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Monty Python's The Meaning of Life streaming

1983 Movie United Kingdom Musical, Comedy 102 min FSK 16
By: Terry Jones With: Luke Baxter, Imogen Bickford-Smith, Michael Palin, Graham Chapman, Judy Loe

Why are we here, what's it all about? The Monty Python team is trying to sort out the most important question on Earth: what is the meaning of life? They do so by exploring the various stages of life, starting with birth. A doctor seems more interested in his equipment than in delivering the baby or caring for the mother, a Roman Catholic couple have quite a lot of children because "every sperm is sacred". In the growing and learning part of life, Catholic schoolboys attend a rather strange church service and ditto sex education lesson. Onto war, where an officer's plan to attack is thwarted by his underlings wanting to celebrate his birthday, and an officer's leg is bitten off by presumably an African tiger. At middle age, a couple orders "philosophy" at a restaurant, after which, the movie continues with live organ transplants. The autumn years are played in a restaurant, which, after being treated to the song "Isn't It Awfully Nice to Have a Penis?" by an entertainer, sees the arrival of an extremely fat man. He can eat a lot, but also throw up quite copiously. The Grim Reaper brings for the final stage of human life, death, a visit to a mansion, where the people are rather interested in him. But life doesn't stop at death. It's onto heaven, where it's always Christmas.

Filmium rating
75%

Mood

Dark Humor
Irreverent
Satirical

Cast & Crew

Terry Jones
John Cleese
Terry Gilliam
Graham Chapman
Michael Caine
Andrew Bicknell
Mark Holmes
Jennifer Franks
Guy Bertrand
Imogen Bickford-Smith
Angela Mann
Eric Idle
Carol Cleveland
Jane Leeves
Luke Baxter
Judy Loe
Simon Jones
Matt Frewer
Valerie Whittington
Patricia Quinn
Andrew MacLachlan
Michael Palin
Sydney Arnold

Adaptation

Sketch Comedy
Television Series

Budget

Large-Scale
Mid-Budget

Cinematic Technique

Animated Sequence
Animation
Live Action
Montage
Sketch Format

Film Movements

British Comedy
Satirical

Narrative Structure

Episodic
Loosely Structured
Sketch Anthology

Pace

Fast-Paced
Sketch-Based

Runtime

90 Minutes
Extended Version

Soundtrack

Musical Numbers
Original Songs

Style

Musical
Satirical
Sketch Comedy

Time-Period

1980S

Central Conflict

Existential Questions
Search For Life'S Meaning
Social Satire

Characters

American Couple
British Soldiers
Couples
Fish
Hospital Staff
Mr. Creosote
Soldiers

Ending

Ambiguous
Bland Reveal
Bland Revelation
Cyclical
Philosophical

Historical Context

1980S
British Cultural Satire
British Social Satire
Post-1980S

Key Plot Points

Birth
Death Scenes
Mr. Creosote'S Overfeeding
Organ Transplants
Overfeeding And Explosion
School Etiquette
War Scenes

Plot

Absurd Humor
Absurd Sketches
Life Stages
Philosophical Satire
Philosophical Sketches

Setting

British Countryside
British Military
Hawaiian Restaurant
Heaven
Hospital
Restaurant

Shooting Location

Cambridge
Churchill College
Colne Lancashire
Elstree Studios
Malham Moors
Porchester Hall
Strathblane

Theme

Existentialism
Life'S Absurdity
Meaning Of Life
Mortality
Social Critique

Genre

Comedy
Musical
Sketch Comedy

Audiences

Adult
Adults
Comedy Enthusiasts
Cult Film Enthusiasts
Cult Film Fans
Fans Of Satire

Titles

Monty Python'S The Meaning Of Life

Awards

Grand Prix Cannes

Box Office Success

$43 Million Gross
Minor Box Office Hit
Moderate Hit

Critical Reception

Cult Following
Famous Sketches
Mixed Reviews
Positive On Cult Appeal

Festivals

Cannes Film Festival

Popularity

Cult Classic
Fan Favorite

Ratings

72 Metacritic
86% Rotten Tomatoes

Reception

Award-Winning
Cult Status
Mixed Reviews

Production Countries

United Kingdom

Release Year

1983
mowizz ID: 68af4cf6-86bc-49a5-99cd-fad66d118193
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