Although Monty Python's Life of Brian was intended to be seen as a satire of the government and people of Great Britain in the 1970's, it also provides an excellent glimpse into the life of people in the Roman empire at the turn of the century in terms of the costume and setting, small day to day details, overall attitudes of non-Roman citizens toward the Roman soldiers, and the contribution of the Roman empire on society as a whole.. The movie is set in Roman occupied Judea, and begins at the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, where Brian Cohen, a half Jewish half Roman man, is mistaken for Jesus after being born in the stable right next to him. It then flashes forward to Brian, now an adult, who hates living in a Judea under Roman control. While
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However, by setting the story in ancient Roman occupied Judea, we are able to get a reasonably accurate glimpse of what life was like during this time. As a whole, the costumes worn by the civilians and the soldiers were accurate to the attire that would have been worn by the people of this time. With the exception of the ridiculous fake beards worn by "women disguised as men," the men who were regular civilians wore knee-length tunics, common clothing for the peasants of the time. Cesar, the emperor, was dress in a toga with gold embellishments and a golden laurel wreath around his head, which is indicative of his status and wealth. The soldiers were dressed in the traditional markings of military personnel of the Roman empire, including the galea (helmet) and the lorica (armor) which included the arm guards, and the segmented armor on the chest (Ancient Roman Military Clothing). Life of Brian was filmed in Monastir, Tunisia, which served as the most accurate setting-the desert terrain was exactly what was needed for the film to seem most authentic (Monty Python's Life of Brian). Even the day to day activities of the civilians portrayed throughout the movie was moderately historically accurate. In the movie, as a source of entertainment, people gathered in colosseums to watch men fight to the death. The …show more content…
They took scenes that had historical significance in order to convey their own larger ideologies about their world today such as the inefficiency of government, and the danger in people following others blindly and not thinking for themselves as individuals. Although they make a mockery of a lot of the historical references throughout the movie, they were able to capture an accurate depiction of what day to day life was life in Roman controlled Judea during this time period, and reveal the attitude of the people in Judea toward the Romans and their authority over their land. Some of the history was in the incorrect order, and some of the history was changed in order to fit the storyline as the director and writers deemed appropriate (it is regarded as a work of fiction). Overall, despite the obvious jokes, puns, and dirty humor to get a rise out of the audience, the movie was able to be as historically accurate as possible in the context of the
However, by setting the story in ancient Roman occupied Judea, we are able to get a reasonably accurate glimpse of what life was like during this time. As a whole, the costumes worn by the civilians and the soldiers were accurate to the attire that would have been worn by the people of this time. With the exception of the ridiculous fake beards worn by "women disguised as men," the men who were regular civilians wore knee-length tunics, common clothing for the peasants of the time. Cesar, the emperor, was dress in a toga with gold embellishments and a golden laurel wreath around his head, which is indicative of his status and wealth. The soldiers were dressed in the traditional markings of military personnel of the Roman empire, including the galea (helmet) and the lorica (armor) which included the arm guards, and the segmented armor on the chest (Ancient Roman Military Clothing). Life of Brian was filmed in Monastir, Tunisia, which served as the most accurate setting-the desert terrain was exactly what was needed for the film to seem most authentic (Monty Python's Life of Brian). Even the day to day activities of the civilians portrayed throughout the movie was moderately historically accurate. In the movie, as a source of entertainment, people gathered in colosseums to watch men fight to the death. The …show more content…
They took scenes that had historical significance in order to convey their own larger ideologies about their world today such as the inefficiency of government, and the danger in people following others blindly and not thinking for themselves as individuals. Although they make a mockery of a lot of the historical references throughout the movie, they were able to capture an accurate depiction of what day to day life was life in Roman controlled Judea during this time period, and reveal the attitude of the people in Judea toward the Romans and their authority over their land. Some of the history was in the incorrect order, and some of the history was changed in order to fit the storyline as the director and writers deemed appropriate (it is regarded as a work of fiction). Overall, despite the obvious jokes, puns, and dirty humor to get a rise out of the audience, the movie was able to be as historically accurate as possible in the context of the