In 1971, the film "And Now for Something Completely Different" produced by the famous British Monty Python team uniquely reproduced the sketches from early TV shows on the big screen. The humorous characteristics and creative inspiration of these sketches have repeatedly attracted People think deeply. The film's title comes from a classic phrase from the show, and it premiered in the UK on September 28, 1971, and in the United States on August 22, 1972.
The 90-minute film features a series of classic sketches and animations from the first and second seasons of the TV show, reinterpreting those classics while also tailoring them for American audiences, many of whom may not have been exposed to them. to the series.
The skits in the film are rich in content, and both the absurd plots and the humorous use of language are hilarious. For example, the skit "How Not to Be Seen" begins by imitating a government film, but then spirals out of control and turns into an explosion, satirizing the government's incompetence.
For example, in the skit “Dirty Hungarian Phrasebook”, foreigners’ language mistakes often lead to embarrassing situations. This deliberate misunderstanding just reflects the collision between language and culture and its funny results.
In addition to the sketches, the film also features a large number of animations created by team member Terry Gilliam. These animations deliver humor in a unique style. For example, an animation depicting the interaction between people and cars satirizes the relationship with machines in modern life and makes people think again about the future of mankind.
What's more, the sketch "Nudge Nudge" clearly illustrates the pitfalls of human psychology with its blunt satire of male embarrassment on the subject of sex, which is also a symbol of Monty Python's humorous style.
Throughout the film, repeated linear connections and humorous gags make the story more complete. For example, in the “Dirty Fork” sketch, a restaurant waiter’s overreaction to a dirty fork takes a simple situation to an extreme for hilarious effect.
The diversity of themes in the film also shows the Monty Python team's spirit of exploration of humorous creativity. It is not just superficial funny, but also has profound social criticism. The skit "Upper Class Twit of the Year" in the film showcases the incompetence and dullness of the British upper class, satirizing those upper-class people who are blessed with natural advantages but don't know what to do.
This kind of mockery of class and status is not only deeply rooted in the plot, but also a long-standing feature of the team. They are good at transforming social phenomena into humorous materials and triggering reflection.
Over time, this work has become a comedy classic and has had a wide influence both in the UK and the US. Today, we can see many influences of modern comedy in them, whether it is the structural arrangement or the use of language, which can be traced back to these early sketches.
Finally, we can't help but ask, can these humorous creative inspirations from the north and south inspire today's artists to create works that are equally thought-provoking and hilarious?