The film “Sacré Grail” – “Holy Grail” in English – from the Monty Python released 50 years ago. Their absurd humor tinged with societal criticism still hit the bull’s eye today. Many works have been inspired.
Half a century after “Sacred Grail”, the humor of the Monty Python remains in the memories above all for its tone, estimates in the program A whole world François Jost, semiologist and emeritus professor at Sorbonne Nouvelle.
“What remains of this film is obviously rather his tone, which did not please everyone. We must not forget that this film succeeded sketches they were doing at the BBC, some executives of which were very shocked by the way of seeing the history of Monty Python”, explains the author of several books on cinema, TV and the media.
Cult films are those who manage to play with the intellectual and do something that is funny for everyone
The peculiarity of Monty Python is not just an anachronisms, but also to the logic of the absurd. “They first have a totally pincer-rich humor, which is very British,” observes François Jost.
“On the other hand, their humor is based on a logic of implacable appearance, but absurd. We think of the syllogism of wood which floats. However, witches also float, so they are wood. These deductions are obviously completely false, but completely logical from the point of view of syllogistic sequence.”
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Intellectual humor
The attraction of the film 50 years more is also due to his intellectual humor, estimates Juliette Vuille, teacher of teaching and research in language and medieval English literature at the University of Lausanne. “Most members of the Monty Python have studied in Cambridge or Oxford. Terry Jones was particularly interested in English medieval literature.”
The processes that the Monty Python use have been taken up a lot of times. Personally, it no longer makes me laugh as before
“I think that it is because it is an intellectual and academic humor that it has become particularly popular. Stupid films do not become cult films. Cult films are those who manage to play with the intellectual and do something that is funny for everyone”, poses the researcher.
The humor of the Monty Python, however, took a stroke of old, believes François Jost. “The processes they use have been taken up a lot of times. Personally, that no longer makes me laugh as it made me laugh at the time of the film’s release.”
Societal criticism
For Juliette Vuille on the other hand, this humor is still hitting. It evokes several reasons. First of all, absurdity, which does not get rid of. And beyond the wacky side, the Monty Python speak of both a distant past-allowing certain criticisms-and both of themes that remain very current.
“They take up themes of social justice, the stupid reasons that push to declare the war and the horror of it. All these things are really topical. We really have a societal criticism, a political criticism which is acceptable, because it is represented in a surrealist history, in a very distant past.”
The spirit of the Monty Python also continues through the emules it has made, even in the films or the French -speaking series. We can quote Alain Chabat and the Dummies, “Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra” or obviously “Kaamelott” by Alexandre Astier.
Sujet Radio: Marie Giovanola
Version web: Antoine Schaub
