Film That Was Banned For Eight Years In Ireland Now Available On Netflix

It was banned for almost a decade but now it’s available, whenever you want.

You’re going to want to watch this one just to see what all the fuss was about.

Monty Python was born in May 1969, at the Light of Kashmir tandoori restaurant in Hampstead, where five Brits (Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin) and an American (animator Terry Gilliam) first sat down to discuss working together on a new BBC comedy series.

The team all agreed that they wanted to overturn the conventions of traditional sketch comedy – sketches with a beginning, middle and end, punchlines, blackouts, and topical gags.

However, one of their sketches proved to be too sketchy for Irish audiences and was banned here for eight years in total.

Monty Python’s – The Life of Brian is the story of Brian who is born in the stable next to Jesus and mistaken for the Messiah.

It was banned in Ireland because of its heavy religious satire from 1979 to 1987 and with the years of controversy that came before it and Irish people’s love of Python, the cinemas filled out and it proved to be one of the most successful films of the year.

According to Entertainment.ie, “the censors, at the time, believed it was making a mockery of religion. Yet, throughout the entire film, there’s only one reference to Jesus and his portrayal isn’t lampooned in any way,” they stated.

It first had a rating of 18 in Ireland which was then reduced to 15.

The 90 minute movie can be found on Netflix here.

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