Monty Python is a British comedy troupe known for creating the BBC television series Monty Python’s Flying Circus. Monty Python’s influence in popular culture transcends television. Soon, Monty Python also worked on film projects and live stage productions of their sketches. Monty Python's The Meaning of Life is one of four Monty Python films shown in theaters. Monty Python's The Meaning of Life was released in 1983. The style of Monty Python's The Meaning of Life is similar to Monty Python’s first film Monty Python’s And Now for Something Completely Different which was composed of several sketches arranged to loosely tell a story. In Monty Python's The Meaning of Life the comedy skits included were supposed to represent the stages of a person’s life. The film Monty Python's The Meaning of Life won the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 1983.
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life was written and performed by Monty Python members Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, John Cleese and Michael Palin. The movie was directed by Terry Jones and cost USD9 million to make. Monty Python's The Meaning of Life grossed over USD18 million during its theatrical run.
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life opens with a short film by Gilliam followed by several chapters that depict the beginning, middle and ending of a person’s life. The film Monty Python's The Meaning of Life is divided into seven stages, "Part I: The Miracle Of Birth", "Part II: Growth And Learning", "Part III: Fighting Each Other", "Part IV: Middle Age", "Part V: Live Organ Transplants", Part VI: The Autumn Years", and "Part VII: Death". Each of the seven stages of human life feature different sketches that depict the stage of human life. The film Monty Python's The Meaning of Life ends with the voice of a female character form an earlier sketch reciting the meaning of life (it is not very special according to her): “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.”
Although the movie is very loosely structured and not created to have a single plot, the materials included in Monty Python's The Meaning of Life are funny and ridiculous, very true to the Python tradition.
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life should not be missed by comedy fans of all generations. Monty Python's The Meaning of Life is the last collaborative work of Monty Pythons, and although it is their last, the material here is still fresh and hysterical.
