Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
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A comedy troupe parodies the legendary quest for the Holy Grail in a surreal journey through medieval England.
The story
In AD 932, King Arthur and his squire Patsy travel across Britain to recruit men for the Knights of the Round Table. Along their journey, Arthur faces various obstacles, including a plague-ridden town and a mysterious Black Knight. After recruiting a group of knights, including the wise Bedevere and the brave Lancelot, the group reaches Camelot. However, after a musical performance, Arthur decides the castle is a 'silly place' and is commanded by God to find the Holy Grail. The quest leads them into a series of absurd encounters as they navigate the perils of the medieval landscape to find the sacred relic.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
King Arthur and his squire Patsy travel through medieval England to find knights for the Round Table. After recruiting several knights, including Sir Bedevere, Sir Lancelot, and Sir Galahad, they are ordered by God to find the Holy Grail. Their journey takes them through various absurd scenarios, including a confrontation with French soldiers at a castle, a quest involving a 'Trojan Rabbit', and a confrontation with the Rabbit of Caerbannog. They eventually reach the Bridge of Death, where the knights must answer riddles to pass. After several knights are lost or captured, Arthur and Bedevere reach the Castle of Arrrghhh, which is occupied by the same French soldiers. They prepare for a final assault, but are interrupted by the arrival of police officers who arrest them for the murder of a modern-day historian, ending the film abruptly.
- First release year
- 1975
- Runtime (minutes)
- 92
- Production countries
- United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Terry Gilliam; Terry Jones
- Writers
- Graham Chapman · writer; John Cleese · writer; Eric Idle · writer; Terry Gilliam · writer; Terry Jones · writer; Michael Palin · writer
- Cast and characters
- Graham Chapman · King Arthur; John Cleese · Sir Robin; Terry Gilliam · Sir Bedevere; Eric Idle · Sir Lancelot; Terry Jones · Sir Galahad; Michael Palin · narrator
- Genres
- comedy; adventure; fantasy; parody
- Themes
- Satire; Mythology; Absurdism
- Tone and mood
- Humorous; Surreal; Whimsical
- Premise and plot tags
- Arthurian Legend; Holy Grail Quest; Comedy; Parody
- Source material / true-story basis
- Arthurian legend
- Franchise connections
- Monty Python
- Reception
- The film is widely considered one of the greatest comedy films of all time, receiving high praise for its humor and unique style despite mixed initial reviews.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 92% · scale: percentage · review count: 131; Metacritic · score: 91 · scale: 100 · review count: 24
- Production trivia
- The film's budget was funded by rock bands like Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin.; The 'Tale of Sir Robin' features a still photograph of a gorge in Australia.; The film was adapted into a video game in 1996.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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