Monty Python’s Life of Brian: The Greatest Movie about Ancient Rome?

Emily and Cam chat about whether Monty Python's Life of Brian is truly the greatest movie about ancient Rome (as Cam claimed in the last episode). They also explore what "truths" the movie might expose about life under Roman occupation, and contemplate the Pythons’ love for Aristophanes.Visit our homepage to subscribe, to find us on social media, and to contact us by email:https://havetogawilltravel.comCover photo adapted from an image by Grufo (Wikimedia Commons).----------00:11 - Introduction01:54 - Monty Python: A Primer02:25 - Five Brits and an American: Monty Python comes together (probably at a bar)04:00 - The Pythons venture into feature-length films06:56 - Production, Release, Reception06:58 - On location in Tunisia08:00 - The man they call Brian: the basic plot of the movie09:52 - George Harrison to the rescue!11:13 - Brian banned!12:08 - The peculiar case of Aberystwyth, Wales13:38 - Some cringey bits: viewer beware!13:53 - Blackface and ethnic slurs15:20 - Stan / Loretta: mildly transphobic, or surprisingly progressive?16:56 - Some ableist-seeming jokes19:02 - The Pythons do history hilariously20:45 - Women and agency22:59 - Businesspeople and professional pride24:36 - Gladiator games, Python-style28:10 - British and Roman imperialism, or what have the Romans ever done for us?32:54 - Ridiculous resistance groups (Splitters!)37:33 - Everyday acts of genuine resistance41:21 - Prophets, saviors, and messiahs—in Roman Judea and elsewhere45:08 - The Pythons as PhDs of Comedy45:42 - Learned spoofs of literature and film: The Iliad and Spartacus48:15 - Silly costumes, silly names, silly plots: the Pythons pay homage to Plautus and Aristophanes54:39 - Romanes eunt domus!56:55 - The art of nudity: the Pythons spoof Zeffirelli59:14 - Wrap-up