Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a 1975 British surreal comedy film based on the legend of King Arthur. It was written and performed by the legendary comedy group Monty Python and directed by its two members, Terry Gilliam and John Cleese. The film had its theatrical releases in the UK in 3 April 1975.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail parodies and heavily twists the story of King Arthur's journey to the Holy Grail and Avalon. For example, King Arthur and his companions are about to go to Camelot but turn back later.

Plot
In 932 AD, King Arthur and his squire, Patsy, travel Britain searching for men to join the Knights of the Round Table. Along the way, Arthur debates whether swallows could carry coconuts, recounts receiving Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake to two peasants, defeats the Black Knight and observes an impromptu witch trial. He recruits Sir Bedevere the Wise (who had a swallow carrying a coconut), Sir Lancelot the Brave, Sir Galahad the Pure and Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-as-Sir-Lancelot, along with their squires and Robin's minstrels. Arthur leads the knights to Camelot, but, after a musical number, changes his mind, deeming it "a silly place". As they turn away, God appears and orders Arthur to find the Holy Grail.

Arthur and his knights arrive at a castle occupied by French soldiers, who claim to have the Grail and taunt the Britons, driving them back with a barrage of barnyard animals. Bedevere concocts a plan to sneak in using a Trojan Rabbit, but no one hides inside it, and the Britons are forced to flee when it is flung back at them. Arthur decides the knights should go their separate ways to search for the Grail. A modern-day historian filming a documentary on the Arthurian legends is killed by a knight on horseback, triggering a police investigation.

On the knights' travels (and in scene 24 with the narrator's unnecessary talk about swallows), Arthur and Bedevere are given directions by an old man and attempt to satisfy the strange requests of the dreaded Knights Who Say "Ni!". Sir Robin avoids a fight with a Three-Headed Knight by running away while the heads are arguing. Sir Galahad is led by a grail-shaped beacon to Castle Anthrax, which is full of young women, but is unwillingly "rescued" by Lancelot. Lancelot receives an arrow-shot note from Swamp Castle. Believing the note is from a lady being forced to marry against her will, he storms the castle and slaughters several members of the wedding party, only to discover the note was from an effeminate prince.

Arthur and his knights regroup and are joined by three new knights, as well as Brother Maynard and his monk brethren. They meet Tim the Enchanter, who directs them to a cave where the location of the Grail is said to be written. The entrance to the cave is guarded by the Rabbit of Caerbannog. Underestimating it, the knights attack, but the Rabbit easily kills Sirs Bors, Gawain and Ector. Arthur uses the "Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch", provided by Brother Maynard, to destroy the creature. Inside the cave, they find an inscription from Joseph of Arimathea, directing them to Castle Aarrgh.

An animated cave monster devours Brother Maynard, but Arthur and the knights escape after the animator unexpectedly suffers a fatal heart attack. The knights approach the Bridge of Death, where the bridge-keeper challenges them to answer three questions to pass, or else be cast into the Gorge of Eternal Peril. Lancelot easily answers the simple questions and crosses. Robin is defeated by an unexpectedly difficult question, and Galahad fails an easy one; both are magically flung into the gorge. When the bridge-keeper poses an obscure question about swallows to Arthur, he asks the bridge-keeper to clarify what he means; the bridge-keeper cannot answer and is thrown into the gorge.

Arthur and Bedevere cannot find Lancelot, unaware that he has been arrested by police investigating the historian's death. The pair reach Castle Aarrgh, but find it occupied by the French soldiers. After being repelled by showers of manure, they summon an army of knights and prepare to assault the castle. As the army charges, the police arrive, arrest Arthur and Bedevere (despite the three not being responsible for the historian's murder) and break the camera, ending the film.

Cast

 * Graham Chapman as Arthur, King of the Britons, the voice of God and several extra roles
 * John Cleese Sir Lancelot the Brave, the Black Knight, French Guard, Tim the Enchanter and several extra roles
 * Terry Gilliam as Patsy, Bors, Soothsaying Bridgekeeper and appears as the Weak-Hearted Animator
 * Eric Idle as Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-as-Sir-Lancelot, Concorde, Lancelot's squire, Roger the Shrubber, and Brother Maynard
 * Terry Jones as Sir Bedevere the Wise, Prince Herbert and several extra roles
 * Michael Palin as Sir Galahad the Pure, the Leader of the Knights Who Say Ni, King of Swamp Castle, the voice of the narrator and several extra roles
 * Connie Booth as Miss Islington, the Witch
 * Carol Cleveland as Zoot and Dingo
 * Neil Innes as the Leader of Robin's Minstrels and several extra roles
 * Bee Duffell as the Old Crone
 * John Young as Frank the Historian
 * Rita Davies as Frank's Wife
 * Avril Stewart as Dr. Piglet
 * Sally Kinghorn as Dr. Winston
 * Mark Zycon as Sir Robin (stand-in)
 * Sandy Johnson as a Knight Who Says Ni
 * Julian Doyle as Police Sergeant
 * Richard Burton as One-Legged Black Knight (stand-in)

Gallery

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