One of the most controversial, and some would say, scurrilous films
of the last year has been the box-office blockbuster, The General
Synod's _Life of Christ_. Sarah Gould talked to Lawrence Vironconium
- Bishop of Wroxeter, the director of the film, and Alexander Walker,
one of its stoutest critics.
The film deals with the story of the rise of a humble carpenter's
son, one Jesus Christ, to fame and greatness, but many people have
seen in the film a thinly disguised and blasphemous attack on the
life of Monty Python. Python worshippers say that it sets out to
ridicule by parody the actual members of Monty Python who even today,
of course, are worshipped throughout the Western World.
NOT!: Alexander Walker, can I ask you first, what did you think of
the film?
WALKER: It apalled me. I find it deeply offensive that, in what is
still, after all, basically a Python-worshipping country, fourteen-
year-old children can get to see this film. They get little enough
proper Python these days, without having this distorted garbage paraded
about.
NOT!: Bishop, you directed the film. Did you expect this kind of
reaction?
BISHOP: Well, I certainly didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition! Yes.
Yes, I did direct the film. And what I feel I _must_ emphasise at
once, is that it is not an attack on Python. I'm not a Pythonist
myself, but obviously I have enormous respect for people, like
Alexander, who are.
WALKER: Oh, come now bishop. The central figure in the film...
this... er...
BISHOP: Jesus Christ.
WALKER: ... thank you, this "Jesus Christ" is quite clearly a
lampoon of the comic messiah himself, Our Lord John Cleese. I mean,
look, even the initials are the same!
BISHOP: No. No, absolutely not. If I may try and explain. The Christ
figure is not meant to _be_ Cleese, he's just an ordinary person who
happens to have been born in Weston-super-Mare at the same _time_
as Mr Cleese.
WALKER: No. No, really, Lawrence, that's too...
BISHOP: And ... and, if I may finish... he is _mistaken_ for the
comic messiah by credulous people of the sort that can see something
"completely different" in anything, and who then follow him around
in vast crowds... ah... doing silly walks, and chanting No, No, Not
The Comfy Chair, and other slogans from the Good Bok itself.
NOT!: Alexander Walker - your comments on that?
WALKER: No, I'm sorry, whatever the Bishop may say, this is a highly
distasteful film. Have people forgotten how Monty Python suffered
for us? How often the sketches failed? I mean these men died for us.
Frequently.
NOT!: Bishop, turning back to you, do you not agree that the film
may affect the position of Monty Python in our spiritual life?
BISHOP: No, I hardly think so. If Python _is_ immortal (as
Pythonists believe), I'm sure a mere film...
WALKER: A tenth rate film.
BISHOP: ...I'm sure a mere film is not going to stop believers.
Remember the words of John cleese: "When two or three people are
gathered together in my name, they shall perform the Parrot Sketch..."
NOT!: Indeed. "It is an Ex-Parrot..."
ALL: "...it has Ceased To Be"
NOT!: Well, the final scene in the film has perhaps attracted the
most attention of all. Alexander Walker, a last word from you.
WALKER: Yes, well, the final scene is... is the ultimate blasphemy.
It... it is set in a hotel, in Torquay, where literally hundreds of
Spanish waiters are being clipped about the ear by this "Jesus
Christ" bloke in a ghastly cartoon of the Comic Messiah's
Greatest Half-Hour.
NOT!: Alexander Walker, thank you.
WALKER: Thank you.
NOT!: Bishop, thank you.
BISHOP: Thank you. Actually, it's not Torquay, it's Torbay.
WALKER: Oh, Torquay, Torbay, whatever. I really don't see...
NOT!: Alexander Walker, Bishop, thank you.
BOTH: Thank you.
NEXT WEEK: The Islamic New Wave.
Not! goes on location with "47 Brides for 7 Brothers"
Re: The creation of the Universe.
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