In 2000 Terry Gilliam made what is probably the most famous non-existent film ever. He began production on a long planned project called The Man Who Killed Don Quixote. The film starred Jean Rochefort as Cervantes’ character and Johnny Depp as a time-traveling ad executive Quixote mistakes for his squire, Sancho Panza.
Lost In La Mancha
The film was plagued with disasters. Floods, close proximity to a UN plane-testing site stalled filming. Jean Rochefort developed an intestinal virus that meant he had to return to France for treatment, and the financiers’ insurance company shut down the film indefinitely. The entire episode was chronicled in the film Lost in La Mancha by documentarians Louis Pepe and Keith Fulton. Gilliam always tried to keep the project alive, and has recently started preproduction on a new version that will now star Robert Duvall and Ewan McGregor.
Gilliam Versus Hollywood Round 2
Following the failure of his Quixote film, Gilliam didn’t make another film for five years. Since his last movie came out in 1998, it would be seven years in between completed films. The film that came next was another battle with studio heads for Gilliam, but it wouldn’t result in the same victory as Brazil.
The Brothers Grimm (2005) was an action comedy/fantasy. It starred Heath Ledger and Matt Damon as fictionalized versions of the storytellers travelling around19th Century Germany faking supernatural incidents. They then get caught up in real supernatural doings when a witch (Monica Bellucci) takes over a local forest.
Gilliam again battled the film’s producers—this time Bob and Harvey Weinstein—who came on board after the film was dropped by original studio MGM. They insisted on cuts and tucks to the film in order to make it more marketable, and even fired Gilliam’s regular cinematographer, Nicola Pecorini without consulting him. The final result is an interesting misstep. The film was not a huge success and doesn’t sit well in Gilliam’s back catalogue.
The premise is good and solid and Ledger and Damon are a great double act. Indeed, Ledger displays the leading-man charisma mixed with character-actor talent that he would become famous for in his tragically short career. The look of the film is beautiful and there are some great scenes, but it just doesn’t hold together very well.
Dark Comedy, Tragedy And Hope
The delays in the production and release of The Brothers Grimm meant Gilliam’s next film Tideland (2005) was released the same year. The film saw Gilliam finally achieve a final cut on a film-and-release—something that had not occurred since Twelve Monkeys. The film was an adaption of Mitch Cullin’s novel of the same name. It was a dark fantasy that told the story of a young girl and the dream world she creates for herself. The film is not very successful dramatically or creatively; however, it does look wonderful and has a brilliant performance by Jodelle Ferland. It was a cathartic experience for Gilliam, and one he has said he needed in order to get back his enthusiasm for filmmaking.
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
With his most recent completed film Gilliam experienced his worst setbacks, but emerged triumphant as a filmmaker. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009) began shooting in London in 2007 with a budget of $30 million and all looked well.
The film starred Christopher Plummer as a 1000-year old former monk Dr. Parnassus. He leads a band of traveling performers as they take in a misfit named Tony who has amnesia (Heath Ledger). Parnassus has a magic mirror that allows people to experience their imaginations and dreams made real. The plot is driven by a bet made between the doctor and the Devil, called Mr. Nick (Tom Waits).
During a break in production between filming the real world sections of the film, and the fantasy sequences, Heath Ledger passed away from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs. The film was closed down immediately and Gilliam descended into deep depression.
After the world mourned Ledger’s death, Amy Gilliam, Terry’s daughter and one of the film’s producers, persuaded her father to try to finish the film in Ledger’s memory.
Because of the fantasy nature of the film, Gilliam was able to cast three new actors in the roles of Tony inside the imagination world. Colin Farrell, Jude Law and Johnny Depp took on the roles and kept the film on tack. Gilliam and his cast and crew did wonderful work keeping the film together while honouring Ledger’s performance. The filmmakers were not out of the woods though once the film went into postproduction. One of the film’s producers, William Vince died from cancer and shortly after, Gilliam himself was severely injured when a car hit him near his office in London.
Defying these obstacles, Gilliam produced his finest film since Brazil. The director created a fantasy landscape that mixed traditional good-versus-evil stories, satire on modern Britain, and visuals that call to mind his early Python cartoons. Although box office take wasn’t great, it recouped its budget and buoyed him on for his second attempt at making The Man Who Killed Don Quixote.
Onwards And Upwards
Terry Gilliam will turn 70 this year and he still presents himself as the young rabble-rouser he was in the ‘60s and ‘70s. He is one of the original film auteurs; even the films he worked on as a director-for-hire have his unique style. Gilliam is a wonderful filmmaker whose films are magic, funny, and enduring. He is an infectious talker in interviews and beautifully enthusiastic about his work. He has found his place in the film world and although his films are few and far between these days, he always delivers. It is a true event whenever he releases a movie.
Gregory Breen - Gregory Breen was born and raised just south of Dublin, Ireland in the town of Dun Laoghire. He lived in Canada in 2006 for a year and ...
Join the Conversation