Monty Python and the Holy Grail on Absurdism

“Directed by 40 Specially Trained Ecuadorian Mountain Llamas, 6 Venezuelan Red Llamas, 142 Mexican Whooping Llamas, 14 North Chilean Guanacos (Closely Related to the Llama), Reg Llama of Brixton, 76000 Battery Llamas From ‘Llama-Fresh’ Farms Ltd. Near Paraguay, and Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones”, Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a satirized retelling of the Arthurian legend of the quest for the Holy Grail (Hutchinson). “Monty Python” was a British comedy troupe who rose to fame in the 1970s, and their level of influence on comedic media was compared to that of the Beatles on music (Mcintosh). In fact, the word “Pythonesque” was added to the Oxford dictionary to describe things similar to their signature absurdist style. One of the best parts of their work is its timelessness—the nonsensical comedic tone ensures that it’s just as funny in the twenty-first century as it was when it came out, making it great entertainment for all generations. 

In 1975, the group created a film called Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which remains one of their most famous works today. The titular Holy Grail, one of Chretien de Troyes’ 12th century additions to Arthurian lore, is the cup which Jesus supposedly used in the Last Supper. King Arthur and a handful of the classic knights are the main recognizable characters: Lancelot, Bedivere, Galahad, Robin, etc. Many figures are notably missing, such as Morgana, Uther, Guinevere, and Merlin (although Tim the Enchanter bears a striking resemblance to the character archetype). Over a runtime of one hour and thirty minutes, the six troupe members—who all play over four roles each—encounter many silly obstacles and challenges during their quest for the sought-after artifact. The movie resides within comedy’s subgenre of absurdism, which according to the Oxford dictionary is a branch of comedy characterized by “intentionally ridiculous or bizarre behavior or character.” Rather than being clever or witty, the jokes and humor are more of the slapstick variety, taking the ‘so idiotically bad it’s funny’ route—although occasionally it is a front for biting, satirical commentary of class dynamics.

Although elements like the Trojan rabbit, taunting French soldiers, Knights who say “Ni!,” and showers of manure are creative liberties, many of the show’s eccentricities were born from necessity rather than pure imagination. For example, during a chase scene between an animated monster and Arthur and his knights, the film suddenly cuts to the animator keeling backward and dying of a heart attack, causing the monster to disappear. The most likely explanation for this is that “the budget ran out, and they couldn’t afford another animator to take his place” (Draven). In another case, the “horses” Arthur and his knights ride around on are actually servants jumping around and clapping coconut halves against each other for hoofbeat sound effects, an old radio broadcast trick, because they couldn’t afford to use actual horses. In fact, according to IMDb, the estimated amount dedicated to this movie was £229,575, which is extremely low for a project of this magnitude. However, the seemingly ridiculous solutions to such problems that the troupe came up with are actually quite intelligent, because they don’t break the bank while also contributing to the overall tone. In fact, although they ultimately decided to dedicate their lives to absurdist comedy sketches, many of the members had prestigious degrees from Cambridge or Oxford (Mcintosh). 

Through its unique brand of absurdist humor, historical roots, and loose Arthurian elements, Monty Python and the Holy Grail remains a timeless satirical retelling of the Arthur canon suited to all ages. 

Works Cited

Draven, Derek. “5 Things That Actually Make Sense About Monty Python & the Holy Grail (& 5 That Don’t).” ScreenRant, 10 Aug. 2020, screenrant.com/monty-python-holy-grail-facts/#makes-no-sense-arthur-s-army.

Hutchinson, Sean. “15 Facts About Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” Northeast Regional Library, 11 Apr. 2022, www.nereg.lib.ms.us/15-facts-about-monty-python-and-the-holy-grail.

McIntosh, Cody. “Monty Python: 10 Things You Didn’T Know About the Comedy Troupe.” ScreenRant, 9 Oct. 2020, screenrant.com/bbc-monty-python-brit-comedy-facts-trivia/#the-name-really-doesn-t-mean-anything.