__ Life of Brian, a zany satire by the
British comedy team Monty
Python, has become an object of
reat controversy. Priests, rabbis
a and ministers have attacked it as
, blasphemous’’ and
_ Sacrilegious.”’
~ The film is about the birth, life
i) Nd death of Brian of Nazareth,
| 4:K.a. Brian Cohen. Born on the
| Might of the Nativity, he and his
Mother are visited by three wise
| “ings. It doesn’t take long for the
Sages to realize their error and they
‘atch their gifts back from Brian’s
-8fasping mother. Around the cor-
Ner, bathed in a heavenly glow, they
find the real Child.
 Brian’s adult life is no less
apless. He gets involved with the
People’s Front of Judea, an
Organization whose ostensible aim

| /0rtunately, they are a tiny, elitist
| Sect of intellectuals whose main ac-
' Wities are hair-splitting debates and
SSuing carefully-worded
anifestos.. Their hatred of the
mans is far surpassed by their
loathing of a rival sect, the Judean
People’s Front.
| Soon the Romans are after Brian,
| *Nd his odd behaviour while trying
| © elude them somehow leads
}) Slookers to regard him as a savior.
| Within minutes, hordes of people
fe pursuing him through the
| Streets, begging such favors as the
| CUring of a bald patch. In his every
| hocent action, they find ad addi-
| “onal proof of his divinity.

YM,
Yl tn

Folk Song and
Fiddle Music
with

TOM HAWKEN

| | SUE & KEITH MALCOLM
| and friends

‘Sat., Oct. 13, 8 p.m.
| 805 E. Pender

Food and reireshments

| Admissicn $1. Spons: GVRC
Se

LIFE OF BRIAN. Starring and written by
Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry
Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and
Michael Palin. At local theatres.

With such an entourage, Brian
can’t long hide from the Romans.
He is captured, and with dozens of
others, sentenced in a mass crucifix-
ion.

How can we, from a progressive
standpoint, evaluate this story and
the controversy it has aroused?
First, we must not lump all religious
beliefs together. Some can be
positive and _ progressive:
brotherhood, peace, justice and
kindness, for example. Others are
reactionary: the superiority of one
creed over others, unquestioning
obedience, blind faith, intolerance,

or the idea that all human needs and ~

efforts are secondary.

In Life of Brian it is the latter
aspects of religion that are satirized.
In fact, the target of this movie is
not religion as such. It is first of all
religious sectarianism, but also
political sectarianism. Within
seconds after Brian is proclaimed as
the savior, his followers divide into
competing groups. The stupidity of
the rivalry between the Judean Peo-
ple’s Front and the People’s Front
of Judea is lampooned. So is
bigotry, as some of those who are.
crucified protest about being ex-
ecuted beside members of other
ethnic groups.

False reverence is another main
target. The movie lambasts the wor-
ship of words and objects. In his
haste to escape his undesired
followers, Brian drops a gourd and
a sandal. Seconds later, both are
retrieved and become objects of
veneration. Of course, this will
bother the people in the audience
who revere either. But for religious
beliefs to be worthwhile, words and
things ought to be secondary in im-
portance to just and humane con-
duct. When they become more im-
portant, some debunking humor is
justified.

phillip david
rankin stone
paul

memurray

barristers & solicitors
500 ford bidg.

193 east hastings st.

vancouver, b.c.
v6a 1n7 682-7471

THE COMPLETE |,

TRAVEL SERVICE

We will professionally look after
all your travel needs. We specialize
in tickets, tours, passports, permits
and reservations. Call us today —
for prompt personalized service.

, SS
GLOBE TOURS
2679 E. Hastings St.,

| Vancouver, B.C.
253-1221

Most objections to the movie
concerned the treatment of the
crucifixion. Brian’s execution is dif-
ferent from the traditional account
of Christ’s: he and dozens of others
are tied, not nailed, to crosses.
Historically, both methods were us-
ed, and the victims generally died of
thirst, loss of blood, asphyxiation
or exposure. The movie’s irreverent
and absurd point of view is that
crucifixion is not so bad. When
Brian is in jail, a life prisoner,
chained to a wall, envies him
because he will be crucified. On
their crosses, the victims joke, chat,
grumble and even sing.

All this mocks the Christian tenet
that Jesus, by his unparalleled
agony, expiated all the world’s sins.
The crucial question is whether this
belief is a reactionary or progressive
part of Christianity? In fact, it has
been used in different ways. At
times it has been used to dis-credit
human suffering, especially the
misery of the oppressed, as trivial
compared to Christ’s passion. This
interpretation is reactionary and
anti-human. So is the glorification,
and thus the justification, of suffer-
ing as something desirable and ho-
ly.
There is also a very different in-
terpretation of the crucifixion. It
has sometimes been used as a sym-
bol and metaphor for the agonies of
the oppressed masses. If a holy,

A parodied Pontius Pilate in Monty Python’s Life of Brian.

even divine man was persecuted, ill-
treated and abused, then oppression
does not imply one is worthless or

Brian’ —controversial and funny ( rorum

The Socreds
dirty tricks

A.C, Hughes, Vancouver, writes:
It used to be that all was fair in love
and war but with the recent
disclosure that the Socreds signed
other peoples’ names to letters to
the editor, this is no longer true. If
we follow the Socreds’ example, no
letter would have any meaning. We
would all have to become dirty
fighters with no holds barred.

One might expect that premier
Bennett, after his near defeat on
May 10 would try to prove to those
of us who didn’t vote for him that
his is a good government. Not so.
He wrongly assumes that our
pocketbooks prompt our votes.

