All this and more Arthur and the others must face. The gags range from highbrow stuff, like the communists who believe that ultimate sovereignty derives from the will of the people, and not Excalibur and the Lady of the Lake or, as they call her, “silly tarts standing ‘round in puddles throwing swords at people”—to lowbrow goofiness like cows and chickens being catapulted at an invading army. The film’s structure is repetitive, as it goes from one knight to the next on his quest, but this is in accordance with quest narratives like the Odyssey, in which we go from one place to another without much growth. When actively pursuing a gag, the direction is superb, but the rest of the time “The Holy Grail” achieves a kind of accidental, lovable uniqueness in its spontaneous, sort of clumsy camera style. The characters are sharply defined caricatures, Arthur of courage and leadership, Sir Robin (Eric Idle) is absolute cowardice, Sir Galahad (Michael Palin) is pure of heart, and Sir Bedivere (Terry Jones) is the Renaissance man, excepting that all his facts and learning are wrong.
Unlike most films that sprout from television shows, “The Holy Grail” can be viewed independently from the BBC’s “Monty Python’s Flying Circus.” It can therefore be referred to as a great movie instead of, as with the “Star Trek” films, as an exceptional episode that happens to have been put to film. “The Holy Grail” makes no references to the television program, requires no knowledge of it, and is even structured differently, as a traditional narrative instead of loosely-connected sketch comedy.
A more astute critic might seek specific satire in “The Holy Grail,” such as what, exactly, they’re saying about the Arthurian legend. But I’ll stick with my gut reactions toward the insanity; here is how you’re used to seeing the world, the Pythons say, now here it is shaken and jiggled out of place. I gladly rank “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” alongside “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” “Barry Lyndon,” “Dog Day Afternoon,” and “Jaws,” all films I love, as the best movies of 1975. It stands outside of time, just as it stands outside of reality, and if “The Holy Grail” means anything, it’s a love letter to mankind’s willingness to be stubborn, ridiculous creatures that take their ridiculous world so seriously.
P.S.: A double DVD set of “The Holy Grail” is now available, with two separate tracks of hilarious commentary from the directors and stars, as well as extra sketches and a cheerful interview in which Pythons Palin and Jones re-visit the one castle that was used to film about six castles in the course of the film.
P.P.S.: If there’s anything negative to say about “The Holy Grail,” it’s against all the geeks and dorks who worship the film and think it’s funny or impressive to memorize enormous passages of dialogue, or to sing the theme music, or to recite the film’s dialogue while they’re watching it. Don’t do that. You ruin it for the rest of us.
P.P.S. The Van Hoffman Brothers' "The Big Damn Book of Sheer Manliness" names "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" as one of the Twenty-Five Manliest Movies of All Time, ranking alongside "Aliens," "Apocalypse Now," and "The Man Who Would Be King." Number one on the list is "Spartacus," followed by the Duke in "The Quiet Man." I have no idea why I mention this.
Finished April 14, 2002
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