Monty python and the holy grail
1975 British comedy
Directed by Gilliam and Jones
performed by the Monty Python comedy group
The opening begins with a slide that presents the time background as 'England 932A.D' using black letters, which are in a serif font to establish the medieval setting. Then, a long shot introduces King Arthur's existence, accompanied by mist - a symbolic code representing gloominess and mysteriousness - covering the scene. Low key lighting and low saturation are applied along with the mist to create an enigma surrounding the identity of the two characters. The action shows King Arthur riding a horse without actually having one, creating a proairetic code that juxtaposes unreasonable actions within a realistic setting.
Instead of actual horses, the king appears to be trotting on an invisible horse, which is made even more ridiculous by his armored regalia. To complete the illusion, clopping sound effects accompany the path of the "horses," created not by their hooves but by clacking coconuts, resulting in a pragmatic and comedic effect.
The castle, an extreme long shot using King Arthur's point of view, creates a high level of verisimilitude (according to Todorov) that satisfies the genre of a historical drama. However, it also gives a quirky feeling, as indicated by the action of riding an invisible horse. Even though the castle is a recognizable symbolic code for historical heritage, which is typically serious and epic, this repeated motif throughout the film creates unexpected plots that do not align with Todorov's theory.
The castle, an extreme long shot using King Arthur's point of view, creates a high level of verisimilitude (according to Todorov) that satisfies the genre of a historical drama. However, it also gives a quirky feeling, as indicated by the action of riding an invisible horse. Even though the castle is a recognizable symbolic code for historical heritage, which is typically serious and epic, this repeated motif throughout the film creates unexpected plots that do not align with Todorov's theory.
The key of this opening is in the conversation:
'You are using coconuts'
The guard of the castle pointed out the fact that characters are riding no real horses, but coconuts. The nonsense of the plot is now explicitly presented through character's line
'The coconut is tropical'
'Are you suggesting coconuts migrate'
Listen, in order to maintain air-speed velocity, a swallow
needs to beat its wings 43 times every second, right?
The use of geography and physics knowledge in the movie further disconnects it from its historical context, as these subjects were not understood by ordinary guards during the medieval era. This creates a sense of hyperreality (Stuart Hall), blending educated individuals from the modern era with the world of medieval times.
We have ridden the length and breadth of the land in search of knights
who will join me in my court of Camelot. I must speak with your lord and master.
Although the opening is filled with jokes, the director successfully conveys King Arthur's main mission. This establishes the potential storyline for the rest of the film and provides some clues to captivate the audience.
Will you ask your master if he wants to join my court at Camelot?
But then of course African swallows are not migratory.
The fact that the guard is not attempting to answer King Arthur's question leaves room for later development, as information about the hero's fate remains undisclosed. The heroic character of King Arthur (according to Propp's theory) is introduced to the audience.
Monty Python's Life of Brian
1979 British comedy
Starring and written by the comedy group Monty Python (Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, EricIdle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin)
Directed by Terry Jones.
The movie begins with an establishing shot of three people on horses. The use of low-key lighting creates a sense of mystery, delaying the revelation of key characters and plot developments. The contrasting lighting, with warm orange artificial light on the left and cold blue moonlight on the right, enhances depth perception and introduces important characters effectively.
The three shots reveal the features of the characters, their clothing (Barthes-symbolic codes), which is likely from the Middle East region, and indicate a time period that is not close to modern society. The middle long shot with an over-the-shoulder composition introduces Brian's mother, who appears in rough and dirty clothes suggesting her poor and low-class status (Stuart Hall-representation forms social status). Sitting beside the trough alongside the three men provides cultural cues related to Jesus' birth. The specific dressing style of her kerchief also suggests that she is an old lady. This creates a high level of verisimilitude, building an expectation for a historical drama (which is completely irrelevant).
The deliberate act of falling over the chair is a proairetic code (Barthes) that indicates she was surprised. It is delayed after she sees the three strange men, creating a comedic effect. A sharp and loud scream parallels her action, serving as a condensed equilibrium (Todorov) that captivates the audience and contrasts with the previous quiet tone.
In the next shot, a close-up of the woman's face presents her facial identity. A suspicious expression appears on her face that has masculine features, such as angular eye sockets and the green color left by his beard. The unconventional performance causes an out-of-context condition because the traditional representation of Mary is not similar to this one. When the old lady tries to expel the three men, they claim to have brought valuable gifts. She then reacts with the line 'why didn't you say so earlier', expressing desire and a greedy attitude towards money which are not characteristics of the holy godmother.
The insert shot of the baby in the trough completes the final piece of the puzzle, thus fully satisfying the biblical allusion. The scene may have been naturally lit by artificial light, as the candle's ambient light alone cannot create such a strong effect.
The following sequence shows that after the old lady received the 'gift', the three 'prophets' violently grabbed back the given gift, and there are also 'three robbers'. This once again fails to satisfy Stuart Hall's stereotypical representation of a prophet as a wise old man, which shapes our understanding of prophets. The final push (proairetic code) that knocks off the lady at the end is particularly strong, portraying females as victims of male crimes (Van Zoonen).
The shot of the three prophets walking towards another trough, with the two individuals holding glowing hoops (symbolic codes for holiness), suggests that they are the true parents of Jesus. The previous scene was a mistake caused by the incorrect judgment of the three prophets. This resolves the enigma surrounding Mary's peculiar presentation. In contrast to the dirty, mundane, and low-contrast lighting, this scene utilizes chiaroscuro lighting to emphasize the differences.
This opening serves as an introduction to Brian's life, portraying him as a 'pathetic loser' who only assumes the secondary role in the story and entertains the audience as a joker.
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