Many people in what are now
labelled .‘‘comfortable cir-

undeserving. This idea has given —cumstances” — although not in the

dignity and hope to many.

Because of these differing mean-
ings of the crucifixion, the final
scenes of this movie are pro-
blematic. In addition, it is difficult,
from a humanist perspective, to ac-
cept any light treatment of human
suffering and death.

Much of Life of Brian will surely
be offensive to people with strong,
traditional religious beliefs. It has
moments of tastelessness from any
point of view. Nevertheless, much
of it is hysterically funny, with a
great deal of well-aimed satire and
absurd humor.

— Marian Irving
Daily World

premier’s group — resent the abuse
and neglect that the Socred
ministers impose on the disadvan-
taged minorities in our province.
The aged, the single mothers, the
children, the physically and mental-
ly disabled — all have felt the sharp
knife that the Socreds wield.

This government seems to be

~ more anxious to protect American

interests that to protect those of the
people of this province. Grace Mc-
Carthy is willing to spend $500 a
shot.to allow a California company
to come in an tell our unemployed
how to find jobs. The price would
be cheap if they could produce jobs
— but of course, the jobs don’t ex-
ist.

COME TO THE 30th ANNIVERSARY -
CELEBRATION OF THE FOUNDING

OF THE GDR
/ @ Speakers fromthe GDR _—@ ‘Sides

Tuesday, Oct, 16, 8 p.m.
Unitarian Church, 49th & Oak
Food and refreshments “3
; No admission charge.
Spons.: Canada-GDR Friendship Association

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING

Ads must be submitted to the
Tribune office by 4 o’clock Mon-
day.

COMING EVENTS

OCT: 12 — YCL volleyball has
resumed for the season; 7 p.m.
every second Friday at Nelson
School, 2200 Charles, Vancouver.
Adm. $1.00. All welcome.

OCT. 13 — Film showing. ‘’Chile
with Poems and Guns” and “Chile:
The Most Painful Hour.” Both films
in Eng. Sat., 7 p.m., Britannia
Community Services Centre, 1661
Napier. Adm.: $3 donation.
Auspices Van. Chilean Community.

OCT. 13 — Solidarity Cafe, 8 p.m.,
at the Ukrainian Hall, 805 E.
Pender. Folk music, food and
refreshments. Admission $1. Spon-
sored by GVRC.

OCT. 13 — See film ‘‘Controlling
_Interest’’ with cribbage tournament

to follow. Prizes, refreshments.

Spons. by Kingsway, CPC, at Mt.
Pleasant Neighbourhood House,
535 E. Broadway, Van. Saturday, 8
p.m. Adm. $3. All welcome.

OCT. 16 — Celebrating the 30th an-
niversary of the GDR, 8 p.m.,
Unitarian Church, 49th and Oak.
Refreshments, slides and guest
speakers. Spons. by Canada-GDR
Association. No admission charge.

OCT. 16 Concert featuring
Soviet artists and reception follow-
ing, Tues. 7 p.m., Russian People’s
Home, 600 Campbell Ave. Spons.
by the Federation of Russian-
Canadians. Everybody welcome.

OCT. 19 — Class Collaboration or
Fightback? Hear Jack Phillips. labor
secretary of the Communist Party,
Friday, 7:30 p.m. at the Trout Lake
Community Centre, 3350 Victoria
Dr. Vancouver. Everyone welcome.

OCT. 27 — YCL Halloween Party
featuring ‘Big Kahuna and the
Satellites,’ Sat. 7 p.m. at the Rus-
sian People’s Home, 600 Campbell
Ave. Costume prizes. Dinner and
dance. Adm. $5; OAP $3.

NOV. 3 — 20th annual banquet
celebrating the Great October
Revolution, Sunnyside Hall, corner
18th Ave. and 154th St. at 6:30.
Adm. $6; half price for children.
Speaker, entertainment and dance.
Sponsored by the South Fraser
Region, CPC.

NOV. 10 — Keep this date open for
the banquet celebrating the 62nd
anniversary of the Great October
Revolution. Sponsored by the
GVRC. .

DEC. 8 — Pre-Xmas Bazaar, Ukrai-
nian Hall, 805 E. Pender. Bazaar
Committee invites craftspeople or
anyone wanting to help out, to
phone Diana at 684-3254 or Miguel
at 684-4321.

LEGAL SERVICES

Rankin, Stone, McMurray, Bar-

-risters and Solicitors. 500 Ford

Building, 193 East Hastings St.,
Vancouver 682-7471.

BUSINESS PERSONALS

gl aden
Dolla:

JEWELLERY. REPAIRS

Remodelling at reasonable charge.
For appointment phone 254-7678.

ROOF REPAIRS — Reasonable.
New roofs and alum. gutters,
277-1364 or 277-3352.

TRADE UNIONIST seeks re-
search, writing work. Phone Ron
Sostad — 980-5157.

HALLS FOR RENT

RUSSIAN PEOPLE'S HOME —
Available for rentals. For reserva-
tions phone 254-3430.

WEBSTERS CORNERS HALL —
Available for banquets, meetings,
etc. For rates: Ozzie, 325-4171 or
685-5836.

UKRAINIAN CANADIAN CUL-
TURAL CENTRE — 805 East Pen-

der St., Vancouver. Available for

banquets, weddings, meetings. Ph.
254-3436 ;

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—OCTOBER 12, 1979—Page 11