On this date in 1979, “Monty Python’s Life of Brian” was released in the US.
The film was originally financed by EMI, which backed out because it considered the script blasphemous. The Pythons sued EMI and settled out of court. George Harrison, a huge Monty Python fan, thought it was the last chance to have another Python movie. He created Handmade Films, and “pawned” (his words) his home in London and his office building to raise the £4 million needed. When asked why he said, “Because I want to go see it.” Eric Idle joked that it was the highest price ever paid for a cinema ticket.
The Pythons were surprised at how cooperative the BBFC (UK film censors) were when they submitted the film for classification in order to be allowed to be shown theatrically in the UK. Instead of being appalled, the reviewers said they loved it, found it one of the funniest films they had ever seen, and had no problem passing it for distribution. Their only issue was John Cleese’s one use of the “C” word (the one that rhymes with “runt”), and that if it was to be kept in then the rules under the old certification system at the time stated they would have to pass it as an ‘X’ certificate (nobody under 18 allowed), but if they could somehow excise that word then they would happily pass it as an ‘AA’ (nobody under 15 allowed). The Python team then met and discussed the situation before voting to agree that the offending word be overdubbed to “klutz,” and the film was resubmitted and passed AA a few days later. However, a handful of local authorities in the UK disagreed with the BBFC assertion that it wasn’t blasphemous and either banned it completely from local cinemas or slapped their own X certificate on it (which they were allowed to do under local government powers).
Norway banned this movie for one year for blasphemy, then gave it an “18” rating and included a warning from the censors at the beginning. It has been marketed in Sweden as “The film that is so funny that it was banned in Norway!” Ireland banned this movie for blasphemy until 1987. Torbay Council, Devon, refused to show this movie until September 2008. Aberystwyth, Wales, lifted its local ban in 2009 after cast member Sue Jones-Davies was elected Mayor.
The film was also originally banned by Frank Hall, the Irish movie censor, in 1979. He described it as “offensive to Christians and to Jews as well, because it made them appear a terrible load of gobshites.” It has been widely available on PAL UK videocassette in Ireland since 1980, and later on DVD (legally and uncut). (IMDb)
