Literature Through Film Post #1: Responding to "Monty Python and The Holy Grail"

        In this marvelously hilarious display of criticism of the darker aspects of the middle ages, we as viewers were granted information that is only heard of seldom when talking about the middle ages. This information was delivered to us in such a clever manner, that even the senseless killings of women during witch-hunts were hilarious to us. How did Monty Python manage to do this? To put it simply, by highlighting stupidity and really making clear how much we have developed as humans. This brilliant appeal approach is the "Monty Python" touch. All of their films appeal to their viewers by creating this feeling of achievement through the very detailed highlight of stupidity from the past ages. The effect this has on the viewers is evoking a feeling of joy because the viewers have now made aware that there are people so stupid that compared to them, they might as well be gods. The stubbornness of the black knight, the desperation of the virgins, the thirst for blood that the villagers possessed. All of these details add up to the image of what we used to be. Logically, this would bring shame upon the viewers, but upon the realization that these things don't happen anymore (or at least not as often or as explicitly), a feeling of improvement overcomes then, and these dark stories suddenly becoming entertaining and even educational. This entertainment approach is brilliant and I wish it was used more often in modern films. Sadly, all we see is the same love story with different Barbies and different Kens nowadays...