Edit News: Monty Python - The Films: Life Of Brian: Cunt Posted Mon Dec 18 01:40:12 GMT 2000 by 'paul twist'

It says:

In Life Of Brian (1979), Reg's exasperated cry of 'you klutz!' was overdubbed - it was originally 'you cunt!'. Cleese agreed with this bit of censorship, suggesting that the profanity 'interfered with the comedy'. The stupid fucker.

Now, I may be wrong, but I am SURE the word "cunt" is intact, as I remember being surprised when I heard it. I've seen the film a couple of times since and I'm pretty sure the word "cunt" was present then too. Anyone want to clarify this?


Subject: Re: Edit News: Monty Python - The Films: Life Of Brian: Cunt [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Joe4SOTCAA on Mon Dec 18 02:28:54 GMT 2000:

Definitely 'klutz' in all the versions of the film we've seen. The 'cunt'/'klutz' cesorship has been pretty well documented elsewhere also. It's been noted that both words have the same satisfying sound when screamed in exasperation.

But 'cunt' would have been a better choice.


Subject: Re: Edit News: Monty Python - The Films: Life Of Brian: Cunt [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Mona Lisa' on Mon Dec 18 17:25:48 GMT 2000:

Why would cunt have been a better choice?


Subject: Re: Edit News: Monty Python - The Films: Life Of Brian: Cunt [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Joe4SOTCAA on Mon Dec 18 18:05:57 GMT 2000:

>Why would cunt have been a better choice?

Due to the nature of the scene - a perfect juxtaposition between Reg's mock coy niceties towards Brian after he'd inadvertently led the Centurians to the blah blah blah.


Subject: Re: Edit News: Monty Python - The Films: Life Of Brian: Cunt [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'SCB' on Thu Dec 21 11:00:01 GMT 2000:

>But 'cunt' would have been a better choice.

On what grounds, other than the same ones as TV Go Home uses as an excuse for using it ad infinitum in every publishing, just to be shocking.


Subject: Re: Edit News: Monty Python - The Films: Life Of Brian: Cunt [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Joe4SOTCAA on Thu Dec 21 12:22:21 GMT 2000:

>On what grounds, other than the same ones as TV Go Home uses as an excuse for using it ad infinitum in every publishing, just to be shocking.

On the grounds of it being a singular, one-off unexpected use of the word in the middle of a ninety-minute film. And the fact that it's coming out of John Cleese' hitherto amiable face.

I.e. dramatic shock equalling humour, not for 'tee hee, he said cunt' reasons but as a means to surprise with its sheer unexpectedness. As per 'Alright, I am the messiah...now fuck off'. If the latter scene had been 'Alright, fuck you, I am the fucking messiah, now fuck off' it wouldn't have been half as surprising a line. Or indeed half as funny.

Neither would it have been as funny if someone had suggested 'sod off' instead because the word 'fuck' interfered with the comedy.


Subject: Re: Edit News: Monty Python - The Films: Life Of Brian: Cunt [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'PJ' on Thu Dec 21 12:58:17 GMT 2000:

Morgan Freeman only really swears once in the film 'Se7en' near the end - see? Shcok factor adds dramatic tension. (as if there isn't enough in that film...)


Subject: Re: Edit News: Monty Python - The Films: Life Of Brian: Cunt [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Unruly Butler' on Fri Dec 22 11:47:45 GMT 2000:

Also, the line "you cunt" is funny because for the past hour, Reg and the revolutionaries have chosen their words SO carefully (parodying the obsession with terminology and language prevalent in left-wing thinking). Suddenly he's so cross he forgets himself and uses the planet's rudest word.
It's much funnier that way.

(On the DVD commentary, by the way, all the dumb decisions Cleese made to neuter things are skirted round. The other Pythons keep saying things like "someone decided this was wrong", as if not wanting to attack Cleese...)


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