Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Stephanie Harris and Kathryn Coady

Production Information

Director: Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones

Producer: Mark Forstater, John Goldstone, and Michael White

Studio: Michael White Productions, National Film Trustee Company, Python (Monty)

Pictures, and Twickenham Film Studios

US Release Date: May 10, 1975 re-released June 15, 2001

Writers: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, and

Michael Palin

IMDB Page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071853/

Major Characters

Graham Chapman	King Arthur God Hiccoughing Guard
John Cleese	The Black Knight Sir Launcelot Tim the Enchanter Peasant 3
Eric Idle	Dead Collector Peasant 1 Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-as-Sir Launcelot Brother Maynard
Terry Gilliam	Patsy Green Knight Sir Bors Old Man from scene 24
Terry Jones	Dennis’s Mother Sir Bedevere Voice of Cartoon Scribe Prince Herbert
Michael Palin	Sir Galahad the Pure Peasant 2 Narrator Leader of the Knights who say NI! Brother Maynard’s Brother
Connie Booth	The Witch

Scripts

Shooting Script: http://www.intriguing.com/mp/_scripts/mp-holy.asp

Transcript of Film: http://www.intriguing.com/mp/_scripts/grail.asp

Reviews:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2000/12/18/monty_python_holy_grail_1975_review.shtml

A seemingly good review of the movie that locked the troupe into financial success

http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/cl-et-monty21jul21,0,7641090.story

Suggests that the movie can be read as a commentary on the harsh reality of war and the “unquestioning acceptance of conventional pieties and wisdom”

Other Sources:

Barczewski, Stephanie L. Myth and National Identity in Nineteenth-Century Britain: The Legends of King Arthur and Robin Hood. New York: Oxford University, 2000.

Hoffman, Donald L. “Not dead yet: Monty Python and the holy grail in the twenty-first century.” Cinema Arthuriana: Twenty Essays. Revised ed. Ed. Kevin J. Harty. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, 2002.

Memorable Quote:

Sir Bedevere: What makes you think she's a witch?
Peasant 3: Well, she turned me into a newt!
Sir Bedevere: A newt?
Peasant 3: [meekly after a long pause] ... I got better.
Crowd: [shouts] Burn her anyway!

French Soldier: You don't frighten us, English pig dogs. Go and boil your bottoms, you sons of a silly person. I blow my nose at you, so-called "Arthur King," you and all your silly English K-nig-hts.

Interesting Information:

Funds earned by Pink Floyd's album "The Dark Side of the Moon" went towards funding The Holy Grail. The band were such fans of the show they would halt recording sessions just to watch "Monty Python's Flying Circus" (1969).

The chain mail costumes worn by the knights were simply knitted wool.

For the Japanese release, "Holy Grail" is translated "Holy Sake Cup."

Alternatives:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071853/alternateversions

Scholarly Questions

How does the Python troupe use comedy in their dream of the Middle Ages?
What parodies are visible from earlier medieval movies? What do they accomplish?
Compare and contrast Monty Python and the Holy Grail to other portrayals of the Arthurian legend.
We argued that Beowulf 3D actually takes away from learning about the story of Beowulf. What do you think this movie does to the King Arthur legend?
Did you enjoy the movie? (understandably not a “scholarly” but some people think that only 10 minutes of the movie is funny, and the rest isn’t worth watching. What do you think?)