Life of Brian

After its surprise screening at the all-nighter on Friday, I felt compelled to choose this as the film which I see as quintessentially British.

There are many aspects to Life of Brian which make it a British film. It is made by the Monty Python troupe for one, the majority of which are British (five Brits to one American to be precise). It was filmed in Tunisia rather than the UK, but was British produced by Handmade Films (started up by ex-Beatle George Harrison). The film is also British in nature because of its comedy and because of its subject matter. The silly and often surreal comedy of Monty Python comes from a British humour which is known for being dark, manic and direct. The film is also an attack on religious fanaticism, which would be almost impossible to have in a movie in most other countries. This show a bravery and directness which British films are often associated with, as with most of the jokes about religion in this film, they are never afraid to pull their punches.