# 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:** 2
**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, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/21 "2011-08-16T13:51:04Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > Romanes eunt domus! > [@DrFidelius](#): > > ‘People called Romanes they go the house’? I thought it meant “Romans eat donuts”. ---
**Author:** ![Zyanthia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Zyanthia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyanthia)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/22 "2011-08-16T14:33:51Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > Could a mod lock this thread? It’s gotten too silly. Wouldn’t this have to be done by the Ministry of Silly Threads? (Second favorite Cleese short 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/23 "2011-08-16T14:35:19Z")
Moving to Cafe Society from GQ. **[Moderator Note]** **TonKa** , please don’t start joke threads in General Questions. We have other forums for that. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**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, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/24 "2011-08-16T15:08:03Z")
> [@TonKa](#): > > No, my mom won’t let me… Seriously? I am aware that there are people who think that “Brian” in this film is supposed to represent Jesus and that the film is disrespectful to him. Brian isn’t Jesus - Jesus is Jesus and appears in the distance in a few scenes, including an early scene in the crowd at the Sermon in the Mount where Jesus is seen and heard in the distance giving the sermon (the proper Biblical version) and Brian is in the back of the crowd trying to hear and getting insulted about his nose. Certain humorless Christians may still find the film offensive, not because it targets Jesus but because it targets them (as **Little Nemo** has already noted). But skewering people who do ridiculous things for serious reasons has always been fodder for comedians. There is also some very brief full frontal nudity (male and female) but nothing to get excited about. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/25 "2011-08-16T15:30:44Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Seriously? > > I am aware that there are people who think that “Brian” in this film is supposed to represent Jesus and that the film is disrespectful to him. Brian isn’t Jesus - Jesus is Jesus and appears in the distance in a few scenes, including an early scene in the crowd at the Sermon in the Mount where Jesus is seen and heard in the distance giving the sermon (the proper Biblical version) and Brian is in the back of the crowd trying to hear and getting insulted about his nose. Blessed are the cheesemakers? ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/26 "2011-08-16T15:38:01Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > Blessed are the cheesemakers? What’s so special about the cheesemakers? [QUOTE=jjimm] They reused some of the sets from Jesus of Nazareth. [/quote] Some of which had also been used for the Tatooine sets in _Star Wars_. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/27 "2011-08-16T16:04:24Z")
AK84: > [@](#): > > I am unsure if there was a Biggus Dickus. But it’s rather certain that there was a Naughtius Maximus. Apparently someone by that name got around quite a lot, many women claim to have slept with him. ---
**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, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/28 "2011-08-16T16:18:12Z")
> [@](#): > > Did you actually watch this movie, TonKa? > [@](#): > No, my mom won’t let me… > [@](#): > > Seriously? What do you think… Is the Pope Catholic? I am 50 and my mother is 84. Of course I’ve seen this movie, several times. I think it’s one of the funniest movies ever made, but that’s just my sick mind… I made this tread to proof that no matter how silly your question is, there are always people who give an answer that makes sense. That’s the beauty of silly questions. I feel a deep need for a special “silly questions section”. Greetings from Holland! ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/29 "2011-08-16T16:22:20Z")
Oh, it’s the meek! Blessed are the meek! Oh, that’s nice, innit? I’m glad they’re getting something because they had a hell of a time. ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/30 "2011-08-16T16:27:30Z")
I had a history professor who showed Life of Brian in his class, because he believed it provided an accurate depiction of Roman provincial policy. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/31 "2011-08-16T16:31:09Z")
> [@TonKa](#): > > I am Dutch **I’m** Dutch. And so’s my wife! ---
**Author:** ![Bytegeist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/32 "2011-08-16T16:50:40Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > I am unsure if there was a Biggus Dickus. He wanks as high as any in Wome! ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/33 "2011-08-16T17:26:40Z")
> [@Bytegeist](#): > > He wanks as high as any in Wome! And commands a cwack legion! ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/34 "2011-08-16T17:32:07Z")
He has a wife, you know. You know what she’s called? ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/35 "2011-08-16T17:54:12Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > He has a wife, you know. You know what she’s called? Incontinentia. Incontinentia Buttocks. ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/36 "2011-08-16T17:56:07Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > He has a wife, you know. You know what she’s called? Thora? ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/37 "2011-08-16T18:13:18Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > There is also some very brief full frontal nudity (male and female) but nothing to get excited about. Really? You’re kind of underestimating the appeal of the girl who played Judith (Sue Jones-Davies). As for the movie itself, it helps if you’ve seen any of the Hollywood Biblical and religious epics of the 50s and early 60s to know some of what **Life of Brian** is sending up (e.g., **King of Kings** , **The Greatest Story Ever Told** , and especially **Ben-Hur**.) ---
**Author:** ![Bytegeist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/38 "2011-08-16T18:39:49Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > … it helps if you’ve seen any of the Hollywood Biblical and religious epics of the 50s and early 60s to know some of what **Life of Brian** is sending up ( … especially **Ben-Hur**.) On that point, compare these two [movie](http://posterwire.com/wp-content/images/ben_hur.jpg) [posters](http://www.impawards.com/1979/posters/life_of_brian_ver3.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/39 "2011-08-16T19:46:06Z")
NDP: > [@](#): > > Really? You’re kind of underestimating the appeal of the girl who played Judith (Sue Jones-Davies). I suppose it’s possible that she’s better looking elsewhere than as she appeared in Life of Brian. But I have to agree with Gyrate that what you see in LoB is not the stuff of (most) male fantasy. ---
**Author:** ![Toucanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Toucanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toucanna)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878/40 "2011-08-16T19:58:02Z")
I think the only reason you started this thread is because you’re trying to con people into following the shoe. People, follow the sandal. It’s your only way to the true path!!! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-of-brian-based-on-a-true-story/592878.md?page=3)