# Is "Life of Brian" based on a true story? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 16, 2011, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878 "2011-08-16T07:24:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TonKa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9f8e36/32.png) [@TonKa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonKa)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/1 "2011-08-16T07:24:01Z")
Some scenes looked quite authentic :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Staggerlee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/staggerlee/32/3134_2.png) [@Staggerlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staggerlee)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/2 "2011-08-16T08:00:58Z")
It is basically a spoof of the life and times of Graham Chapman. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/3 "2011-08-16T08:25:50Z")
Actually, only the alien abduction scene was based on historical sources. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/4 "2011-08-16T08:39:07Z")
As I recall, when the group first decided to make a satire on the subject, they planned on making it more directly about Jesus. But when they looked at the things that Jesus had personally said and done, they realized he was a poor subject for satire. Pretty much everything Jesus did was simple and to the point and made sense. So they pulled back a little bit and looked at the people around Jesus. These people had taken Jesus’ simple message and completely screwed it up. So they were a ripe target for satire. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/5 "2011-08-16T09:37:24Z")
> [@Staggerlee](#): > > It is basically a spoof of the life and times of Graham Chapman. John Cleese, surely? After all, where two or three are gathered together in his name, they shall repeat the Parrot Sketch! ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/6 "2011-08-16T10:56:15Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > As I recall, when the group first decided to make a satire on the subject, they planned on making it more directly about Jesus. But when they looked at the things that Jesus had personally said and done, they realized he was a poor subject for satire. Pretty much everything Jesus did was simple and to the point and made sense. > > So they pulled back a little bit and looked at the people around Jesus. These people had taken Jesus’ simple message and completely screwed it up. So they were a ripe target for satire. I believe the originating joke was Eric Idle suggesting a film called “Jesus Christ: Lust for Glory”. The rest followed as described. I don’t know what the OP means by the film looking authentic. It was filmed in Tunisia, if anyone’s wondering. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/7 "2011-08-16T11:12:29Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > I don’t know what the OP means by the film looking authentic. It was filmed in Tunisia, if anyone’s wondering. They reused some of the sets from _Jesus of Nazareth_. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/8 "2011-08-16T11:35:13Z")
And they based much of the dialog on surviving records of the meetings of the Peoples’ Front of Judea, preserved in triplicate and subject to revision by a 2/3rds majority after a proposal forwarded by a simple majority in the Historical Revisions committee. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/9 "2011-08-16T12:03:46Z")
Yes it is based on a true story. The Romans did occupy Judea. They were definatly unpopular as they had brought nothing but better sanitation and medicine and education and irrigation and public health and roads and a freshwater system and baths and public order to Judea. And they did crucify people. I am unsure if there was a Biggus Dickus. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/10 "2011-08-16T12:10:42Z")
I’m a card carrying member of the People’s Front of Judea. ---
**Author:** ![Satchmo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/satchmo/32/4223_2.png) [@Satchmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satchmo)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/11 "2011-08-16T12:34:30Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > I’m a card carrying member of the People’s Front of Judea. Splitter! ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/12 "2011-08-16T12:39:44Z")
Romanes eunt domus! ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/13 "2011-08-16T12:48:12Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > Romanes eunt domus! ‘People called Romanes they go the house’? ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/14 "2011-08-16T13:06:34Z")
Could a mod lock this thread? It’s gotten too silly. ---
**Author:** ![TonKa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9f8e36/32.png) [@TonKa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonKa)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/15 "2011-08-16T13:23:15Z")
> [@](#): > > It’s gotten too silly. The question was ment to be silly, however, some answers make sense and I got a good laugh out of the other answers. Please don’t close this tread! ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/16 "2011-08-16T13:23:41Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > Could a mod lock this thread? It’s gotten too silly. If it isn’t done by sunrise, I’ll cut your balls off. ---
**Author:** ![TonKa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9f8e36/32.png) [@TonKa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonKa)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/17 "2011-08-16T13:29:33Z")
> [@](#): > > If it isn’t done by sunrise, I’ll cut your balls off. If it is done by sunrise, I’ll cut your balls off. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/18 "2011-08-16T13:43:21Z")
Did you actually watch this movie, TonKa? ---
**Author:** ![TonKa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9f8e36/32.png) [@TonKa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonKa)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/19 "2011-08-16T13:47:37Z")
> [@](#): > > Did you actually watch this movie, TonKa? No, my mom won’t let me… ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/20 "2011-08-16T13:49:48Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > I’m a card carrying member of the People’s Front of Judea. Nnnooooooooo! It’s the Judean People’s Front that is the true inheritor of the mantle of the, er… Judean people. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878.md?page=2)