Monthy Python's The Meaning of Life

The burning question "What is life all about?" has echoed through the ages. In the 1970s, the world embarked upon a new age in which it was more acceptable than it had ever been before to question authority and the standards of society. The English comedy group Monty Python's Flying Circus made movies throughout this period, taking advantage of this new attitude. In 1983, in one of their final full-length features, the Monty Python group attacked that burning question, "What is life all about," in the film, Monty Python's The Meaning of Life. Through poking fun at society's most sacred topics, such as sex, religion, and war, Monty Python's The Meaning of Life coveys the message that people take life far too seriously and make it too complicated.

At the end of the film, the presenter is handed an envelope that reveals "the meaning of life." She opens the envelope and says, "Well, it's nothing special. Try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations." The various sketches performed in this movie make fun of what the general public seems to show the meaning of life is. They mock the institutions of marriage, religion, education, and health care, as ridicule the corporate realm, the military, and sex. They touch on all these topics in comedy to show that life is really not as complicated as people make it seem. The Monty Python message is really well stated in the final scene, "Try and be nice to people... and try and live together in peace and harmony." The message is that society makes this more difficult than is necessary by clouding life with conflicts over such things as religion, education, and war.

The scene at the beginning of Part II: Growth and Learning, which takes place in the chapel of a religious school, exemplifies the theme that life is taken too seriously. It depicts the overall message of the film as it satirizes religious practices, and makes light of other hot topics. The scene begins with a slow scan of the students, as they sit with obviously bored faces listening to the headmaster's lesson. The slow camera scan used mirrors the slow speed at which the service seems to be moving. The headmaster then concludes his lesson and the chaplain rises to lead the congregation in a prayer.

The prayer that ensues is as follows, "Chaplain: Let us praise God. Oh Lord... Congregation: Oh Lord... Chaplain: Oooh you are so big... Congregation: Oooh you are so big... Chaplain: So absolutely huge. Congregation: So ab - solutely huge. Chaplain: Gosh, we're all really impressed down here I can tell you. Congregation: Gosh, we're all really impressed down here I can tell you. Chaplain: Forgive Us, O Lord, for this dreadful toadying. Congregation: And barefaced flattery. Chaplain: But you are so strong and, well, just so super. Congregation: Fan - tastic. All: Amen." There are several aspects of this prayer that demonstrate the satire that Monty Python's The Meaning of Life strives to convey. First of all, the mix of repetition followed by a call-and-response style prayer shows that this prayer is apparently known by the congregation; it is a common prayer. Because it is a common prayer, they recite it very dryly, without much feeling. This demonstrates the attitude that most of the society has toward religion; they participate in it without thinking much about it. The amusingly untraditional words they choose to use in the prayer shows that people could be saying anything, because they generally don't think about what they are saying at all.

Following the prayer, the headmaster gives a message to the students about respecting the school cormorant, which was given to the school "to commemorate Empire Day, when we try to remember the names of all those from the Sudbury area who so gallantly gave their lives to keep China British." This short message takes a stab at British Imperialism. British Imperialism had existed for centuries at the time this movie was made, so it was certainly not a new idea. In this short comment, it makes it seem a little silly that it is so honored for their countrymen to give their lives just to be able to control another country. The topic of war and military fighting is further explored later in the film. This comment about the school cormorant is followed by the very quick mention, "Oh... and Jenkins... apparently your mother died this morning," before the chaplain immediately leads the congregation in song. This shows the unevenness of society's priorities, as it is more important to instruct the students in respecting "the school cormorant," than it is to sensitively deal with the issue with death. Death is also dealt with in greater length later in the film.

Finally, the scene ends in an absolutely ridiculous hymn about God burning people. In the hymn they sing, among other things, "Oh Lord, please don't burn us, Don't grill or toast your flock, Don't put us on the barbecue, Or simmer us in stock, Don't braise or bake or boil us, Or stir-fry us in a wok..." This satirizes the fire and brimstone religious message of the Great Awakening, which has been reiterated by evangelists throughout history. By making a comedy of this concept, the scene points to the overall message of the film, that life is taken too seriously.

Out of all the comedy that has come out of Britain, the Monty Python movies have withstood the test of time more than any other. In today's culture, they are still popular, and people of all ages understand joke references to the movies. Perhaps this is because of the way that films like "Monty Python's The Meaning of Life" unashamedly approach issues normally considered taboo by society. They take the issues, confront them head-on with comedy, and leave the audience with a message that life is not to be taken too seriously.