Monty Python and the Holy Grail

As a Monty Python fan I have come to understand that there are people who simply will not stand for the silliness that is Monty Python. It is a unique style of humor but the Python troop is my favorite thing that ever came out of England. It would be democracy but as a proud Louisianan I have France to thank for the gift of the Napoleonic Code, usually a step above common law. This film is a shining example that you can make a decent quality/A for effort movie on a very small budget. The film started with a budget of 229,000 pounds (462,000 dollars), part of which was contributed by rock legends Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. The directors Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones squandered much of the money on expensive dinners and alcohol leaving only 150,000 pounds (303,000 dollars) to produce the entire movie. It reminds me of when I was in church camp and we had to make videos with a hand held camcorder and maybe a tripod. The group later talked about how Holy Grail was the hardest movie they had shot and that everything that could’ve gone wrong did. Faced with adversity, the Python spirit prevailed and they tackled the film as if it was an episode of Flying Circus and they made the film work. They could not afford horses so they had their squires gallop behind them banging two coconut halves together. The extras on the DVD even include a guide to making your own coconuts and how to gallop about banging them together. That would not work in a serious movie, nor would it be acceptable in most genres of cinema. Monty Python proved conclusively that cinema doesn’t have to be serious. They made a major motion picture that was wildly successful and still is extremely popular while taking many liberties with the story and shortcuts in the production.