a hand grenade at a ferocious bunny.
God also appears in the film, except in animated cartoon form. He is seen having a conversation with the knights and yelling at them for kneeling down and apologizing so much.
The Pythons, as they are known, have produced other religiously satirical films and skits, most notably Life of Brian. In this movie, people mistake a man named Brian for the Messiah and proceed to follow him despite him adamantly telling them not to. While it does not directly attack Jesus or any of his teachings, it parallels Jesus' life. Brian tells people they need to think for themselves rather than listen to everything someone says. In interviews about the movie, the Pythons remind people of this same theme. People should think for themselves and make their own decisions, especially about religion.
I'm glad to hear your a Python fan . . . for many it is acquired taste!
ReplyDeleteSomething I've noticed when watching both The Holy Grail and Life of Brian is how the filmmakers seem to be making fun of how religious outsiders perceive religious traditions and rites. You mentioned the killer bunny scene in Holy Grail; I think a big part of this scene is the idea of poking fun at the idea of relics, and even certain Catholic rites in general. Treating something as over the top as a hand grenade with such reverence parallels how absurd a lot of non-Catholics may see the practice of keeping relics, especially weird relics such as vials of Mary's breast milk or pieces of Jesus' foreskin. And with the serious, oddly specific nature of how to throw the holy hand grenade (with instructions from the "Book of Armaments"), the movie is subtly reflecting how formulaic and repetitive many Catholic rituals can be, especially with snippets such as "Then shall thou count to three. No more. No less. Three shall be the number thou shall count and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shall thou not count. Neither count thou two. Excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out." Another phrase that jumps out is "O Lord, bless this thy hand grenade, that with it thou mayst blow thy enemies to tiny bits (in thy mercy)" This specific phrase may be a jab at the Catholic Church for historically having started a lot of wars in the name of loving Jesus. I don't think the filmmakers are trying to be malicious in their teasing of Christianity, but they are rather reflecting how strange the traditions can seem from an outside perspective.
ReplyDelete