Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a 1975 comedy film.
Cast
- Graham Chapman - King Arthur
- John Cleese - Sir Lancelot/Various Roles
- Terry Gilliam - Patsy
- Eric Idle - Sir Robin/Various Roles
- Terry Jones - Sir Bedevere/Various Roles
- Michael Palin - Sir Galahad/Various Roles
- Neil Innes - Minstrel
Plot
In 932, King Arthur, along with his squire, Patsy, recruits his Knights of the Round Table: Sir Bedevere the Wise, Sir Lancelot the Brave, Sir Galahad the Pure, Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-As-Sir-Lancelot, and the aptly named Sir Not-appearing-in-this-film. On the way, Arthur battles the Black Knight who heedlessly ignores his wounds and continues to fight. The knights reach Camelot, but following a song-and-dance cutaway, Arthur decides not to enter, because "'tis a silly place". They are instructed by God to seek the Holy Grail.
Their first stop is a French-controlled castle. After being insulted by a soldier with a strong French accent, they try sneaking into the castle in a Trojan Bunny. This plan goes awry when they forget to hide inside it first. The rabbit is catapulted back at them with an assortment of animals and waste. Arthur decides the group should split up to seek the grail. A modern-day historian serves as an on-camera documentary presenter, describing the Arthurian legends. He is abruptly killed by an unknown knight on horseback, triggering a police investigation.
Each of the knights encounters various perils on his quest. Arthur and Bedevere attempt to satisfy the strange requests of the dreaded Knights who say Ni. Sir Robin narrowly avoids a fight with the Three-Headed Giant by running away while the heads are arguing, causing embarrassment as his minstrel sings "Brave Sir Robin ran away". Sir Galahad is led by a grail-shaped beacon to Castle Anthrax, populated by women who wish to perform sexual favours for him, but he is rescued by Lancelot from the "perilous situation", somewhat against his will. Sir Lancelot then finds a note tied to an arrow, and after reading it assaults a wedding party at Swamp Castle. Believing them to be holding a lady against her will, he discovers that an effeminate prince sent the note.
The knights regroup with three new knights, Sir Gawain, Sir Ector, and Sir Bors, and a group of monks led by Brother Maynard. They travel to see Tim the Enchanter, who points them to caves where the location of the grail is written on the walls. To enter the caves the group must defeat the Rabbit of Caerbannog. They do so using the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch courtesy of Brother Maynard after the rabbit kills Gawain, Ector and Bors. They enter the cave and are attacked by the Legendary Black Beast of Aaaaarrrrrrggghhh, which devours Brother Maynard. Arthur and his Knights barely escape by virtue of the beast's animator suffering a fatal heart attack.
With their final destination known, the group travel to the Bridge of Death, where each knight is forced to answer three questions by the bridge-keeper before he may cross the Gorge of Eternal Peril. Lancelot easily answers his questions and crosses the bridge, but Robin and Galahad are confounded by difficult questions and thrown into the chasm. Arthur accidentally asks the bridge-keeper a question, and the bridge-keeper is thrown into the chasm himself for not knowing the answer.
Lancelot becomes separated from Arthur and Bedevere, and is later accused and arrested by police for the murder of the historian. Arthur and Bedevere travel to the Castle Aaargh, which they find occupied by the same French forces that insulted and drove them off earlier. The knights amass a large army and prepare to storm the castle, but just as they begin to charge, the modern police arrive on the scene. Arthur and Bedevere are arrested, and one of the officers covers the lens with his hand. The film breaks in the projector and runs out of the gate, putting an abrupt end to the film.
Musical numbers
- "Knights of the Round Table" - Knights of Camelot
- "Brave Sir Robin" - Minstrels
- "He's Going to Tell" - Guests
- "Brave Sir Robin" (reprise) - Minstrels