The Meaning of Life
Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam
One night, looking on from an aquarium in a restaurant some fish watch their former playmates become the dinner of the diners. Philosophically, they start talking about the meaning of life, leading to a programme which speaks of this subject in particular.
With : Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin
Screenplay : Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, John Cleese, Terry Gillian
Image : Peter Hannan, Roger Pratt
Sound : Debbie Kaplan
Editing : Julian Doyle
Music : John Du Prez
Screenplay : Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, John Cleese, Terry Gillian
Image : Peter Hannan, Roger Pratt
Sound : Debbie Kaplan
Editing : Julian Doyle
Music : John Du Prez
Production : Celandine Films, The Monty Python Partnership, Universal Pictures
Distribution: Park Circus
Distribution: Park Circus
Goaded into action by the phenomenal success of The Life of Brian the group immediately began writing their new feature. But it was difficult to give the film a form: heterogeneous ideas flew off in all directions, without the initial screenplay being anything other than a series of incoherent sketches. At the end of the day, the idea of treating the meaning of life justifies this and provides a film which is inspired and deeply dark. It shook up the grammar of cinema and the daring paid off. The Meaning of Life is ones of the very rare comedies to have won an award at the Cannes Film Festival. But above all it was the last time the members of Monty Python all worked together. Following this film, they all went off to pursue their own solo careers, with some of them nevertheless working together again in films which have become classics, such as Brazil, or A Fish Called Wanda, among others.