Terry Gilliam has given the movie-going public a vast, fascinating body of work. I am probably betraying my bias in referring to him as a modern-day Shakespeare, but it’s my blog and I happily share my prejudice with anyone who cares to read it. (This could easily turn into a long, snore-worthy dissertation on all things Gilliam, but not today. You’re welcome.)
The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus was released in 2009, after what was likely one of the toughest film projects of Gilliam’s career, given the death of Heath Ledger two thirds of the way into the shoot. While Gilliam later said that the changes necessitated by that tragedy ironically made the film better, it was certainly a disproportionate price to pay.
Storytelling is the underlying theme of the film, and story itself is the character that takes us on the adventure. As a monk in the long-distant past, Parnassus and Mr. Nick (as the devil is named) have a discussion about story, and its relationship to the universe. Then as the film progresses, the fates of many souls are determined by the way individuals resolve their own stories within the fantasy worlds of their imaginations, under Parnassus’ magic spell.
I don’t like spoilers, so I’ll be vague about plot points in case you haven’t seen the film.
Christopher Plummer has never, to my knowledge, given a less than top-notch performance, and he continues to out-do himself in this one. He is a 1000 years old, immortal, a floundering monk in an era that has long since passed him by, and thoroughly, constantly drunk.
Tom Waits gives us another masterful character turn as Mr. Nick, (When I first read Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” I thought of Renfield as a minor, relatively uninteresting character...Then Francis Coppola cast Waits in that part, and a tray of hors d'oeuvres will never be the same to me.) smoothe, slinky, creepy to the extreme...everything the devil should be.
Verne Troyer’s Percy puts Jiminy Cricket to shame, as Parnassus’ conscience (and it’s no small feat to best an animated Disney icon), and Lily Cole and Andrew Garfield are flawless as Parnassus’ daughter Valentina, and her soulmate, Anton.
But the heart of the story is an irredeemably predatory con-man who may or may not be suffering from amnesia when found hanging from Blackfriars Bridge one rainy night, as the caravan is moving on. Ledgers’ Tony (patterned to some extent after former Prime Minister Tony Blair, according to Gilliam) tells stories, just like Parnassus’ troop. The difference, we gradually learn, is that they are all designed to perform one function: put money into Tony’s pockets. Most of Ledger’s scenes in the “real world”, outside of the Imaginarium, were shot before his untimely death. Since the character has several appearances yet to come inside the magic realm behind Parnassus’ ramshackle mirror, steps needed to be taken.
The steps were ingenious: Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell become Tony in the Imaginarium. The characters entering the Imaginarium are made to change in appearance, according to what is happening in their own imaginations.
Through that device, Tony changes his looks according to his intentions toward whoever is in there with him. (For example, when he is with Valentina trying to seduce her, he looks just like the guy in a magazine photo she often looked at earlier in the story: It’s a picture of the ideal home life she longs for.)
All three actors maintained the character established by Ledger perfectly, showing us the truly deceptive nature of his soul.
Pulling all of this chaos together must have been a huge effort, especially considering the emotional pressure on everyone involved with the project. I think one of the finest results in Gilliam’s extensive filmography came out of this crucible. It will always be one of my favorites.
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