By Marie Straub
Terry Gilliam. It is because of this visionary director’s unfettered imagination that his films have become more anticipated events than cinematic releases. His latest offering does not disappoint – probably because with
The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus, not only has he once again unleashed his vast creative and imaginative talents, but the unfettered imagination itself is precisely the playground on which he has constructed this film. Just as Parnassus does in the film, Gilliam is inviting us to step through the mirror into his imagination.
Set in contemporary London, the story follows the wonderings of Dr Parnassus (Christopher Plummer), an immortal guru-of-sorts who has the unique ability to inspire the imaginations of others. He travels through the streets in an ancient gypsy caravan-come-theatre. He is assisted by his long-term cynical sidekick, Percy (Verne Troy) with his “What would you do without me? Buy a midget?” quips; his daughter, Valentina (Lily Cole); and her would-be suitor, the talented young player, Anton (Andrew Garfield). But while they may be players (in the theatrical sense), Parnassus is quick to point out that they don’t play – “What we do is deadly serious”. Locked in an age-old battle with the devil (Tom Waits), as they fight over the souls of the people who step through Parnassus’s mirror, the stakes are about to be raised as the devil comes to collect on an age-old debt which has Valentina as his prize. Along the way, the troupe pick up Tony (Heath Ledger) – a stranger they save but whom they do not know much about. At first, Tony does not know who he is, but when he starts to remember, he will hide it from them all and run from what he is, as he begins to explore life beyond the mirror. Ledger passed away tragically during filming, but luckily, the highly imaginative space in which a large part of the film is set, meant that, with a few rewrites, the bulk of Ledger’s performance could be kept, while it is completed by the talented trio of Johnny Depp; Jude Law; and Colin Farrell, who play the different faces of Tony when he steps through the looking glass. As the bulk of what happens on the ‘real world’ side of the mirror had already been completed by Ledger, his performance was kept intact and did not require digital modification or altering. When the chips are down, when Tony’s true nature is revealed, where will this leave Parnassus, the devil and, most importantly, Valentina? You will have to watch to find out.
In terms of the performances, you won’t be wanting for much. Ledger is stunning to watch and his performance serves as an indelible reminder of how much the world of film lost with his passing. Cole is one of the few to successfully jump from supermodel to actress without leaving a bitter taste akin to diet pills in the mouths of the audience. Her quirky talent and lovely naturalness couple with her individual beauty to produce something that is not only perfect for Valentina, but will in all likelihood have Tim Burton stalking her soon. Garfield delivers a fantastic performance which underscores quietly while crawling straight into your heart, and yet shows itself more than capable of taking the spotlight and soaring where needed. Law; Farrell; and Depp are used perfectly, each working hard to capture and expand the various aspects of the Tony that Ledger had already created. Finally, Plummer in the title roll achieves the timelessness that Parnassus requires, truly embodying both a creative genius and a tired grumpy old man afraid of losing his daughter.
Only Gilliam could put us in a world of the carnivalesque, with lotus flowers; once-monks; and midgets – located in contemporary London – and then transport us from an imaginary forest, to a pile of glass bottles; to jellyfish floating in space; to landing on a giant drawing pin; to an exploding bar; all within the opening ten minutes, and have us enjoy the ride. Yes, there are cops in skirts and fishnet stockings singing “We love violence”, and Russian mobsters running for cover, literally, under their mother’s skirts, and a plethora of imaginative wonderings that are suitably Gilliamesque and never self-indulgent. But above all, this film is fascinated with story – it is the telling of stories, Gilliam shows us, that will keep the world going round, no matter what story is being told. It’s not the story that’s important so much as the telling of it.
Close collaborator cinematographer, Nicola Pecorini, has been working with Gilliam for ten years and sees exactly, as will many Gilliam fans, where Parnassus comes from: “A tired man, who has been trying to enlighten his fellow humans, to teach them to let their imagination fly and flourish, to consider the power of dreams as a richness and not as a burden. Parnassus is Terry. The script is the fortunate child of years of battle against the system of frustrations accumulated trying to give shape to sublime ideas.” This film is, as Pecorini points out, a metaphor for the arts – both in touch with its realities and how frequently performing artists are relegated to under-appreciated performing-monkey status and illustrating that art is nonetheless the moving force of culture. In Parnassus’ own words: “We tell the eternal story… without which there is nothing. You can’t stop stories being told.”
It’s exquisite; exciting; funny; and magical – it’s a must-see. Tony asks Anton where they are at one point, and his answer is: “Geographically – the northern hemisphere. Socially – on the margins. Narratively – with some way to go.” Lets hope the same is true for Gilliam, because the anticipation for the next offering from this revolutionary imagination is already building.
I’m giving it the full five stars – and that’s a first. If you like your cinema to be straight-forward, you’ll disagree. Go ahead, enter the imaginarium, if you dare.
The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus is showing at cinemas from 11 June 2010.