After the first take of the scene where a nude Brian (Graham Chapman) addresses the crowd from his window, Terry Jones pulled Chapman aside and said "I think we can see that you're not Jewish", referring to Chapman being uncircumcised. This was corrected in subsequent takes with the application of a rubber band.
Theatrically re-released in the US on 30 April 2004 for its 25th anniversary, two months after the theatrical release of The Passion of the Christ (2004).
In the interview section of Monty Python's Flying Circus: Live at Aspen (1998), John Cleese confides that, since there were massive protests against the movie from all denominations of Christianity, he would joke with Michael Palin: "We've brought them all together for the first time in 2000 years!"
In the scene where a nude Brian speaks with his followers and his mother comes storming into the room, a Star of David is visible on the wall of the room. The Star of David didn't become a symbol of Judaism until the Middle Ages.
Why do the closing credits suggest you might also enjoy seeing 'La Notte'?
A
La notte (1961) is not related to Life of Brian in any way, shape or form. That's why it's funny.
Q
Is "Life of Brian" based on a book?
A
No. Life of Brian is a comedy film written, directed and largely performed by the Monty Python comedy team. There is a book of the film with pictures from the production and the full script. There is also a new book 'Life of (Brian) Jesus' written by the film's editor which gives insights and anecdotes about the film and argues that 'Life of Brian' is the most accurate Biblical Film ever made.
Q
A Note Regarding Spoilers
A
The following FAQ entries may contain spoilers. Only the biggest ones (if any) will be covered with spoiler tags. Spoiler tags have been used sparingly in order to make the page more readable.