Monty Python
Monty Python and the Holy Grail

After abandoning cinematic ambitions for a while following the semi-flop of "And Now For Something Completely Different," the Monty Python crew returned to working diligently on their most successful project, the Flying Circus. However, three years after their first feature film and taking advantage of a programming break between the third and fourth seasons of their TV show, the comedy group decided it was time to try again to storm the big screen and conquer not only the BBC ratings but also box offices worldwide.

This time, however, the Pythons were serious: understanding the limitations that had prevented their previous film from succeeding, the group almost completely changed the game. The six of them wrote entirely new material that would fit into an organic and linear story, thus abandoning the stream of consciousness formula used in Flying Circus and the "recycling" of old sketches as happened in "And now..."; moreover, they no longer relied on an external figure like Lownes in their first film, but took care of the direction and production on set themselves, securing a decidedly higher budget than before (although it remained a low figure for a film, 230 thousand pounds).

Specifically, the Pythons draw heavily from the Breton cycles of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, giving their personal interpretation to what is perhaps the most famous adventure of these romances, namely the quest for the Holy Grail. Arthur (played by Chapman) gathers the bravest knights of Brittany around him to seek, by God's command, this artifact. First united and then alone, the group faces various adventures with the aim of finding the famous object, not without twists and an unexpected ending.

The plot, as can be easily noticed, is merely a pretext to connect the various gags that intersperse the film; never like in this film, in fact, can one notice the comedic and nonsensical energy of the Pythons. While "Life of Brian" and "The Meaning of Life" represent the peak of their corrosive and satirical irony, this "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" is the manifesto of their fun and entertaining comedy, without any real profound or social message; the only more serious hints are provided solely by some peasants (Palin and Jones) discussing the sociological implications of the king's figure (similar to the modern dictator) and the brief intervention of God (whose voice is provided by Chapman) complaining about the excessive servility of his followers, hints left in suspense in this film and later explored in their subsequent films.

It's clear, therefore, that the film relies almost entirely on the Pythons' comedic ideas, who, more than ever in this work, unleashed their creative flair, even in the most unlikely cases (even in the opening titles): the most striking example of their genius, however, is provided by Patsy (Terry Gilliam), Arthur's servant, who imitates the sound of a trotting horse by clapping two coconuts together, a recurring skit in several parts of the film; initially, this gag wasn't supposed to be there, as real horses were originally intended to be used. Noticing, however, the rather insubstantial budget, the six opted for this coconut solution, which moreover will also have decisive implications in the plot; the Pythons thus managed to both cut costs with this expedient and invent a new comedic scene on the spot. Other pearls of total absurdity are given, for example, by the ferocious "killer rabbit," the knights who say Ni (and their desire for groves), the three-headed giant (somewhat argumentative), and the minstrels of the "brave" Sir Robin, all characters that have entered forcefully into the collective imagination of the English, demonstrating how this feature film has left its mark on the history of comedic cinema and beyond.

Speaking of this film, one cannot help but touch upon the Italian dubbing: handled (so to speak) by the Bagaglino members, who gave their personal interpretation of the project by distorting or completely changing the meaning of some scenes, this adaptation certainly represents the worst treatment ever given to a Monty Python work and quite possibly one of the worst dubs ever. Unwanted dialects, gratuitous vulgarities, gross translation errors (French soldiers turning into Austrians for no reason), caricatured and buffoonish interpretations, all elements far removed from the "British" comedy of the English group; it goes without saying, therefore, that I recommend watching in the original language so as not to ruin the viewing of one of the best comedies ever made.

And if after watching this film you feel like taking a trip to Sweden, don't worry, it's perfectly normal: just make sure you don't encounter the moose.