The Meaning of Life

(Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam, UK 1983, 107 min., 35mm)

Monty Python at 50. The Pythons go back to their roots of sketch comedy in perhaps their most controversial, potentially offensive, yet also most fall-down funny film. Taking the audience on an existential journey through sex, war, middle-age, gluttony, death, and, yes, an actual answer to the meaning of life, the film works to offend or disgust most demographics. (Roger Ebert described it as “a barbed, uncompromising attack on generally observed community standards.”) The last film to feature all of the original Python members, The Meaning of Life sends us off on a high note.